British prime minister Boris Johnson’s resignation has called into question the future of LGBTQ+ rights. (Vudi Xhymshiti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Leading LGBTQ+ activists and groups have welcomed Boris Johnson’s resignation, but some warned that his successor could be just as toxic.
On Thursday (7 July), Johnson stood outside 10 Downing Street to announce he is stepping down as leader of the Conservative Party. He plans to remain as caretaker prime minister until the autumn, while the Tories elect a successor.
It brought to an end a stormy 48 hours that saw a rebellion in his own cabinet and an unprecedented wave of resignations from all levels of the government.
As the nation waits with bated breath to learn who the next prime minister will be, LGBTQ+ activists responded with a mixture of jubilation and fear. The future of LGBTQ+ rights, they say, hangs in the balance.
Peter Tatchell, a veteran LGBTQ+ rights campaigner, told PinkNews: “Boris Johnson has a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ remarks and bad taste jokes about our community.
“He stoked the culture wars; using LGBTQ+ concerns as a wedge issue to appeal to bigoted voters. It is reprehensible the way he disparaged trans people and supported discrimination against them in sport and the provision of women’s services.
“He flip-flopped on banning conversion practices and was intent on excluding trans people from any ban.”
Trans rights groups were especially relieved at Johnson’s ousting.
Gendered Intelligence, a trans healthcare charity, welcomed Johnson’s administration coming to an end. “The end of Boris Johnson’s term has been marked by constant attacks on trans people, including his sudden U-turn on the ban on conversion practices,” a spokesperson said.
“Like the treatment of LGB people during the Thatcher government, these attacks have been nothing more than diversion tactics to distract from the genuine problems facing the UK.
“There are many social ills that need addressing in this country – the legacy of COVID, child poverty, the cost of living crisis – but trans people are not one of them.”
Trans Activism UK also expressed relief at Johnson’s departure. His administration, it says, has been one that has actively “devalued vital human rights and marginalised communities”.
There were many examples of this: the government’s decision to scrap vital reforms to the Gender Recognition Act and to exclude trans people from a conversion therapy ban were high on the list.
“Johnson himself began to echo ‘gender critical’ dog whistles in interviews and statements that have made it abundantly clear that he does not stand by the scientifically-backed evidence that transgender women are women, and deserve full equal inclusion,” the group told PinkNews.
When it comes to the question of who will succeed Johnson, some sounded a more cautious tone.
Among them was Tatchell. “The entire leadership of the Tories is toxic for our community,” he says, “we’ll probably end with another prime minister who will continue many of Johnson’s prejudiced policies.”
Campaigner and former government LGBTQ+ adviser Jayne Ozanne said: “We can only hope that whoever succeeds him is from outside of Johnson’s inner circle.”
So far, only attorney general Suella Braverman has confirmed her intent to run in the leadership contest, in which some 100,000 Conservative Party members will decide Britain’s next prime minister.
Liz Truss is expected to announce her run imminently, with Rishi Sunak and his successor as chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace also being discussed.
Dominic Raab and Michael Gove have said they do not intend to run in the upcoming leadership contest.
Setting the tone for her campaign, Braverman told ITV’s Robert Peston said she will “get rid of all this woke rubbish” – a remark that struck fear in some LGBTQ+ activists.
“There has been an immediate rush for Conservatives with horrific voting records on equality matters to declare themselves as viable options for leadership,” warned Trans Activism UK.
“But in order for our country to move forward and put a halt to what feels like a spiralling cascade into the Stone Age, the government needs to prioritise the needs of their most vulnerable citizens.”
But Gendered Intelligence remains hopeful. “Many of the ministers who resigned – among them former minister for equalities Mike Freer – cited Johnson’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in their letters of resignation,” a spokesperson said.
“It was not so long ago that the Conservative Party were leading the campaign for Gender Recognition reform and promising to ban conversion therapy.
“We hope that they will realise that nothing stands to be gained from continuing the legacy of oppression, and instead focus on the challenges that affect all of us.”