Councillors clash with residents over trans rights

Councillors held up banners and flags during the meeting at City Hall

Trans rights banners and Pride flags were held up by Green Party councillors after a council meeting became confrontational when women's rights campaigners attended.

The move on Tuesday in Bristol's council chambers came after several Green councillors walked out of a Bristol City Council meeting in September.

The row centred on a ruling by the Supreme Court in April that the word "woman" in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.

A spokesperson for The Green Party said it "stands firmly in support of trans people and will continue to fight for those most marginalised in our community" while one campaigner asked why the council was "so keen on erasing women".

On both occasions, the Greens accused the members of the public of making transphobic and offensive comments.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, resident Wendy Stephenson, who attended the meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, said: "People with ovaries are women, people who give birth are women, people who need maternity services are women."

Meanwhile, Phoebe Beedell asked council leader Tony Dyer whether the councillors who walked out of the previous full council meeting would listen with "respect, attention and tolerance to the lawfully expressed views of people they disagree with, including questions and statements from women who have concerns about the erosion and disregard of their hard-won, sex-based rights?"

In a response written before the meeting, council leader Tony Dyer said the authority listened to all views and concerns raised by citizens.

"Whilst gender critical beliefs are protected under the Equality Act 2010 as a philosophical belief, this does not mean that other people must remain in a space where they feel offended or distressed by those views."

In a follow-up question, Ms Beedell asked: "Do you approve or disapprove of the intimidating placards that are being held by councillors?

"I find it rather intimidating and offensive."

Mr Dyer responded that everybody had the right to make their own statements, but he personally did not find the LGBTQIA+ flag to be offensive.

'Impactful words'

A spokesperson for the Bristol Green Party said while members of the public had a right to make statements to the council, councillors also had the right to "feel safe" in the workplace.

They added: "Exercising a right to express a belief does not mean that we must ignore the impact that words have on people, and councillors should not be expected to sit without a right of reply if they feel under attack for their very existence or for the existence of their colleagues."