Labour bans trans women from main annual women’s conference
Labour has banned trans women from participating in its annual women’s conference next year.
The party said only “biological women” will be able to take part in the conference’s formal business, including votes, policy debates and listening to speeches in the main hall.
Fringe events at the conference, which takes place before the party’s annual conference in Liverpool, will remain open to all genders.
The decision follows a Supreme Court decision earlier this year that ruled references to women in the Equality Act refer to “biological sex”.
It is understood to be considered the least restrictive approach to the conference that still complies with the law.
This year’s Labour women’s conference was cancelled over fears of legal action in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
A spokesperson for the party said: “National women’s conference will be held in 2026 after a comprehensive legal review.
“This reflects our commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women in the party and compliance with the law.”
The decision to ban trans women from the event has been strongly criticised by the Labour for Trans Rights group, which called the move “exclusionary”, and it urged the national executive committee to reconsider.
A spokesperson said: “It’s terrible that trans women will be excluded from the main business of women’s conference, even if they’re able to access the fringe.
“Trans members are being cut out of the democratic processes of the Labour Party when many have given years of service, knocking doors and standing as candidates.”
Another campaign group, the Labour Women’s Declaration, welcomed the decision, although it said a two-day women’s conference would have been better than the planned one-day event.
A spokesperson said: “As Labour Government ministers have repeatedly stated, organisations should not wait for the EHRC (Equalities and Human Rights Commission) guidance and should take legal advice and implement the Supreme Court ruling immediately.
“All organisations and Government departments should now follow suit.”
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Labour really are bad at this.
I’m a liberal at heart – so does it really matter the sex of a person at a political conference? There appears to be too much emphasis on stuff like this rather than addressing serious public concerns – like the cost of living crisis. Labour has certainly lost its way.
Had to happen. Women’s rights are under threat. Rape, assault etc has gone through the roof in the last couple of decades. Women’s spaces need to be protected, now more so than ever. Sorry, but if you’re a biological male then do the decent thing and stay away.
None of these people ever seem to care about women’s rights in any other context except where it’s an excuse to bash trans people.
The idea that cis men have to pretend to be trans women to be a threat to cis women is absurd. Predatory men can act with near impunity, leave trans women out of it.
Hmm but that’s the thing, these people no longer consider themselves biological males and are not seen as that in society.
Yes they have gone through the roof, you’re quite right. Now lets take a look at the perpetrators. People who identify as men, who were born as men, wanting to control and assert power over women. Most cases of rape are usually by family members or close family friends, disturbingly often before they could actually legally consent.
Transgender inflicted rape is a tiny tiny tiny portion, they’re usually more vulnerable to being a victim of rape (because, hey it’s not a real woman so it’s alright, right? Can’t rape a man… hurhurhur).
Are trans men allowed to attend? Also, what about other genders? Or is it only trans women? Asking for a friend.
This is a decision for the conference organizers to make… preferably by way of a membership vote. Not some diktat from above. All they’d have to do is slightly adjust the name.
Such nonsense wouldn’t have flown in my trade union. We resist such petty exclusionary tactics, biological women far outweigh trans-women at such conferences and they’re not holding it because they feel unsafe in the main conference they’re holding it to get their voices heard, which would happen regardless of whether Trans-women are part of it or not.
Toilets, refuges, public bathing is one thing, political assembly quite another.
How much longer will it take before the mainstream political consensus is that trans people should be forced to wear a badge identifying them as trans?
I’m not transgender but I do believe in fairness and justice. Apparently, the so called human rights lawyer doesn’t.