The Metropolitan Police has sparked fierce backlash after revealing it quietly launched a “Gender Critical Network” — a staff group rooted in the belief that biological sex is immutable and more important than gender identity. The move, allegedly finalized in December 2024 and only now brought to light, has LGBTQ+ officers and allies questioning the force’s commitment to inclusion, especially amid rising transphobia across UK institutions.
The network was announced via an internal intranet post and claims it aims to “help the Met represent everyone, equally and respectfully.” But its mission statement, which emphasizes that “biological sex matters” and shouldn’t be conflated with gender identity, reads like a thinly veiled endorsement of anti-trans rhetoric. And while the Met insists this group is just another perspective in a “broad range of beliefs,” queer staff say they weren’t properly consulted — and they’re not buying it.
The timing couldn’t be worse: the announcement comes on the heels of a UK Supreme Court ruling that redefined “sex” under the Equality Act as strictly biological, effectively excluding trans people from legal recognition in single-sex services. That ruling, brought by the Rowling-backed group For Women Scotland, has emboldened gender-critical ideologues across the UK — and now, apparently, inside the country’s largest police force.
Cloaked in Neutrality, Rooted in Exclusion
According to internal documents, the new network frames gender critical beliefs as “widely shared by a diverse range of men and women,” but its foundational assertion — that gender identity is merely “a state of mind” — echoes well-worn talking points from trans-exclusionary movements. The language used in the Met’s description could have been copy-pasted from any number of gender-critical lobbying groups.
The Met has tried to spin the initiative as a platform for free expression protected under the Equality Act. “We fully acknowledge this is a polarising debate,” a spokesperson said. “However, we have a duty… to ensure those who work for the Met are able to express beliefs which are protected by law.”
But this isn’t about open dialogue — it’s about legitimizing an ideology that directly undermines trans rights. And in a police force already plagued by institutional mistrust from queer communities, this move feels less like neutrality and more like an endorsement of exclusion.
“Inclusion” That Leaves Queer Officers Behind
What’s most galling is that the Met’s own LGBTQ+ Network — the staff group that represents queer officers — was not consulted before the launch. While the force now claims they’ve been informed and are “liaising” with LGBTQ+ staff, the damage may already be done. This isn’t the first time the Met has fumbled inclusion, but it might be one of the most glaring.
The rise of gender-critical ideology inside law enforcement is a chilling signal. For trans people and nonbinary officers within the Met — or those interacting with it — the message is unmistakable: your identity is up for debate. In a moment when trans people face unprecedented levels of legislative and social hostility, seeing their existence reduced to a “controversy” within the very institution meant to protect them is a gut punch.
This isn’t about “diverse perspectives.” It’s about power. And it raises a terrifying question: if the police can platform anti-trans views under the guise of inclusion, what does that mean for the safety of trans Britons under their watch?