Norwich council vows to improve services for trans people

Mike Stonard was not able to give details of what changes might be made but said he planned to consult with LGBT+ groups as part of the process.

His comments have raised concerns among women's groups, who say the authority is increasingly adopting a “highly contested belief in gender ideology”.

They fear this could ultimately lead to the loss of female-only spaces like toilets and changing rooms and could increase safeguarding risks.

Norwich has the second-highest proportion of trans and non-binary people outside London and has been at the forefront of the debate on trans issues.

The city featured prominently in a recent Channel 4 documentary exploring the subject.

Mr Stonard stated his intentions at his first full Norwich City Council meeting in charge of the authority.

Labour leader Mike Stonard (Image: Brittany Woodman/ Archant)

He said that trans people, along with refugees, have become increasingly marginalised and he wanted to make ensuring the city is a welcoming place a priority. 

“This is a challenging time for the LGBT+ community, not least because of the increasing hostility towards trans people.

“This council believes all council services must be equipped to welcome and provide appropriate services and good customer care to transgender and nonbinary people," he said.

“We stand with our trans friends. I want the city to be a fair, welcoming, safe accessible and inclusive place for everyone.”

He made the remarks in response to a question from Nick O’Brien, chairman of trustees for Norwich Pride, who asked if the city would continue to support the event.

Mr Stonard, who previously chaired Norwich Pride himself, said he was looking forward to taking part.

Asked what practical steps the council was planning, Mr Stonard said the first stage would involve consulting with LGBT+ groups to ask them what changes they would like to see to ensure council services work as well as they can.

He said nothing would be ruled out until the discussions had taken place. 

Councillors from Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat (Image: Alex Catt)

Last year, the council passed a motion affirming that trans women are women, trans men are men and nonbinary people are nonbinary.

The statement was strongly criticised by some women's groups.

Ermine Amies, from the Women’s Rights Network Norfolk and Norwich, attacked the council’s continued stance.

She said the authority had adopted a “highly contested belief in gender ideology” which she claims denies the “reality of sex” and may be unlawful. 

She said: “Councillor Mike Stonard and the cabinet members must advise how Norwich City Council will ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of women and girls and comply with equality law, in particular the rights of biological women to single-sex services, that is, no men present however they describe themselves, and also the right of employees to hold the belief that it is not possible to change sex.

“The council must consult with women who do not believe men can change sex, and must provide thorough equality impact assessments before making changes to services as women and girls are also impacted by policy changes."

TRANS CITY

The area covered by Norwich City Council has the second-highest proportion of people outside London with a trans or non-binary gender identity, according to the 2021 census.  

Some 1.07pc of people in the city identified as such - more than three times the English and Welsh average.

In Norfolk as a whole, some 3,572 residents said that their gender differs from the sex they were assigned at birth, which is roughly 0.39pc below the English and Welsh average of 0.5pc. 

The city council was also recently featured in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Gender Wars’, which explored the increasingly polarising 'trans debate': the clash between 'gender ideology' - which argues that individuals can determine their own gender - and 'gender critical' thinking, the idea that biological sex cannot be changed. 

Charlie Caine (R) and Andrew Copeman appear on Gender Wars (Image: Channel 4) (Image: Channel 4)

Charlie Caine, a trans activist from Norwich, told the programme: "We're the trans debate, the trans issue and I think how have we got to that point? 

"It's dehumanising. We're a debate, we're an issue, we're a question. We're not human beings with lives and loves and feelings, we're a problem to be solved." 

He later signed a letter along with other trans contributors claiming they had been "mislead" into taking part because they did not realise what a leading role Professor Kathleen Stock, a feminist philosopher and gender critical thinker, would play in the show.

Prof Stock does not believe people can change sex and has raised safeguarding concerns about the loss of female spaces.