Where does the UK’s next Prime Minister stand on LGBTQ+ issues? – Gay Times Magazine

Penny Mordaunt

Constituency: Portsmouth North
Position: Leader of the House of Commons (September 2022 – Present)

During her time as Equalities Minister, Penny Mordaunt was seen by many as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. She shared that having a gay twin brother inspired her allyship, has marched in Pride parades and shown support of a full and comprehensive ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’. However, her summer leadership campaign cast a shadow over this, with Mordaunt clarifying her stance on certain LGBTQ+ issues, including reforms that would simplify the gender recognition process for trans and non-binary people. “I’ve never supported self-ID. There are some people that socially transition, but what we were looking at was the Gender Recognition Act, and it’s a process that people go through,” she told LBC in July. In 2018, she said that “trans women are women and trans men are men”, though during her leadership campaign stated that trans women are not “biological women”. She added: “In law, some are. I’m a woman. I’m a biological woman…I’m also legally a woman, and people who have been through the gender recognition process, the gender reassignment, some people will have a birth certificate reissued to them in their new gender.” Mordaunt has, however, pledged to address the lengthy wait times for gender-affirming care should she become Prime Minister and has always voted in favour of LGBTQ+ rights, including same-sex marriage.