Statement by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston:
“Having read the Assembly’s Transgender Policy, I am deeply alarmed by its contents. It reads as though it were drafted by the most extreme of trans activists.
“Astonishingly, the policy states — explicitly — that biological males “are free to use restrooms and facilities belonging to the gender with which they identify from the point at which they begin to present permanently in the sex to which they identify.”
“In other words, a man who does not even hold a Gender Recognition Certificate can access the female toilets in Stormont. Earlier versions of the policy referred to gender reassignment – which was bad enough. That has since been replaced with gender identity — a vague and contested concept — meaning individuals can self-declare themselves the opposite gender to which they were born.
“And it goes further. The policy proudly notes that visitor passes to Stormont do not contain gender-based honorifics — Mr, Mrs, etc.; yet another concession to ideological activism and an effort to erase biological and social norms.
“Concerningly, it states that “records will reflect the name and expressed gender identity of the person concerned.” This renders records effectively meaningless. If anyone can enter Parliament Buildings under a name and gender of their choosing, how are security and accountability maintained? What use are records if the person concerned can turn up using a different name – and presumably a different gender – the next day? Apart from other considerations, this has the potential to cause confusion at the desk where visitors are asked if their details are already on file and if they are this eases and speeds up the process of getting people into the building; something which can be important when it comes to large events.
“Worse still, the policy invites complaints to the Assembly Commissioner for Standards if a person feels that their gender identity has not been affirmed — for instance, if someone fails to use their preferred pronouns, or questions their presence in a toilet. This is not governance; it is capitulation to an ideology.
“Stormont must answer serious questions about how such a policy came into effect without any apparent opposition from the Assembly Commission. Who approved this? Why was there no scrutiny?
“I will be pursuing this matter vigorously in the days ahead. I have tabled both a Matter of the Day and an Urgent Oral Question to the Assembly Commission. I trust the Speaker will acknowledge the seriousness of this issue and ensure it is addressed promptly after the May Day recess.
“Let me be clear: the Supreme Court has not changed the law; it has clarified it. Female spaces were always protected by law — and Stormont must reflect that. The guidance must be withdrawn immediately. The Assembly should not be leading the charge in eroding women’s rights; it should be protecting them.”