Jeremy Corbyn shares powerful message of solidarity for Trans Awareness Week: ‘There is no debate’
(Guy Smallman/Getty Images)
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has described the trans community as an “inspiration” and called for people to celebrate their “strength and joy” in a powerful message for Trans Awareness Week.
The politician drew attention to the “endless marginalisation” of the trans community for Trans Awareness Week, which is held in the lead up to Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November, when we remember trans people lost to global transphobic violence.
“The resilience of trans people in the face of endless marginalisation is an inspiration to us all,” Corbyn said on Twitter.
“This Trans Awareness Week, let’s empower trans communities in their struggle for justice, and celebrate their strength and joy.
“There is no debate: Trans rights are human rights.”
Neither Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer have shared messages of support for Trans Awareness Week.
The resilience of trans people in the face of endless marginalisation is an inspiration to us all.
This #TransAwarenessWeek, let’s empower trans communities in their struggle for justice, and celebrate their strength and joy.
There is no debate: trans rights are human rights.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 14, 2022
The former Labour leader has a long history of standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, voting against the introduction of cruel Section 28, often sharing his pronouns in interviews, and more recently calling on women and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch to “ban conversion therapy”.
“Kemi Badenoch could have used her first appearance as women and equalities minister to ban conversion therapy, demand better trans healthcare and condemn the rise in LGBT+ hate crimes,” he said in a recent Tweet.
“Instead, she attacked the CEO of PinkNews. The entire LGBT+ community have my full support.”
Kier Starmer’s conflicting statements
The current Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has also recently spoken out in support trans rights – but has been seen as contradicting his support by making conflicting statements.
He pledged, at the 2022 PinkNews Awards that a Labour government would ban conversion therapy once and for all, as well as appointing an international LGBTQ+ rights envoy.
Starmer also condemned the negative attitudes towards trans people often seen in UK politics, saying LGBTQ+ equality was sadly no longer “an issue of political consensus”.
“It wasn’t long ago that these events served as a symbol of how promoting LGBT+ equality had become an issue of political consensus,” he said at the awards.
“And sadly, I’m not sure that still holds… The rhetoric we have seen towards trans people is an obvious example.”
While broadly supportive of trans rights – similar to Jeremy Corbyn – Starmer has been accused of “not taking a stance on things”, after an interview with Mumsnet discussing healthcare for trans youth.
On trans youth healthcare, Starmer said: “Children shouldn’t be making these very important decisions without consent to their parents, I say that as a matter of principle as a parent.”
He also claimed he wanted to “modernise the Gender Recognition Act” while “respecting single-sex spaces”, as well as claiming “biological women need to be safeguarded” on the issue of trans women taking part in sport.
Trans Awareness Week 2022 runs from 13 November to Saturday (19 November).
