What’s wrong with motion F9? Free to be what?
Guest blog
What’s Wrong with Motion F9? Free to Be What?
Motion F9, at face value, may appear to champion individual freedom and respect within the party. However, it introduces no genuinely new content. Instead, it repeats outdated and discredited aspects of the existing gender identity framework, endangering children, harming women and girls and making the Liberal Democrats sound unserious.
Same Policy, Same Problem
F9 repeats flawed definitions of gender, disregards nuances around sex-based rights, and upholds practices that have been contested both inside and outside the party. By neglecting to address these significant concerns, F9 shuts down the potential for meaningful policy reform.
Key Concerns
Safeguarding children: F9 fails to fix the outdated Lib Dem policy which asserts that children should have the right to access puberty-blocking drugs, now banned in the UK due to lack of evidence of their safety or efficacy. It fails to tackle schools’ psychologically harmful teachings that children who feel distressed might be in a wrongly-sexed body. F9 also fails to recognise or endorse the Cass Review, the world-leading systematic review of gender treatments for minors.
Harm to women and girls: F9 reaffirms Lib Dem policy of “gender” self-ID. This policy attacks women’s legal and social status, and has far-reaching consequences for society’s ability to maintain vital single-sex spaces, services and sports. It is incompatible with the Equality Act’s sex-based protections designed to ensure equality, safety and dignity for women and girls.
The Liberal Democrats are unserious: It was our policy on self-ID that forced Ed Davey to claim that “quite clearly” women can have penises, for which he was publicly pilloried. The injustices, contradictions and harmful consequences of gender self-ID have played out in society over the last five years, with a number of high-profile court cases serving as examples of where the rubber of gender identity theory hits the road of reality.
Ultimately Parliament will have to resolve the question of the meaning of “sex” in law. Lib Dem MPs will need to prepare a more meaningful response to this question than simply “trans women are women”, as the public - including Lib Dem voters - has become increasingly skeptical of this claim.
Proposed Amendments
Constructive amendments were proposed to tackle these weaknesses head-on. Access the full text here:
Read the Amendments
The Federal Conference Committee (FCC) rejected these amendments, consistent with previous instances where efforts to modernize party policy on gender matters have been set aside.
Fringe Event
A fringe event is being hosted to explore Motion F9’s shortcomings and discuss how to move forward. This gathering aims to provide space for serious debate on policy direction:
Register Here
Recent Polling
Recent polling indicates strong support within the party for a more nuanced, balanced, and inclusive policy on gender. The majority of respondents expressed concern about whether the current approach adequately addresses the distinct needs of women—highlighting the need for substantial revisions.
Call to Action
The party’s commitment to free speech is best demonstrated by openly discussing and challenging policies that fail to serve everyone. Sharing the proposed amendments, engaging in conversations, and pushing for a thoughtful, evidence-based stance on the issues highlighted above will help drive genuine progress. The path forward depends on collective action to ensure party policies reflect respect and fairness for all.
