What is Liz Truss’s track record on LGBTQ rights?
metro.co.ukLiz Truss has become Britain’s new prime minister — but what is her background where LGBTQ+ rights are concerned?Ms Truss beat rival Rishi Sunak for the top job after receiving 81,326 votes from Tory party members.It was a restless leadership race that saw Ms Truss and Mr Sunak spar on trans rights while Britain braced for soaring bills and a deepening cost of living crisis.The former women and equalities minister has now officially been handed the keys to Number 10.From her voting record to her time in the Government Equalities Office (GEO), Ms Truss helped the government enshrine LGBTQ+ Brits with some rights, but has abandoned other reforms.Elected as MP for South West Norfolk in 2010, Ms Truss has a mixed track record when it comes to voting for LGBTQ+ rights.She was one of the few Tory MPs to vote in favour of marriage equality for the public in 2013 and LGBTQ+ personnel a year later.Though Ms Truss has never voted against pro-LGBTQ+ laws, she abstained from the 2019 vote to extend the same right to Northern Ireland.When Ms Truss first became equalities minister in 2019, she vowed to use her power to stamp out ‘identity politics’.Ms Truss abandoned reforms to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA) in 2020 which would have made it simpler, easier and cheaper for trans people to change their legal gender.
UK gender recognition law is among the worst in Europe, according to the European Commission.A 2018 consultation found strong support for allowing trans people to self-identify, meaning trans people would no longer need a medical diagnosis to change their legal gender.The European Commission says medical checks are ‘invasive’ and ‘dehumanising’.Despite public approval, ministers binned the broad changes, but moved the.
