Few politicians hold a track record on LGBTQ+ equality as consistent as Andy Burnham's, but his history as an ally is now facing its toughest test yet. His recent controversial cabinet retentions have left campaign groups warning that his promises of a political reset may fall short.
The concerns come as Burnham chose to keep Bridget Phillipson as Minister for Women and Equalities and Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary. Trans organisation Trans Actual says this move ensures "the cruelty of Starmer's government will continue".
Phillipson's EHRC Code Sparks Backlash
Phillipson faced backlash following the updated Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) code, which clarified that a service must be accessed on the basis of biological sex for it to be classified as single-sex under the Equality Act. This means single-sex toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards and refuges must be accessed based on a person's birth sex, rather than the gender they identify with.
Burnham's LGBTQ+ Stance: A Strong History
There is faith in Burnham's LGBTQ+ stance following his strong track record of supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Before entering politics, he joined a march against Section 28 in 1988 as a student. Later, in 2003, he voted almost completely in favour to repeal Section 28, the Civil Partnership Act in 2004, outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation when providing goods or services in 2007, giving IVF rights to lesbian couples in 2008, and for same-sex marriage in 2013.
During the leadership contest in 2015, Burnham called on Pope Francis to support same-sex marriage and bring the Catholic Church “into the 21st century”. In the same year he also supported a review into rules regarding blood donation from gay men, saying “sexuality really shouldn't be the issue”.
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he appointed Carl Austin-Behan as LGBTQ+ adviser in 2018, and launched the LGBTQ+ Equality Panel for Greater Manchester to help issues faced by the city's queer residents. In 2022, he showed support for the end of conversion therapy and formally apologised for the “shameful” treatment of LGBTQ+ people from Greater Manchester Police last year.
Trans Rights: Support and Controversy
Focusing on trans rights, Burnham supported the reform of the Gender Recognition Act in 2019, simplifying the process trans people went through for legal recognition. According to Pink News, he also met with LGB Alliance to discuss reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, but a statement released said Burnham had “made his support for the trans community very clear over the years”.
However, this year following the 2025 Supreme Court ruling, Burnham said the EHRC guidance should be introduced “in the fairest and most compassionate way possible”, adding that single-sex spaces should be protected without “marginalising already marginalised communities”.
Trans Actual's Warning
In a statement, Trans Actual says Burnham should "begin by speaking with the trans community and rejecting the regressive anti-rights posturing of the government that came before. Otherwise all his talk of a reset in government will mean nothing at all."
