The newly appointed chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, has sought to reassure LGBTQ+ organisations following concerns about her perceived stance on transgender rights.
Dr Stephenson, who has recently taken up the role, said she should be judged on her actions rather than assumptions about her views, stressing that her priority is to uphold the rights of all people protected under the Equality Act.
“Judge me on what I do,” she said. “I think it’s really important for the chair of the EHRC to uphold the rights of everybody across all protected characteristics.”
Her appointment comes at a time of sustained public debate around equality law, including how it applies to gender recognition, single-sex spaces and freedom of expression. The EHRC has played a central role in providing guidance on these issues, placing its leadership under close scrutiny from campaigners, legal experts and civil society organisations.
Responding to criticism linked to previous public debates, Dr Stephenson said she had been motivated by concerns about the treatment of individuals expressing legally protected views during discussions of possible legislative change. “I was concerned about women who had been harassed or sometimes lost their jobs for the expression of legally protected views at a point when there was a public debate about changing legislation,” she said.
She also emphasised that protecting women’s rights should not come at the expense of transgender people. “I think it’s really important when we’re looking at this issue around single-sex spaces, to make sure that you also protect the rights of trans people,” she said.
Trans advocacy organisations have not issued immediate public responses to Dr Stephenson’s comments. However, campaigners have previously raised concerns about the EHRC’s approach to trans equality and have said they will be watching closely to see how the Commission operates under its new leadership.
LGBTQ+ sector bodies have called for transparency, engagement and reassurance that the rights of transgender people will continue to be protected robustly within the existing legal framework.
As debates around equality and human rights continue, the EHRC’s actions under its new chair are expected to remain under close observation in the months ahead.