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Bank of England says people of any gender identity can be pregnant



The Bank of England has said that people of any gender identity can be treated as pregnant as it pledged to dedicate a floor of its office to offering gender-neutral lavatories.

The embattled central bank introduced a new “family leave” policy in June 2021 that included the gender-neutral term “birthing parent”, according to its 2022 submission to the charity Stonewall, which campaigns for gay, lesbian and transgender rights.

Officials said that this meant “the parent who is/was pregnant with the child but includes persons of any and all gender identities”.

The application added that Threadneedle Street’s parental bereavement leave policy “talks about parents without specifying gender”, The Times reported.

The views, expressed in its 2022 submission to be included in Stonewall’s list of the 100 top employers that was first reported by The Times, also included a pledge to ensure the seventh floor of its London headquarters offered only gender-neutral lavatories.

The Bank has already introduced a pledge to staff to pay for gender reassignment treatment using private medical insurance.

It comes as Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s Governor, faces heavy criticism for failing to get a hold on Britain’s stubbornly high inflation rate.

The latest official figures showed that core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, unexpectedly jumped to 7.1pc in May, while the consumer prices index remained unchanged at 8.7pc.
Last year, the Telegraph revealed that Threadneedle Street dished out more than £200,000 on private consultants to create a mission statement for the Bank that would “define the essence of the organisation”. It also faced criticism for spending £50,000 of public money on a “more inclusive” logo.
Stonewall is advising nearly one in five FTSE 100 companies, despite being dropped as a partner by civil servants and the equalities watchdog amid concerns over its trans rights guidance.
The group has come under fire for its controversial advice, including recently suggesting that many nurseries are not doing enough to help children “recognise their trans identity”.
The Bank came 57th in Stonewall’s annual list of best employers last year after submitting a 103-page application.
Its submission also stated that every employee at the Bank was expected to set a diversity and inclusion objective each year and be assessed on it. The Bank of England employs around 4,000 staff.
The Bank of England said: “The Bank is committed to being an inclusive place to work for all of its colleagues who are all dedicated to delivering monetary and financial stability.”


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