Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson has pledged to protect women-only spaces and offer trans people the dignity they were “denied” by the Conservatives.
The Supreme Court’s judgment on the definition of a woman brings “clarity and confidence for women”, Ms Phillipson told the Commons.
During a statement on the ruling, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of being “so desperate to jump on a bandwagon that they abandoned common sense” on gender and sex.
Labour MPs raised concerns about the safety of trans people as a result of the judgment, with Ms Phillipson saying she did not want trans people to be “fearful”.
On Tuesday, Ms Phillipson said: “This ruling brings welcome clarity and confidence for women and service providers, single-sex spaces must be protected.”
She added: “This Government will continue as before, working to protect single-sex spaces based on biological sex, now with the added clarity of this ruling.
“We will continue our wider work with commitment, with compassion, to protect all of those who need it right across society. Because this is a Government that will support the rights of women and trans people, now and always.
“This is a Government that will support the rights of all people with protected characteristics, now and always. This is a Government that will support the rights of our most vulnerable, now and always. And, on that, there is no change to announce. Dignity and respect for all, now and always.”
“This Government will offer trans people the dignity that too often they were denied by the party opposite, too often a convenient punch bag, too often the butt of jokes made… in this place by the party opposite.”
Mrs Badenoch accused the Government of making “a U-turn but we welcome it”.
She added: “I know what a woman is and I always have. The people of this country know what a woman is. We didn’t need the Supreme Court to tell us that, but this Government did – a Labour Government so desperate to jump on a bandwagon that they abandoned common sense.”
The Opposition leader also urged the Prime Minister and Ms Phillipson to apologise to independent MP Rosie Duffield (Canterbury) “who faced so many security concerns as she was hounded out by the Labour Party”.
In her reply, Ms Phillipson said the Tories should “get offline and get on board”.
Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, said the number of calls to the national LGBT+ helpline in her constituency have “skyrocketed”.
She added: “Trans people frightened to use public loos today know one thing – and does the Secretary of State agree we should all be clear about this – the overwhelming threat to women and to all of the trans community is the violence that we suffer from cis men?”
Ms Phillipson said male violence “remains a very serious challenge”, adding: “But I would say to her that the ruling of the Supreme Court was clear about the importance of biological sex, but I would not want any trans person in her constituency or anywhere across the country to be fearful.
“I believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect, not to face discrimination or harassment, and that is why we will back the police to ensure that action is taken against anyone who behaves in that way.”
Labour former minister Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) said: “I have a constituent who transitioned in the 1970s, she’s used female toilets now for more of her life than she ever did any other toilets.
“Are we saying that her dignity, and her respect that (Ms Phillipson) has talked about, is going to be in any way improved if there is any ban on her using the toilets that she’s been using for so many years?”
Ms Phillipson said the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will be setting out a code of practice.
She said: “They will make sure that businesses and others ensure that there is dignity and respect for all, that there is appropriate provision, including the use of toilet facilities, so that no-one, including trans people, must feel unsafe when they use public toilets.”
Labour former minister Dawn Butler asked if people will need to prove their birth sex.
The Brent East MP said: “I don’t know if anyone else in the House has butch lesbian friends, and have been with them when they’ve been told to get out of women’s toilets, but I have. And it is not pleasant and it is not nice.”
Ms Phillipson replied: “Lesbians should not be treated in a discriminatory way and we must ensure that there are toilets and facilities available for everyone within our country.”
