Sport must safeguard participants and ensure equity and fairness, but this must be done based on science and fact and not as a kneejerk reaction to political or cultural pressure. Today I have written to Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, whom I deeply admire and whose election I celebrated just over a… Continue reading Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
Tag: Trans
Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
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
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.
Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
In December 2019 I warned that Britain was sliding towards a culture that licensed prejudice and exclusion. Five years on, that “permission to hate” has hardened. This is a reflection on what has happened since, how that permission lives on in politics and the media, and what defenders of an open, inclusive society can –… Continue reading Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
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.
Pride in the City 2023
I had the privilege of hosting the reception at Guildhall following the Pride flag raising in June 2023. Here is the speech I gave welcoming the over 200 guests that evening.
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
Trans rights should be supported not reversed. A cautionary note to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss
On Wednesday this week, the UK Government Minister for Women & Equalities, Liz Truss MP, who serves in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Trade, set out her priorities for the Government Equalities Office in a statement to a House of Commons Select Committee. To the distress of many in LGBTQ communities,… Continue reading Trans rights should be supported not reversed. A cautionary note to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss
C. E. Lord OBE 