“In these statements the EHRC is calling for further delays to legislation that our communities have been waiting on for many years”
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY ORIEL FRANKIE ASHCROFT VIA PEXELS
On 26 January Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality And Human Rights Commission, wrote a statement to the Scottish government asking it to pause plans to simplify the legal requirements for gender recognition. This news came at the same time as the Council Of Europe naming the UK as a country of concern over “extensive attacks” on LGBTQI rights.
Advances of the rights of #LGBTI people are under threat, says PACE – pointing to “extensive and often virulent attacks” on them over several years notably in Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey and the UK:https://t.co/f3rulOjcwd pic.twitter.com/yWgylSCsNg
— PACE (@PACE_News) January 25, 2022
The EHRC also issued a statement arguing a further delay to the ban on conversion therapy. Both statements have sparked justified outrage online. These statements both follow an uphill battle of fighting for LGBTQI rights.
Fantastic to see *another country #BanConversionTherapy with a unanimous vote. No ifs, no buts, no abuse. Makes it even more chilling that it’s our national human rights institution @EHRC arguing to delay, and to allow abuse of trans people to continue.https://t.co/MN08BMq4qB
— Nancy Kelley (@Nancy_M_K) January 27, 2022
You are unfit for your job leading on human rights? @EHRCChair you seem to have been outted as gender critical? and your personal views seem be damaging the #lgbtqia+ community & human rights? @VICEUK @Dazed @DIVAmagazine @gaytimes @gaystarnews @LGBT_news @PinkNews @gaystarnews pic.twitter.com/FcS2CCgcYr
— Daniel Lismore (@daniellismore) January 26, 2022
Yesterday, Stonewall released its response to EHRC statements on upcoming LGBTQI legislation, stating: “They disregard findings from the UK Government’s own research and the largest ever survey of LGBTQ+ people in the UK, as well as the expert opinion of the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity on conversion therapy and gender recognition.”
“In these statements the EHRC is calling for further delays to legislation that our communities have been waiting on for many years. In both cases the UK Government and Scottish Government have given ample opportunity for consultation.”
“The EHRC has a statutory duty to enforce the Equality Act 2010 and protect equality and human rights across all nine protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender reassignment. These statements do the opposite, by actively standing in the way of improving the rights of trans people.”
Stonewall ended their statement by making a call on: “the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to urgently review EHRC and ensure that trans people’s rights are effectively supported by this institution.”
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