An Open Letter to Wes Streeting MP from Dylan Naylor, LGBT+ Labour Trans officer (on Behalf of the National Committee) & Willow Parker, Labour Students' National Trans Officer

Dear Secretary of State,

We, the undersigned, are writing to you on behalf of the LGBT+ Labour national committee, and in accord with a great number of members and voters, to express our concerns over the impact of the decision, reported Friday, to extend indefinitely the current ban on puberty blockers for trans youth and to further request that you set out a clear timetable to allow access to quality health care for young trans people as part of safe clinical trials.

This recent decision, made subject to the outcome of a judicial review, appears to have been taken following the publication of the Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (the ‘Cass Review’) earlier this year. Our concerns about the review (which are a matter of public record and about which we have met with you privately) aside, it is clear that protecting the mental and physical wellbeing of vulnerable, young trans people must be our over-riding concern. It is therefore vital that you clearly outline the scope and scale of the clinical trial that you have made a manifesto commitment to implementing (as outlined in recommendations 6, 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the review) and provide clarification to those who were waiting to start a prescription of GnRH analogues before the ban took effect.

In line with the review’s recommendations, steps must be taken to cut waiting lists for trans youth, address long-term staffing issues, move towards a more decentralised, equitable system for accessing care (including through the provision of regional centres), provide comprehensive training for NHS staff on how best to support and work sensitively with trans and questioning young people, and better address the current toxicity of public debate which is actively harmful to young people.

We ask that you urgently set out the timeline, scope, and nature of the planned clinical trial and that you give reassurance to young trans people, their families and communities. We also urge you to outline any existing plans to consult and engage with young trans people and their families, and relevant charities and NGOs.

We hope that, under this new Labour government, progress can be made to reset the public discussion on trans rights, centring the humanity of, and compassion for, each individual trans person. We reiterate our calls for a de-medicalised system of statutory self-declaration for gender recognition and a review of Labour’s internal process of handling complaints about transphobic conduct within our party. Further to this, we are writing to the Leader of the House of Commons to encourage the inclusion of a promised trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices in the upcoming King’s Speech.

Yours in solidarity,

Dylan Naylor

Trans Officer, LGBT+ Labour

(On behalf of the LGBT+ Labour National Committee)

Willow Parker

Trans Officer, Labour Students