A British politician with the UK’s left-wing Labour Party has sparked controversy after calling on the law to be amended to allow for deceased individuals to be allowed to have their legal name and gender changed.
In a written question to Parliament last month, Charlotte Nichols, who represents the region of Warrington North, asked if the Gender Recognition Act could be changed “to allow transgender people who are deceased to be legally remembered by the gender they lived by.”
Nichols’ question comes after the tragic suicide of a 17-year-old “transgender” child named Max Sumner, who was born female but identified as a “boy.” Sumner took her own life on May 22, 2022, while in the care of adolescent mental health services.
Though Sumner was both biologically and legally female, the coroner marked her sex as “male” when recording her death in accordance with her self-declared gender identity. The case was the first of its kind, and sparked a national push by trans activists to cement posthumous gender changes in law.
Last year, almost 14,000 campaigners asked the Government to amend the Gender Recognition Act to allow for posthumous and expedited grants. The petition was ultimately rejected.
While the UK Equalities Minister has already shot down Nichols’ proposal, this is not the first time she has attracted backlash for pushing a radical trans activist agenda.
In 2022, Nichols labeled the backlash to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas “lazy transphobia,” arguing that males should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
Congratulating Thomas on his win at the NCAA championships, Nichols, who described herself as a former competitive swimmer, said that those questioning Thomas’ success in the women’s category “should frankly pipe down.”
