St Albans councillors have backed a motion that aims to promote transgender rights and will “actively encourage” LGBTQ+ people to apply for council jobs.
At a meeting yesterday (Wednesday, December 3), Cllr Harriet Sherlock (LD) called on her colleagues to back a motion that she said would “let trans residents in this district know that they are heard, seen, safe, respected, and that their contribution to this community is valued”.
Its approval means the leader of the council, Cllr Paul De Kort (LD), will write to the minister for women and equalities in support of transgender rights, and the council will publicly mark and promote the Trans Day of Visibility and the Trans Day of Remembrance.
Job adverts for roles at the council will also include a statement that the council “welcome applications from all, including trans, non-binary and LGBTQ+ people”.
Cllr Sherlock said: “Many trans people are so ground down by the constant discrimination, demonisation and vilification directed towards them that they believe they will never get a job. Stating that this council welcomes applications from people who are trans is an important beacon. It’s not offering positive discrimination, it’s not doing that at all.
“This motion is not going to cost the council money. It’s not going to put the rights of trans people above those of other people with protected characteristics.
“The trans community are most definitely under attack; under attack from a very vocal, vociferous and moneyed minority, who rather than advancing women’s rights and role in society, want to take us way, way back. They aren’t for women; they are anti-trans.
“Apparently, if you don’t conform nowadays to narrow gender stereotypes you can be challenged and denied access to a lavatory. Not girly enough? Not blokey enough? It’s fine for you to be publicly humiliated and to just cross your legs. This is a hugely discriminatory thing.”
Cllr Sherlock’s motion was first brought to the council in July, since when she had removed a statement in it that “council believes that trans women are women [and] trans men are men” so as “not to risk the motion’s defeat”.
The motion was supported by Labour group leader Cllr Emma Turnbull, who criticised those who have “weaponised” the issue of transgender rights, and by Green Cllr Matt Fisher, who said: “Our duty as a council is clear: everyone in St Albans district deserves to live safely, openly and with dignity, free from fear and free to thrive.
“Protecting trans rights is not only a matter of fairness … it is a safeguard for the rights and freedoms of us all.”
In total, 44 councillors voted in favour of the motion, while two abstained and two voted against.
Both councillors to vote against the motion were Conservative representatives.
One of them, Cllr Matt Cowley, said he had “a particular concern” around the proposals for job adverts.
He said: “My concern is that by saying in job adverts that we explicitly welcome applications from some groups in society, we are implying to people who are not of those groups that they are not welcome to apply.
“I am also concerned that it creates the impression that the LGBT people we employ – and we employ them because they are the best people to do their jobs … have been hired because of their gender identity or their sexual orientation.
“I would not want us to open up the employees of this council to discrimination on that basis.
“In a time of division, we must try and handle the rights of groups – all groups – in society with the utmost seriousness.”
✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by Christopher Day
(Underlining mine)
This came up on Facebook via Herts Live.
I am baffled by the assertions made here.