Parliamentary staff urged to police pronouns and ‘identify transphobia’

Parliamentary staff have been urged to police gender pronouns and report “negative behaviours”, The Telegraph has learnt. The UK Parliament authorities have drawn up gender-identity guidance for hundreds of civil servants working in administrative roles in the House of Commons and Lords, which has been circulated internally for the last three years. One section of the 15-page guide warns that staff should “learn to identify what transphobic behaviour looks like and understand that these must be met with an attitude of zero-tolerance”. It lists examples including “another colleague refusing to use a trans person’s preferred pronouns or names”, adding that this “should be dealt with in an appropriate manner”. The pamphlet, obtained by The Telegraph, has been criticised by campaigners and a senior MP as “concerning” and “compelled belief”.