Labour’s Angela Rayner condemns Tory government’s ‘campaign of hate’ against trans people
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner at the annual Labour Party conference in Brighton on 27 September 2021. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty)
Angela Rayner condemned the government’s “campaign of hate” against trans people as she reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
The deputy leader was unambiguous in her support for trans rights at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday (28 September), hitting out at the government for its “disgusting” attacks on the community.
“Ministers are looking at vulnerable people, they’re looking at our trans community and they are looking at people’s identities and they see it as an opportunity to divide people – that is disgusting, that is disgraceful,” she said.
The debate over trans rights has become one of the focal points of division in the Labour party, with Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield remaining in post despite widespread condemnation for her anti-trans views. It is understood that she remains the subject of an ongoing investigation.
The issue reached a head before the conference when Duffield announced she would not attend after allegedly receiving advice that her safety could be compromised.
Angela Rayner remained firm as she set Labour apart from the Conservatives’ opposition to the self-identification of trans people and emphatically stated that trans rights do not detract from women’s rights.
“We are the party of equality, we are the party for the oppressed, and we are the party that is committed to achieving a world free of all forms of bigotry and discrimination,” she said.
“We will update the Gender Recognition Act to create a process of self-ID. Women’s rights are not in conflict with trans rights. Our fight is your fight, your struggle is my struggle.”
Angela Rayner went on to explain her deep connection to the LGBT+ community, recalling the support she received as a young person with a troubled childhood.
“In an interview with The Times on Saturday, I talked about how I never felt loved as a child… but the LGBT+ community loved and cared for me,” she said.
“It meant such a tremendous amount to me as a young person and it means a lot to me now, and that’s why I’m so passionate about the issues that we have and the challenges that we face together.
“I’ve always been your ally, and I always will be your ally.”
