Sir Keir Starmer has said he is opposed to “gender ideology” being taught in schools.
Asked during a visit to a school in Kettering if he would rip up the ban on teaching children and young people about “gender ideology” at school, he said: “No, I’m not in favour of ideology being taught in our schools on gender.”
The Department for Education’s draft guidance, published last month, states that schools should not teach about the concept of gender identity.
Students should be taught the law on gender reassignment, the revised guidance said, but if asked about the topic of gender identity, schools should “teach the facts about biological sex and not use any materials that present contested views as fact, including the view that gender is a spectrum”.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said she wants to stop this being a “political football” or a “culture wars” issue.
Sir Keir last week said he agreed that a woman has a vagina and a man has a penis, marking a shift from his previous comments that 99% of women haven’t got a penis.
Labour has plans to amend the process for changing gender if elected.
It is understood that a medical diagnosis would still be required to apply for a gender recognition certificate but the sign-off would come from one specialist doctor rather than a panel.
The party would remove the need for those who want to change their gender to provide proof they have lived as that gender for two years after diagnosis.
Instead, they would introduce a two-year “reflection period” after the application for the certificate.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Labour will modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; while retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.
“Labour is proud of our Equality Act and the rights and protections it affords women; we will continue to support the implementation of its single-sex exceptions.
“Britain is a reasonable and tolerant society where most people know that there are a small number of individuals who do not identify with the gender that they were born into.
“Labour’s plans will protect single-sex spaces, treat everybody with respect and dignity, maintain the existing two-year timeframe for gender recognition, and ensure that robust provisions are in place to protect legitimate applications.”
