The Liberal Democrats have always been the party to care for minorities.

In 2015 the Party passed a policy supporting gender self-identification. However no thought or debate was given to the potential risks to women’s rights with this policy, nor to the need for women's safe spaces for vulnerable women in domestic violence shelters and prisons.

We do not believe that the natural conflicts between women's sexbased rights (as defined in the Equality Act) and self-ID according gender reassignment rights have been explored enough by the Party.

We would like the Party to accept that there are differences that must be discussed between the rights of women and transwomen, just as there will be distinctions between those of a fully transitioned transwoman and an individual identifying as Trans who does not wish to undertake any hormonal or bodily changes.

We believe it is vital that these distinctions and conflicts are discussed. As Liberals we believe that any individual should be able to dress and express themselves as they wish. However we believe that important distinctions must be made between natal women, fully transitioned Transwomen and those who identify as Transgender yet have no wish to undertake physical or hormonal changes.

We believe that by not discussing these natural conflicts and tensions this will create a potentially dangerous situation for both women and fully transitioned individuals.

We believe it is vital that these distinctions and conflicts are discussed.

Our sex based declaration is as follows:

As Liberals we believe that any individual should be able to dress and express themselves as they wish. However we believe that important distinctions must be made between natal women, fully transitioned Transwomen and those who identify as Transgender yet have no wish to undertake physical or hormonal changes.

We believe that by not discussing these natural conflicts and tensions this will create a potentially dangerous situation for both women and fully transitioned individuals.

We believe that those who transition have the right to be free from prejudice and discrimination but we also believe that wider societal changes must be made.

All have the right to discuss policies which affect them free of abuse, harassment or intimidation.

We believe that:

1. Women have the right to discuss policies which affect them free of abuse, harassment or intimidation.

2. Women have the right to the preservation of their legally sex-segregated spaces, as laid out in the Equality Act 2010, including female-only spaces such as changing rooms, hospital wards, sanitary and sleeping accommodation, refuges, hostels and prisons.

3. Women have the right to take part in single-sex sports, to ensure fairness and safety at all levels of competition.

4. Women have the right to organise themselves according to their sex across a range of cultural, leisure, educational and political activities.

5. Women have the right to refuse consent to males in single sex spaces or males delivering intimate services to females such as washing, dressing or counselling.

6. Women have the right to freedom of belief, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly (Articles 18, 19 and 20 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights).

Liberal Democrats believe in individual liberty and that when liberty causes harm to other groups those conflicts must be managed fairly.

Liberal Democrats should respect women’s rights to freedom of conscience as provided in the Preamble to our Constitution.