23-07-2025
MPs ‘openly hostile' to critics of gender ideology
Feminist campaigners have accused MPs of being 'openly hostile' to people who believe there are only two biological sexes.
Earlier this month, members of the women and equalities select committee rejected Sir Keir Starmer's pick to be chairman of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), claiming she did not have the necessary experience.
But Sex Matters, the women's rights group, has written to the committee to accuse them of blatant bias against people who do not agree with gender ideology.
The group accused the MPs of being too close to trans rights activists behind 'witch hunts' of prominent gender-critical women.
MPs on the committee interviewed Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson earlier this month, during which she championed the right of women who oppose gender ideology to speak out.
The Government has since insisted it will still appoint Dr Stephenson, despite the complaints.
'MPs ill-informed about the law'
In the letter, Maya Forstater, the chief executive of Sex Matters, said MPs had 'hectored' her.
'The committee's questions relating to sex-based rights and trans rights were, but for a few exceptions, openly hostile to those who hold gender-critical beliefs, ill-informed about the law and unsupportive of the EHRC doing its job of ensuring understanding and enforcement of the Equality Act,' she said.
Dr Stephenson, the director of the Women's Budget Group, is the Government's pick to lead the EHRC when Baroness Falkner, the incumbent, steps down later this year.
But supporters of trans rights have criticised the choice, accusing her of having attended women's rights conferences at which gender-critical views were aired.
She was challenged at a joint meeting of the Commons' equalities committee and the Lords' human rights committee over her decision to sign a letter calling for open, non-violent discussion on gender issues – a letter some activists have described as transphobic.
In her letter, Ms Forstater said many members of the committee appeared to oppose the Supreme Court judgmen t that the word sex in the Equality Act meant biological sex.
'Your questions and the letter lent heavily on correspondence received from people and organisations hostile to Dr Stephenson and to the Equality Act as clarified by the Supreme Court,' she said.
'These mass letters form part of a well-established pattern of attempted 'cancellation': smearing, mobbing, intimidation, discrimination, harassment, and no-platforming of gender-critical women, and those who recognise their rights.'
She said those who had been targeted included Prof Kathleen Stock at Sussex University, Dr Hilary Cass for her evidence-based review of child gender medicine, author JK Rowling and Rosie Duffield, a former Labour MP.
'There have been hundreds of documented instances of such witch hunts against women standing up for sex-based rights and dozens of employment claims and tribunals,' she said.
'The EHRC current chairman has been targeted since the EHRC began a course correction in order to bring its approach into line with the Equality Act.'
MPs accused of making untrue statements
The letter accused MPs of expressing 'approval' for those advocating discrimination against gender-critical women.
'During the meeting its members subjected Dr Stephenson to questions which, had they been asked of a candidate in a regular job interview, could have led to a successful claim of unlawful belief discrimination,' it said.
'In their questioning committee members referred approvingly to letters they had received which advocated for discrimination against people with gender-critical beliefs.'
Ms Forstater also accused MPs on the committee of misunderstanding equality law and making untrue assertions.
Others also appeared to suggest the EHRC should not implement the Supreme Court's judgment.
'The EHRC should engage with a wide range of interest groups, including those that are disappointed at the Supreme Court's ruling,' the letter said.
'But it cannot do its job and appease people who do not accept the definition of man and woman in law, and it should not try to.'
