Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has undertaken research on the effect on people of having their sexuality or gender identity maliciously revealed without their consent; what steps she is taking to support people who have been affected by having their sexuality or gender identity revealed in that way; and whether the Government has plans to amend legislation to enable people who have had their sexuality or gender identity revealed in that way to seek justice.

We are clear that a person’s sexuality and gender identity is a personal issue, and fully support people’s right to privacy.

In certain circumstances, maliciously revealing a person’s sexual orientation or gender reassignment status without their consent could be found to be harassment under the Equality Act 2010.

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 also provides robust protection for trans people with a Gender Recognition Certificate from unwanted disclosure of their gender history, making it a criminal offence for anyone who has acquired information about a Gender Recognition Certificate holder’s gender history in an official capacity to disclose that information to anyone else, save for in a small number of exempted contexts.