Manchester’s new mayor ‘refuses’ to commit to single-sex spaces guidance
Bev Craig (Getty Images)
Manchester’s new mayor has reportedly “refused” to commit to the implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) new guidance on trans people using single-sex spaces.
Bev Craig, who replaced prime minister Andy Burnham as the mayor of Greater Manchester last month, was asked whether she would oversee a “full imposition” of the guidance.
“I am working through what the guidance means in terms of the transport services that I am in control of,” she told the Telegraph on 9 August. As mayor, Craig has oversight of Manchester’s transportation network.
The government guidance, which was first published by the EHRC in June and came into effect on 5 August, says that transgender people should use either gender-neutral facilities or those that align with their sex assigned at birth as opposed to their gender identity.
When asked a second time if she was intending to implement the guidance, Craig continued: “Well, with the intention of understanding what would be different to what we do now.
“Actually many of our services are compliant. The reality here is that we are probably talking about a handful of public toilets. Am I as the Mayor going to be checking people’s bits on the way into the toilet? Absolutely not.”
Craig later went on to comment that Manchester’s public single-sex spaces would be “legally compliant”.
The new code of practice is not legally binding, but it “strongly encourages” businesses, service providers and associations to offer only single-sex services based on biological sex, as per the Equality Act 2010.
According to the Telegraph, Craig “refused” to say whether or not she would advise the city’s councils to enforce the guidance.
Instead, she confirmed that authorities should be given time to implement any changes needed to update the affected spaces and that some had shared concerns about the “practical implication” of the change.
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