U.K. health secretary affirms belief that sex is biological

The United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting met with five nurses on Monday advocating for safe, single-sex spaces where women can change and use the restroom. During the meeting, he reaffirmed his commitment to running the National Health Service on the belief that sex is biological, according to the advocacy group Christian Concern. The five nurses also submitted a petition with over 48,000 signatures calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other political leaders to ensure women have single-sex bathrooms and changing areas.

The nurses, who are commonly referred to as the Darlington nurses, gained national attention earlier this year for speaking out against Darlington Memorial Hospital for allowing a man to use women’s changing rooms. The man in question reportedly identified as a woman and used female changing areas, despite openly sharing that he does not take hormones. After over two dozen nurses contacted the local NHS Trust with concerns, human resources said the nurses needed to be more inclusive and broaden their mindsets, according to Christian Concern.

What happened in the meeting? Single-sex spaces for women have not been taken seriously enough, Streeting said in the meeting. Society has moved backward on equality, he added. He insisted the issue must be dealt with and that he planned to speak with colleagues on the matter. Now the nurses must wait for firm action from Streeting and a clear consensus on sex from the government, Darlington nurse Bethany Hutchison said after the meeting.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on English health officials pulling back on transgender ideology earlier this year.