Sex-swap woman to join police

Exclusive
By Alison Bellamy

A West Yorkshire transsexual has won the right to join the West Yorkshire Police force as a woman.

The woman — who has undergone a sex-change operation after being born a man — today said she couldn’t wait to start training to fulfil her ambition to become a police officer.

Leaders of the transsexual pressure group Press For Change today welcomed an employment tribunal ruling at Leeds Industrial Tribunal Court that West Yorkshire Police had contravened the Sex Discrimination Act by refusing to offer a job as a constable to a transsexual woman.

The applicant, who is being referred to only as ’A’, applied to the force fully disclosing her history.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said today “I believe the police force should reflect the diversity of the community it serves.  As a member of a minority group, I am sensitive to equality and prejudice.  By nature, I have a tolerant attitude to gender, sexuality and ethnic culture, and I believe that my personal experiences would be a valuable resource in policing West Yorkshire’s diverse communities.

“The Home Secretary has recently stressed the importance of minority groups serving in the police and I look forward to playing my part in achieving this objective.”

When she applied to join, she advised police to check for any possible legal difficulties arising from the fact her birth certificate describes her as male.  UK law does not allow transsexuals to change their birth certificate.

The woman was repeatedly assured that this would not be a problem but after 14 months at the the final stage of the recruitment process police chiefs raised concerns about the implications of her legal status which led to them rejecting her application.  They were particularly concerned about her ability to conduct body searches.

Claire McNab, vice-president of Press For Change, said “This is a victory for common sense.  West Yorkshire Police has accepted that ’A’ is a woman and that they wished to employ her as such.”

She said they were waiting to hear whether West Yorkshire Police would appeal against the ruling.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police today said: “The West Yorkshire Police force is committed to serving the whole community regardless of sexual orientation or racial origin and we are keen that this is reflected in the makeup of the force.”

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