Liberal Democrats reject equalities watchdog guidance on transgender people

The Liberal Democrats have rejected official guidance from the UK equalities watchdog on how organisations should implement a Supreme Court ruling concerning the legal definition of a woman, according to The Guardian. A motion passed overwhelmingly at the party’s annual conference in Brighton described the guidance as discriminatory and unworkable. It called for a new approach to implementing the ruling, which the report says defines a woman in law by biological sex.

The decision makes the Liberal Democrats the first of the three largest parties represented in Parliament to call for a different approach to implementing last year’s ruling, The Guardian reports. The Greens had previously taken the same position. The supplied material does not give details of the alternative approach proposed by the Liberal Democrats.

It also does not include the equalities watchdog’s response, explain how the guidance would affect specific organisations or set out the legal timetable for any changes.