Dear Boris Johnson, 

We ask you to confirm unequivocally that you stand by your own words, spoken to PinkNews while you were Prime Minister seeking re-election in December 2019, relating to the LGBT Action Plan published in 2018 while you were a cabinet minister. 

The historic LGBT Action Plan, published by the government led by Theresa May after extensive research and with more than 108,000 responses from the public, states that: “We will ensure transgender people are treated with dignity and respect. Our survey showed dissatisfaction with the gender recognition process. We will immediately consult on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and consider how best to make the gender recognition process less bureaucratic and intrusive."

While you were Prime Minister and seeking re-election in December 2019, you told PinkNews: “We remain committed to the LGBT Action Plan.” You added: “My message to the transgender community is that I want them to feel no less safe in their neighbourhood than anyone else – they have as much right to live their lives freely as anyone else, and I will support them to do that.”

We additionally ask you to confirm that you agree with the commitment to transgender rights as previously pledged by former Prime Minister Theresa May at the 2017 PinkNews Awards, while you served in her government as Foreign Secretary. 

In October 2017, Mrs May told the PinkNews Awards: “Trans people still face indignities and prejudice when they deserve understanding and respect. Adding: “We’ve set out plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act, streamlining and de-medicalising the process for changing gender, because being trans is not an illness and it shouldn’t be treated as such.”

We the undersigned ask you to reaffirm that you still agree with both the commitment of Theresa May relating to transgender rights and your own words to PinkNews last year.