Doug Beattie says safe spaces for women are ‘not controversial’ - as he welcomes proposed reforms to health service trans policy
Doug Beattie has welcomed the health minister’s commitment to single sex spaces in healthcare facilities across Northern Ireland – and says safe spaces for women should not be viewed as controversial.
Mike Nesbitt’s plans were revealed in a letter to Mr Beattie, who has pushed repeatedly in the Assembly for female-only spaces in certain settings, such as prisons.
The Upper Bann MLA told the News Letter: “Women wanting to have safe spaces that give them security, dignity and privacy should not be viewed as controversial.
“From prisons to changing facilities, toilets to hospital wards women deserve to expect that no biological males will be present except those performing their duties to provide a service to them.
“Having raised the issue with the Health Minister I am encouraged that he can see the issue.
“He has taken steps to address it with a halt to new policies within the trusts and a move towards a more central policy that respects single sex spaces while it ensures the transgender community are also catered for.
“This is a complex issue in part, but if viewed through primary colours its simply a fact of ensuring women are given the rights they deserve and are entitled to.
“That means single sex spaces for women which are free from biological males”.
Earlier this year, the former UUP leader challenged the Justice Minister to give “clear direction” on transgender prison policy.
He brought a motion to the assembly asking Naomi Long to ensure that only biological females can be held in female prisons or holding facilities in Northern Ireland – and urging her to introduce legislation to ensure the prison estate is segregated on the basis of sex, not the gender identity declared by inmates.
However, the motion was later rejected by MLAs, with the Alliance leader accusing the party of seeking to “play out culture wars”.
Mrs Long said that there needed to be sensitivity in discussing the issue and that no two men or two women were the same – and framed the discussion as one about identity and “culture wars”, attempting to move the discussion on to the decisions made by the prison service and away from the policy.