No place in the UK Labour Party for people who think men can't be women: Zero tolerance for members who think men don't belong on women-only shortlists.
People Who Oppose Trans Rights Have No Place In Labour, Says The First LGBT Mayoral Adviser
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Austin-Behan — who in 2016 also became Britain's first out gay lord mayor — said party members who campaign against trans women being fully accepted as women should no longer be allowed in the party.
The former Labour councillor said the party should take a “zero tolerance” stance on anti-trans activists, following hundreds of its members reportedly campaigning against the inclusion of trans women in women-only shortlists.
“It goes against the values of what the Labour party is,” said Austin-Behan. “Because it’s about equality, diversity, and inclusion and the only way you’re going to tackle that is if we’re all on board.”
“I think there needs to be a lot of questions about their integrity,” he said of those found to be signing petitions or otherwise publicly opposing trans rights. “I completely disagree with the whole thing — the [opposition to] shortlists that it has to be what you were at birth. That’s utter rubbish. If people are trans women, then they are women.”
People Who Oppose Trans Rights Have No Place In Labour, Says The First LGBT Mayoral Adviser