The new Labour MP Jonathan Hinder has become embroiled in a row over trans rights, after condemning Amnesty International UK’s intervention in a Supreme Court battle over the legal definition of women.
A Supreme Court hearing got underway this week in an appeal case against Lady Haldane’s ruling in 2022 that the definition of sex includes those who have a gender recognition certificate.
The human rights charity has made its own submission to the court, warning legal gender recognition “is a human rights issue” essential for trans people.
On Tuesday, Hinder, MP since July for Pendle and Clitheroe, posted on X: “‘If you declare that you’re a woman, you become a woman’. Nope! Amnesty is so far gone.”
READ MORE: Labour rejects calls to revive two-day spring women’s conference
He encouraged people to follow the gender-critical campaign group Labour Women’s Declaration on social media – “if you’ve had enough of this nonsense”.
The post was widely shared, with another high-profile gender-critical MP, Labour-turned-independent Rosie Duffield, replying: “Wow, thank you Jonathan. Now lets see how the Labour Party treats you!”
It drew criticism from LGBT+ Labour’s national trans officer Georgia Meadows, who posted: “It’s unfortunate to see that Rosie Duffield has a replacement. I don’t get to decide to be trans, it is absolutely fundamental to my existence.
“I’m sick and tired of having to fight for the rights I’ve had my entire life. Something I’m sure Jonathan hasn’t had to endure.”
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But Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi said Hinder should “not be being subjected to online attacks” for expressing a view “in line with Labour’s opposition to self-identification, the government’s support for single-sex spaces and Keir Starmer’s own comments on the need to protect them.”
LWD welcomed his endorsement, and a spokesperson added: “Jonathan Hinder is expressing criticism about Amnesty’s submission which is entirely in line with Labour’s opposition to sex self-ID and with Keir Starmer who is on the record agreeing that biological males with gender recognition certificates do not have the right to enter women-only spaces.”
But a spokesperson for Amnesty said: “Too many media outlets, politicians across parties and online commentators, continue to spend an eye-watering amount of time berating trans people – who make up just 1% of the population – and spreading dangerous misinformation.
“In many countries, groups that want to limit the autonomy of women and LGBT+ people are bringing legal challenges to erode human rights protections.”
Labour and LGBT+ Labour were not immediately available for comment.
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