The City of London Corporation has adopted a new gender identity policy following a widespread public survey.

Members of the organisation’s Policy & Resources Committee today backed the plans to ensure the services the City Corporation provides are fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010, and do not discriminate against trans people.

The move will ensure a robust and consistent approach to gender identity across the organisation and minimise potential issues of exclusion and discrimination.

The announcement follows the results of an online survey into gender identity, undertaken by the City Corporation, which received over 21,000 responses. The majority of respondents agreed that trans people should be able to access services relating to their gender identity, in line with the Equality Act 2010.

The survey was carried out as part of the City Corporation’s ongoing work to make sure its services, both within and outside the Square Mile, are inclusive.

For the City Corporation, the new policy will mean that:

• Transgender staff are not subject to less favourable treatment at work;
• City Corporation management and staff receive training and support to enable them to address transgender issues appropriately in the workplace and across the City Corporation’s services;
• Transgender people are not discriminated against in the provision of City Corporation services and are able to access services relating to their gender identity.

Edward Lord, Chair of the Establishment Committee, which leads on the City Corporation’s workforce and inclusion policies, said:

“This policy will ensure our public services do not discriminate against trans people.

“We support a wide range of service users and we want to ensure they can all feel comfortable accessing and enjoying our facilities.

“All communities should be fully respected, and equality and basic human rights upheld.

“We aspire to be a leader in diversity, equality and inclusion. We are committed to building and supporting a strong, sustainable and cohesive society in the capital and beyond, and this policy will take us one step further towards realising this vision.”

The City Corporation aims to provide an inclusive, respectful, and discrimination-free work environment for all its staff.

In April the organisation became a Stonewall Diversity Champion, joining 750 UK employers who together ensure all LGBT staff are accepted without exception in the workplace.

More details on the committee report can be found here. Follow the links for the the survey report and gender identity policy.

ENDS

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125

Notes to editors

The Equality Act 2010 says that someone must not be discriminated against if their gender identity is different from the gender assigned at birth. To be protected under the Act it is not necessary to have undergone specific treatment; changing gender attributes is understood as a personal process, and not a medical one. Under the Equality Act 2010, trans people can access single-sex services in line with their ‘acquired gender’. A trans person is not required to have a Gender Recognition Certificate, or have undergone any form of medical intervention, to be protected under this legislation. In restricted circumstances, it is lawful for a single-sex service to provide a different service, or deny access to, a trans person, where they can demonstrate that doing so is a ‘proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk