LGBT+ Labour: Trans activists launch candidate slate for committee election

A new Trans Rights Alliance group is backing a large slate of candidates in the upcoming LGBT+ Labour committee elections, including the organisation’s current trans officer.

The group has put forward candidates for a myriad of positions at the affiliated socialist society, including chair and women’s officer.

The LGBT+ Labour AGM is set for July 19, and will take place at a location in North London. It is not yet clear how many of the current committee plan to re-stand, or which other contenders may throw their hats into the contest.

In a post on X, the gender-critical group Labour LGB  – a recently formed unofficial splinter group – hit out at the slate, accusing the Trans Rights Alliance of breaking party rules by putting a “man” forward to be Women’s Officer.

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However, the group’s candidate, Steph Richards, told LabourList she was in possession of a gender recognition certificate, adding: “I am legally female, other than in regards to the Equality Act and the Equality Act does not apply to the position within LGBT+ Labour so I am thoroughly within my legal right and my moral right to be able to stand for this position.”

Richards also said there was nothing in LGBT+ Labour’s rules which would prevent a transwoman from running for women’s officer.

“For goodness sake, it is LGBT Labour.”

“LGBT+ Labour is not working for trans members,” said current trans officer Georgia Meadows, a member of the slate standing to be co-chair. “We need a strong, member-led LGBT+ Labour that will stand united with the trans community and more accessible, democratic structures to allow members to have a say.”

A Trans Rights Alliance spokesperson said: “We’re a cross-factional group of trans and ally voices united by our wish to see LGBT+ Labour central to fighting for our rights in the Labour Party.”

It comes after Labour postponed its national women’s conference in the wake of the Supreme Court judgement that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex – not gender identity.

A paper, circulated to members of the party’s national executive committee and seen by LabourList, warned of a “significant risk of a legal challenge” – as well as “protests, direct action and heightened security risks” over the issue of self-identification of attendees if the conference went ahead.

The move was slammed at the time by both trans rights and gender critical groups alike.

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