LGBT workers held a heated debate yesterday over the Morning Star’s publication of two articles they said were critical of transsexual people.

Delegates at the TUC’s LGBT conference “called out” the paper for two pieces published last month, both finding fault with the way in which trans women identify their gender.

While all speakers were quick to highlight their love of the Star and solidarity with its staff, many thought it necessary to lambast the “editorial decisions.”

Moving the emergency motion, GMB union member Phyll Opoku-Guimah said: ““As trade unionists we are very supportive of our paper the Morning Star, which is owned by its readers, which is owned by us.

“We do not say we are going to boycott them, we are not hating them, but we are calling out. When something is wrong, you call it out, you don’t turn a blind eye and say nothing about it.

“GMB welcomes a debate, even if the views like these expressed in the article circle around right-wing opinions more than left-wing.”

In yesterday’s paper, editor Ben Chacko issued an acknowledgement that the articles in question had caused offence.

“The paper did not set out to offend anyone and should have sought a wider range of contributors on an issue of such sensitivity and importance,” he wrote.

The motion was later remitted as the unions moving and seconding it, as well as other supporters, welcomed the acknowledgement in full.