TL;DR: Despite two different parliamentary committees expressing opposition to her appointment, Mary-Ann Stephenson has been appointed to the role of chair of the EHRC by the Labour government in a move which overrules MPs’ concerns. Stephenson has a well-documented history of gender-critical views
Mary-Ann Stephenson has been named as the new chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. She will take over the role in December this year.
The Labour government appointed her despite both the Women and Equalities Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights expressing opposition to her appointment as the government's preferred candidate - The Times
The opposition was due to concerns about her "vision" and that the appointment would not "rebuild trust" in the now deeply criticised watchdog, that the LGBTQIA+ sector has lost faith in after a series of anti-trans decisions.
Stephenson has a well-documented history of putting her gender critical views into action, including making donations to high-profile anti-trans employment tribunals, signing open letters and speaking at conferences for organisations like Sex Matters - QueerAF
Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson said she has the "utmost confidence" in Stephenson to run the equalities watchdog with "integrity and professionalism," with Stephenson adding she looks forward to starting the role to "ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity" - GOV.UK
What is Mary Ann Stephenson's gender-critical record?
Archived versions of Stephenson’s BlueSky profile, which was promptly deleted after screenshots of who she followed were widely shared, show her following a number of anti-trans and gender-critical activists and organisations including Woman's Place UK, academic Professor Alice Sullivan and columnist Susan Dalgety - Archive.Today, captured Jun 5th 2025
Her name also appeared on a crowd justice donation list for Allison Bailey's legal case against Stonewall's Trans+ inclusive guidance, and on a positive review of a gender-critical history book - Jess O'Thomson
Elsewhere, Sex Matters documents record her speaking at a number of anti-Trans conferences, and activist Ruth Pearce, who saw her speak in the 2010s, says she has shared anti-trans rhetoric.
She has also signed several letters that have anti-trans intentions built into their impact. These include a letter to The Guardian in 2015 that opposed the “worrying pattern of intimidation and silencing of individuals whose views are deemed ‘transphobic’” and another in 2017 about the rights of women to meet to discuss legislation on gender identity - The Times
Analysis: Labour’s appointment shows a clear intention
When Stephenson was first announced, the evidence of her past views was a bit of an inside scoop, and led to community action and petitions.
But it has since become more than an open secret. It has been celebrated in big titles that this appointment is a gender critical one.
Indeed, it is a move which - if you've been following our coverage over recent weeks - confirms where the Labour party stand on Trans+ issues. There is growing inclination towards gender-critical perspectives on a number of levels.
From the RSE guidance, which frames gender identity as a 'debate' to teachers, to plans that will prevent many Trans+ people from attending its Autumn conference, it's becoming clear to many in the LGBTQIA+ community that the party is no longer the cautious ally it once was. Indeed, for many it has gone further than even the Conservatives in bringing in detrimental anti-trans policies.
Any hope that the Trans+ community had that the equally gender-critical Baroness Falkner stepping down from the equality watchdog meant a possible shift, have been dashed by this appointment.
Still, Stephenson steps into the role with a series of court cases to deal with and a workload, that will be far from a breeze to contend with, something we’d all do well to remember. Queer activism is about showing up, time after time. That is how we’ve made so much progress, and will continue to do so.
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