Boris Johnson jumped two-footed into the row over trans rights today as he said biological males should not be allowed to compete in female-only sports events.

 

Emily bridges, trans cyclist

The Prime Minister also said that parents should have 'involvement at the very least' in decisions made by children to alter their gender.

He made his weightiest comments so far on the issue as he faced a Tory split over a ban on conversion therapy.

 

The PM backs making the 'abhorrent' practice of trying to force gay people to become heterosexual illegal.

 

But he has refused to extend the proposed ban on the practice to trans people - despite opposition from backbench MPs and the Scottish Tories.

 

Lia Thomas, 22 the first openly transgender athlete to win America's top trophy in university sports, 

Speaking during a visit to a hospital in Welwyn Garden City, the Prime Minister was asked about the therapy before launching into his views on trans people in general.

 

He said: 'I don't think that it's reasonable for kids to be deemed so-called Gillick-competent to take decisions about their gender or irreversible treatments that they may have. I think there should be parental involvement at the very least.'

 

Ms Thomas, a fifth-year senior at the University of Pennsylvania, won first place in the women’s 500-yard freestyle two weeks ago. she's trans.

And he added: 'I don't think that biological men should be competing in female sporting events'.