UN Human Rights Council 47: UK statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The UK's Ambassador to the UN and WTO in Geneva, Simon Manley, delivered this statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Madam President,
I’d like to underline our full support for the work of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. We welcome the timely and critical report by Mr Victor Madrigal-Borloz to the Council on gender theory. We remain concerned at the ongoing incidents of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. There is an increasingly toxic and polarising global debate, particularly on social media, about the concept and process of changing gender.
We are clear in our support for equal rights for transgender persons based on their gender identity. The UK’s Equality Act clearly states that you should not be discriminated because your current gender identity is different from that assigned at birth.
We therefore welcome the Independent Expert’s work and dialogue with Member States to address the narratives that seek to eliminate the gender framework from international human rights law instruments and processes. We agree that these attempts could undermine progress achieved over the last four decades on gender equality and the recognition of sexual and gender-based violence and violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
We all have a duty to protect our Transgender fellow citizens.
Thank you.