EXCLUSIVE: Cllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council: "Our commitment to trans inclusion"
– 4 min read
A statement written exclusively for Scene Magazine by Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council.
Trans Day of Remembrance is observed annually on 20 November to honour the memory of people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence and to raise awareness of the immense suffering and harm caused by transphobia.
To show our solidarity and support to our trans communities, we are flying the trans flags from Hove and Brighton town halls.
Brighton & Hove City Council has been, and remains, an unequivocally trans-inclusive organisation.
This commitment has been at the heart of our values for many years, demonstrated through sustained action, advocacy, and partnership with our transgender, non-binary, and intersex (TNBI) communities.
Our commitment to trans inclusion is not rhetoric – it is evidenced through years of meaningful action.
We delivered the world's first community-led Trans Needs Assessment to better understand and respond to community priorities, ensuring that trans voices shape the policies that affect their lives.
We have recently updated our trans inclusion toolkit for education settings to promote inclusive practice and support young people, recognising the vital importance of creating affirming environments where all students can thrive.
Today we reaffirm our commitment to trans inclusion.
We are also a trans-inclusive employer with policies that respect and protect the dignity of all our staff, and we actively support our LGBTQ+ Workers' Forum.
During this Trans Awareness Week, we will once again be honouring Transgender Day of Remembrance – an important day for our TNBI communities to remember those we have lost to anti-trans violence and discrimination.
Throughout the year, we honour the invaluable contributions that our TNBI and gender diverse communities make to the life, culture, and vibrancy of our city.
We engage regularly with TNBI groups and representatives through a dedicated TNBI roundtable, ensuring that our community has direct input into council decisions and priorities.
Most significantly, we have publicly opposed the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance following the Supreme Court judgment which we believe over-interprets the judgment and rolls back trans rights in a way that would be acceptable and harmful.
Today we reaffirm our commitment to trans inclusion.
We will continue to stand with our trans and non-binary communities
We have advocated strongly for policies that uphold the rights and dignity of trans and gender diverse residents.
We welcome the recent intervention by Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, who has warned that the UK's approach to trans rights could lead to widespread exclusion of trans people from many public spaces.
The commissioner has emphasised that trans people should not be placed in an "intermediate zone" where they are not quite one gender or the other, and that legal gender recognition should not be "voided of practical meaning".
We believe that Parliament must debate and vote on any guidance following the Supreme Court judgment. The implications of such guidance are too significant for our communities to be adopted without full democratic scrutiny and accountability.
This council will never tolerate transphobia
The commissioner's observations align with our own concerns: that there is a tendency to see human rights of different groups as a zero-sum game that builds on prejudice against trans people and portrays upholding their rights as threatening the rights of others. We firmly reject this false choice. Brighton & Hove has always understood that dignity, safety, and inclusion are not finite resources – they expand when we extend them to everyone.
This council will never tolerate transphobia. That is the case now and will remain the case all the time I am leader of this council.
Brighton & Hove City Council has been, and remains, an unequivocally trans-inclusive organisation.
We do though, also believe in free speech and recognise the important of hearing and celebrating women’s voices.
But if a line is crossed and we become aware of transphobia or any form of hate speech being shared within our buildings or public spaces, we will report it to Sussex Police.
The trans flag is one we fly proudly from both our town halls – not just today, but also on International Transgender Day of Visibility and during Trans Pride. Being diverse and inclusive means recognising how different forms of discrimination overlap and affect people from all marginalised groups. We are proud to honour all our communities and will continue to find ways to do so respectfully and meaningfully.
Transphobia has no place here
We have absolutely heard the concerns shared by members of our TNBI communities. As a council and an administration we will continue to reflect on how we can better reassure residents of our trans-inclusivity and to better understand and respond to any concerns.
Brighton & Hove is, and always will be, a city where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.
This council is committed to being diverse and inclusive, accessible and fair – a place where everyone can thrive and feel safe.
Transphobia has no place here.
We will continue to stand with our trans and non-binary communities, to listen to their experiences, to learn from their wisdom, and to fight for their right to participate fully and equally in the life of our city.
