There’s a record number of trans and non-binary people running for parliament in the UK general election
Ten trans and non-binary candidates are running in this year’s UK general election. (Supplied/Twitter)
For the first time in history, the number of trans and non-binary candidates in the UK general election has reached double figures.
PinkNews understands there are 10 trans, including non-binary, parliamentary hopefuls, and if any of them are successful they will become the UK’s first-ever openly trans or non-binary MP.
This figure compares with nine trans and non-binary candidates in the 2017 snap election, four in the 2015 election and none in 2010.
Half of the trans and non-binary people running are standing for the Green Party, with two each running for the Lib Dems and Labour and one person standing as an independent.
There are no trans, including non-binary, prospective parliamentary candidates in the Conservative party that PinkNews is aware of.
The 10 hopefuls are: Helen Belcher, a trans woman running for the Liberal Democrats in Chippenham; Sophie Cook, a trans woman standing as an independent candidate for East Worthing and Shoreham; Quinn Daley, non-binary Green Party candidate for Pudsey; Ben Foley, non-binary Green Party candidate for Luton South; Elaine Gallagher, a trans woman standing for the Scottish Greens in Glasgow Central; Charley Hasted, non-binary Liberal Democrat candidate for Eltham; Heather Herbert, a trans woman running for Labour in Gordon; Thom Kirkwood, non-binary Labour candidate for Richmond; Rowan McLaughlin, non-binary Green Party candidate for Redcar; and Tom Pashby, non-binary Green Party candidate for South West Hertfordshire.
Of the 10, four are trans women and a record six are non-binary people.
Trans rights in party manifestos.
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens have vowed to push forward with reforms to the Gender Recognition Act as part of their general election promises, but the issue is absent from the Conservative manifesto – despite a consultation ordered under the previous Conservative government.
Other reforms for trans people – such as gender ‘X’ passports for non-binary people and the end to the ‘spousal veto’ for gender recognition – are absent from both the Conservative and Labour manifestos, despite pledges from the Liberal Democrats and Greens.
LGBT+ members of parliament before this election.
In 2017, the UK elected a record number of LGBT+ MPs – 45.
The 45 represented seven percent of the House of Commons, which was the highest level of LGBT+ representation ever in Britain and the world.
The UK has never had an openly trans or non-binary MP.
