There is currently a great deal of noise, heat, and misinformation about what the law requires when it comes to trans inclusion in single-sex services and organisations. Much of it is being driven by a highly organised and aggressive campaign by Sex Matters, which has taken to threatening legal action against a wide range of… Continue reading Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
Tag: gender
Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
This morning’s High Court judgment refusing the judicial review application brought by Sex Matters against the City of London Corporation is an important moment for common sense, good governance, and decency. At the same time, the publication of the Corporation’s consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds tells a powerful and hopeful… Continue reading Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
Brown Shirts around the corner? Why we must confront Britain’s slide to the Far Right
Yesterday’s scenes in London — tens of thousands rallying behind Tommy Robinson, violent clashes with police, and chants straight from the darkest pages of European history — were not an aberration. They were a symptom of something far more dangerous: a political culture that has normalised far-right populism and is increasingly dancing to its tune.… Continue reading Brown Shirts around the corner? Why we must confront Britain’s slide to the Far Right
In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
This post was written for OneBodyOneFaith and was published on the charity’s website on Monday 26 May 2025 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139.13-14 On April 16, 2025, the UK Supreme Court delivered a… Continue reading In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
Trans youth are loved
In the summer of 2024, in the face of open hostility towards trans people and especially trans young people, in the media, social media, and in political life, the Trans Solidarity Alliance invited celebrities, politicians, and the general public to record short videos telling trans young people that they are loved. Here is mine.
The Oxford Union: The Commercialisation of Pride has Done More Harm Than Good
On 1 June 2023, I was invited to speak at The Oxford Union, supporting the motion “This House believes that commercialisation of Pride has done more harm than good”. It also gave me the opportunity to comment robustly on the Union’s decision to platform gender critical academic Kathleen Stock who espoused her transphobic views without… Continue reading The Oxford Union: The Commercialisation of Pride has Done More Harm Than Good
Out in the Establishment: the gender journey of an outside insider
Last April (2020), an anthology of essays by thirty non-binary people was published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers under the title Non-Binary Lives, edited by Jos Twist, Ben Vincent, Meg-John Barker, and Kat Gupta. This is my chapter from that book. Introduction I have never felt totally comfortable in the spaces or boxes into which being… Continue reading Out in the Establishment: the gender journey of an outside insider
My final thoughts as Chair of Universities Scheme: Freemasonry needs to ditch 1950s attitudes
Today’s Universities Scheme conference at Freemasons’ Hall in London saw the end of my eight year tenure as Chairman of the Scheme, and provided an opportunity to reflect on the Craft and its future. In my valedictory address, I set out some thoughts about Freemasonry and the ongoing need for change, to better reflect modern… Continue reading My final thoughts as Chair of Universities Scheme: Freemasonry needs to ditch 1950s attitudes
Pride in London and my Queer journey – a personal perspective and response to @LondonLGBTPride
Yesterday’s release of the Community Advisory Board’s annual report into this year’s Pride in London, and the social media storm that followed, was an interesting and painful experience for me. Whilst the wave of euphoria that I have felt supporting the CAB from bi and queer friends, and from those who feel that Pride has… Continue reading Pride in London and my Queer journey – a personal perspective and response to @LondonLGBTPride
Diversity Champion: It is time for me to ‘come out’ – I am a Freemason
I like to think of my life as being an open book. Whether it be my membership of the Liberal Democrats (or even that I used to be a Tory), my passion for Rochdale Football Club, or my sexual orientation; it is all out there clearly on public display. I’m even reasonably open that I… Continue reading Diversity Champion: It is time for me to ‘come out’ – I am a Freemason
C. E. Lord OBE 