Motion to Condemn the State of Florida

The House recognises:

1. The US State of Florida has in recent months passed several laws which are discriminatory towards transgender and gender non-conforming people.
2. These laws are an attempt to suppress and exterminate transgender and gender non-conforming people in the State of Florida and fall under the definition of "trans genocide".
3. Many other of the states within the United States are implementing, or are attempting to implement, similar laws that will impact the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming people in said states and could also fall under the definition of "trans genocide".
4. These laws are unacceptable in a modern society and are in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Therefore, the House urges:

5) The relevant Secretary(s) of State to issue a statement condemning the State of Florida and the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, and the governments and governors of other states, for their actions against transgender and gender non-conforming people.

6) Contact the incumbent governing administration in the United States and inform them of our stance on this issue and urge them to combat these laws and create protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States.

7) Impose a travel bulletin advising British transgender and gender non-conforming people to not travel to the State of Florida except for extraordinary circumstances or for onward travel purposes.

8) Set up a program to provide safe haven to transgender and gender non-conforming people from the United States, and other countries with highly restrictive laws on transgender and gender non-conforming people, under the asylum system.

This motion was submitted by Rt Hon Baroness Finn of Willenhall (/u/model-finn) CMG MVO PC MS as a Private Member’s Motion

Opening Speech

Deputy Speaker, As a trans person, it sickens me to see what is happening across the pond in the state of Florida. Once a proud state, where the liberty that is espoused in the United States Constitution is enacted to a great degree has become a dangerous place for those of us in the transgender community.

The incumbent 46th Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis and his cronies in the Republican Party of Florida have introduced and implemented laws that have made it all but illegal to be transgender in the state of Florida, allows the families of trans people to be detained for child abuse and prevents trans people, including trans youth, from accessing gender affirming healthcare. This. Is. A. Disgrace, Deputy Speaker.

The land of Disney World - a place of magic and fun has become a bleak place for its transgender community, many of whom are minors or erstwhile vulnerable and cannot leave the state to seek a better life in a different place in the country.

Unfortunately, this is not confined to the State of Florida. 18 other states have laws in place which make it significantly more difficult and dangerous to be a transgender person within those states, and a further 8 have bills in their legislatures that may do the same soon. Deputy Speaker, that is 26 of the 50 states of the United States of America. Over half of them. The USA is becoming an unsafe place for trans people to simply exist as we want to exist.

I am therefore urging the government to issue a statement condemning this genocide against the transgender community in Florida, and in the other states and to express our disdain for the state of trans rights in the USA to its current administration.

I am also asking the Foreign Office to impose a travel bulletin for trans people in Britain to not travel to Florida except in circumstances such as family emergency or for onward travel, such as a connecting flight to a destination outside of Florida.

Furthemore, I am requesting that the Foreign Office extend the asylum system to allow for seekers to claim asylum for fear of prosecution over their gender identity, with normal criteria for claiming asylum also applying, such as establishing a fear of return to their nation of origin.

Deputy Speaker, I hope the whole House will join with me in supporting this motion.

This debate will end at 10pm on the 31st May.