U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said biological men should not compete in women’s sports and that children should not make decisions about irreversible treatments during an interview released Wednesday.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable for kids to be deemed so-called Gillick-competent to take decisions about their gender or irreversible treatments that they may have. I think there should be parental involvement at the very least,” Johnson said. “Second thing, I don’t think biological males should be competing in female sporting events. It just seems to me to be sensible.”
The prime minister also said women should have facilities, including prisons and changing rooms, that are dedicated solely to females.
“That’s as far as my thinking has developed on this issue and that puts me in conflict with some others, and we’ll work it all out,” he continued. “It does not mean that I’m not immensely sympathetic to people who want to change gender, to transition, and it’s vital that we give the maximum and possible love and support in making those decisions. But these are complex issues and I don’t think they can be solved with a one swift, easy piece of legislation. It takes a lot of thought.”
The U.K. government has faced backlash for excluding transgender people from a ban on conversion therapy, leading to the cancellation of several international LGBTQ conferences, according to Metro. The prime minister expressed his disappointment at over 100 charities pulling out of the conferences. (RELATED: Biological Male Cyclist Barred From Women’s Championship Amid Backlash)
Jamie Wallis, Conservative and first transgender MP, said Monday that it is “wrong” not to provide protections for people identifying as transgender, the outlet reported. Iain Anderson, a major LGBTQ activist in the U.K., resigned Tuesday over the decision.
The issue of biological men competing in women’s sports has also been an ongoing issue in the U.S., notably after University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, won the NCAA Women’s Championships on March 17. Thomas’ victory led many female competitors to argue that they faced an unfair disadvantage because the NCAA allowed a biological male to compete.
U.S. governors in 14 states have passed legislation banning biological men from competing in women’s sports, including Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.