Keegan will not say ‘trans women are women’ as she did in the past
About-turn follows fears the Education Secretary has been too weak on trans activists in schools
GILLIAN KEEGAN will no longer use the phrase “trans women are women” saying her understanding of the issue has “evolved”.
The Education Secretary made the statement that “Trans women are women” in 2020 in response to a question from an LGBT forum in her constituency of Chichester, adding that trans people should have equal access to “safe spaces”.
But now she has told The Telegraph that she has since “learnt a huge amount more about this complex and challenging subject”.
It comes just weeks after Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said he had been wrong to use the phrase “trans women are women, get over it”.
His about-turn came in the wake of the Cass Review, which found that much of gender medicine was built on shaky foundations and warned against the use of puberty blockers for children and young people.
Ms Keegan’s mea culpa follows Whitehall concern that she has not been strong enough as Education Secretary in standing up to the influence of trans rights activists in schools.
Four years ago, Ms Keegan responded to the Chichester LGBT Forum to say: “I recognise that more must be done to help transgender people with the unique and difficult challenges that they face.
“Trans women are women and trans people deserve equal and fair access to healthcare, safe spaces, and opportunities, as well as to live their life with dignity.”
But she has now told The Telegraph that she has changed her position.
“Since becoming an MP and later a minister I have learnt a huge amount more about this complex and challenging subject,” she said.
“At the time of writing that response, I didn’t have any direct experience of this topic and took advice on how best to respond, given the complexities surrounding individual cases. Having now spoken to experts and professionals, like many, my understanding has evolved. I have since been crystal clear about my concerns that women are being erased in this debate, and have always been clear that women do not have, nor have ever had, a penis.”
The move was welcomed by the women’s rights group Sex Matters.
Chief executive Maya Forstater said: “This change in position by Gillian Keegan is a welcome development and sets an example for other politicians to start using clear, serious language rather than transactivist slogans.
“For several years, transactivist lobby groups pushed the use of phrases such as ‘transwomen are women’ as a tactic to silence debate and fair questions about how gender self-identification
‘Transactivist lobby groups pushed phrases such as “transwomen are women” as a tactic to silence debate’
clashes with women’s rights. Many didn’t recognise the dangers of these slogans early on, including politicians who doubtless thought they were simply supporting a good cause. It takes guts to publicly change your mind.”
In December, Ms Keegan published draft guidance to schools which said pupils should only be allowed to change pronouns in rare circumstances and consult parents on their child’s wishes to change their gender identity.
However, teaching unions and trans rights groups reacted angrily to the guidance, which is now out for consultation.
There are concerns in Whitehall that Ms Keegan may water it down in response to the negative comments.
There are also worries that the Department for Education’s long-awaited relationships and sex education guidance for schools has still not been published.
Last week The Telegraph revealed that Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, had met Stonewall in 2018, when she was Equalities Minister, despite castigating the charity over its role in the puberty blockers scandal.
Stonewall has been a keen supporter of the use of the drugs by young people who want to change gender.