Agenda item

To consider any motions, due notice of which have been given in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

There was one motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

(A) Support for Trans Rights

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1) Affirm their support for trans, non-binary, and gender diverse residents and their commitment to defending their rights and dignity.

(2) Request the Leader of the Council to write to the Minister for Women and Equalities to:

(a) Express the position of this Council is to support trans rights.

(b) Request guidance on how existing legislation will continue to protect the rights of trans people.

(c) Request clarity on whether the Government will bring forward new legislation in this area.

(3) Commit to supporting Officers to take meaningful steps to promote safety and inclusion so that North Herts continues to be a welcoming and inclusive place for the LGBTQ+ community.

(4) Build upon Council policies and practice to ensure that they explicitly affirm support for trans, non binary, and gender diverse people and that language used is inclusive.

(5) Ensure that LGBTQ+ inclusion and trans awareness form part of ongoing staff and Councillor training, using existing or freely available resources.

(6) Publicly mark and promote significant dates for the LGBTQ+ community (such as Pride, Trans Day of Visibility, etc.) through Council communications channels, as appropriate.

(7) Continue to engage with local LGBTQ+ residents, staff, and organisations to inform Council services, community safety approaches, and staff policies (for example the recent funding with Impactful Lives).

(8) Promote ways to report hate crimes and discrimination, ensuring that local and national support services are clearly signposted on Council platforms.

(9) Continue to include commitments to equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination in Council supplier and partner expectations, encouraging inclusive practice in all Council linked work.

(10) Actively encourage applications from LGBTQ+ people for Council jobs by:

(a) Requesting officers to consider whether any changes to recruitment practices are necessary or appropriate to support inclusion, and to bring forward any recommendations through the appropriate governance route.

(b) Reviewing recruitment processes to ensure they are inclusive and free from unnecessary barriers.

(c) Promoting the Council as an inclusive employer via LGBTQ+ networks, events, and community groups.

(d) Investigating whether the Council can offer the option to display pronouns during the application and onboarding process at no additional cost.

Audio recording – 2 hours 5 minutes 33 seconds

There was one motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

(A) Support for Trans Rights

Councillor Sadie Billing proposed the motion as follows:

‘Council notes that:

The Supreme Court, in the case of Women Scotland v the Scottish Ministers, ruled that the terms “man”, “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to “biological sex”. This judgement does not remove legal protection from trans people, as gender reassignment remains a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. The law requiring respect for trans rights has not changed.

However, the judgement, and the subsequent interim (now withdrawn) guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has caused significant anxiety, uncertainty, and fear for the trans community. A recent Gallup survey found that two thirds of LGBTQ+ respondents had experienced anti LGBTQ+ violence or abuse, with abuse particularly severe for trans people. The LGBTQ+ community is more likely to experience disproportionately poor health outcomes, workplace conflict, homelessness, and barriers to accessing public services.

Council believes that:

1. Everyone should be safe and free to be themselves, without fear of hostility, violence, or discrimination.

2. Nobody’s life chances should be limited or determined because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

3. Everyone deserves clarity and reassurance on how their rights will be protected.

4. The erosion of trans rights threatens everyone’s rights.

Therefore, Council resolves to:

1. Affirm their support for trans, non-binary, and gender diverse residents and our commitment to defending their rights and dignity.

2. Request the Leader of the Council to write to the Minister for Women and Equalities to:

(a) Express that the position of this Council is to support trans rights.

(b) Request guidance on how existing legislation will continue to protect the rights of trans people.

(c) Request clarity on whether the Government will bring forward new legislation in this area.

3. Commit to supporting Officers to take meaningful steps to promote safety and inclusion so that North Herts continues to be a welcoming and inclusive place for the LGBTQ+ community.

4. Build upon Council policies and practice to ensure that they explicitly affirm support for trans, non binary, and gender diverse people and that language used is inclusive.

5. Ensure that LGBTQ+ inclusion and trans awareness form part of ongoing staff and Councillor training, using existing or freely available resources.

6. Publicly mark and promote significant dates for the LGBTQ+ community (such as Pride, Trans Day of Visibility, etc.) through Council communications channels, as appropriate.

7. Continue to engage with local LGBTQ+ residents, staff, and organisations to inform Council services, community safety approaches, and staff policies (for example the recent funding with Impactful Lives).

8. Promote ways to report hate crimes and discrimination, ensuring that local and national support services are clearly signposted on Council platforms.

9. Continue to include commitments to equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination in Council supplier and partner expectations, encouraging inclusive practice in all Council linked work.

10. Actively encourage applications from LGBTQ+ people for Council jobs by:

(a) Requesting officers to consider whether any changes to recruitment practices are necessary or appropriate to support inclusion, and to bring forward any recommendations through the appropriate governance route.

(b) Reviewing recruitment processes to ensure they are inclusive and free from unnecessary barriers.

(c) Promoting the Council as an inclusive employer via LGBTQ+ networks, events, and community groups.

(d) Investigating whether the Council can offer the option to display pronouns during the application and onboarding process at no additional cost.

Any actions arising from this motion will be subject to existing legislation, available resources and appropriate governance and decision-making processes.’

Councillor David Chalmers seconded the motion.

The following Members took part in the debate:

· Councillor Daniel Wright-Mason

· Councillor Claire Winchester

· Councillor David Chalmers

· Councillor Daniel Allen

· Councillor Tom Tyson

· Councillor Alistair Willoughby

· Councillor Ralph Muncer

· Councillor Elizabeth Dennis

· Councillor Tamsin Thomas

· Councillor Joe Graziano

The following points were made as part of the debate:

· Stonewall had found that 41% of trans people had experienced a hate crime in the last year and more than half hid who they were at work for fear of discrimination.

· Impactful Lives had found that 73% of the LGBTQ+ community in Hertfordshire thought society attitudes towards trans people had become increasingly negative in recent years and 87% felt that attitudes had become more negative overall.

· This motion would not change the law or address concerns immediately, but it would recognise the concerns of residents and support their rights, dignity and safety.

· They were happy to support the safety of young trans people in the district.

· If the Council did not support this motion, they would be ignoring the abuse and bullying that young trans people faced, therefore, it should be passed to ensure that regressive or exclusionary policies that would put them at risk of harm would not return.

· It was an honour to second this important motion that dealt with basic human rights for those in the community.

· The same fear and shame that had riddled homosexuals in the past had also destroyed the lives of many trans people recently.

· Trans people had been demonised and felt to feel like a threat to society because of the actions of a few.

· Impactful Lives had also found that 86% of the LGBTQ+ community they surveyed in Hertfordshire had experienced an increase in hostility or hate speech.

· Hertfordshire Constabulary would no longer participate in pride events across the county which added to the situation.

· Passing this motion would reaffirm the support that statutory bodies like the Council had for trans and non-binary residents.

· Respect, dignity and equality would be given to trans people from this motion.

· Freedom of expression did not mean having the right to demonise others and both transphobic and homophobic comments were not tolerated and should not be left unchecked.

· This motion sent a simple, powerful message that the Council stood for inclusion.

· They were proud of how far things had come since the Section 28 legislation that had made it illegal for local authorities to promote homosexuality in a positive way.

· With darks cloud on the horizon, Members were urged to vote in favour of this motion.

· Supporting this motion would allow more people to be themselves and make the world a better, more interesting place.

· The Supreme Court of Justice had got it right as their ruling had not weakened the legal protections for the trans community under the Equalities Act.

· It would be hypocritical to support this motion when they had a Women and Girls Safety Charter in place across North Herts and supporting it would allow biological males to be present in changing rooms and toilets for women and girls.

· It would be remis to neglect the struggles that trans people had faced and by acknowledging their support for them, they were not removing their support for women and girls.

· Academic studies had proven that when society had failed to acknowledge LGBTQ+ rights, rights for women and girls were not acknowledged either.

· Treating trans people with prejudice set back the progress on rights for women.

· More positive, diverse representation was hoped to be seen across the district.

· Fear of trans women in changing rooms and toilets was a manufactured fear and should not influence the direction of this motion.

· In an ideal world, they would not be discussing this motion or have to press for basic human rights.

Councillor Sadie Billing replied to the debate and advised that:

· Supporting trans rights would not weaken rights for women and girls as the law protected both.

· This motion affirmed the provision of dignity, safety and respect for everyone.

Having been proposed and seconded and, following a vote, it was: