#equality act

[roseredsnow]

"No ones trying to take away ace people's rights"

What rights do we have to take away Becky? We're still not a legally recognised sexuality (definitely in the UK, and from a quick search the US either, so probably very few, if any other countries) so we don't even get to be covered by the equality act.

Can't take away what we don't have.

[itsonlypolitics]

Such rubbish coming out of social media on this.

It is not an act of violence

Biological women have rights too

Sex IS a binary and you believing otherwise won’t change that

It is not “baseless” it is based in science, common sense, and what even a three year old child is capable of identifying.

It is not anti-scientific.

It is not erasing people it is clarifying a section of law

A woman is a woman. We are just as much deserving of protection and to have the Equality Act work for us too.

Trans rights are not actually touched by this change. They are still protected by the act. Just not that particular subsection

[18thcenturythirsttrap]

Petition: Add intersex to the Equality Act as a protected characteristic

We want the government to make sex variations a protected characteristic under the Equality Act.

Please sign and share ❤️

[coochiequeens]

TRAs since the ruling in the UK: "We're going to be hunted by Terfs!!!" Meanwhile the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC): "In particular there needed to be "appropriate and available services for all people, including trans people" when it came to settings such as hospitals and changing rooms."

Trans women should use toilets based on biological sex, Phillipson says

Bridget Phillipson was responding to questions following the Supreme Court's gender ruling.

By Aleks Phillips BBC News

Trans women should use toilets according to their biological sex, the equalities minister has said.

In response to the UK Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is legally defined by biological sex, Bridget Phillipson stopped short of saying trans women should use the men's toilets.

But she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The ruling was clear that provisions and services should be accessed on the basis of biological sex."

Pushed further for clarification on whether a trans woman should use the men's or women's toilets she repeated: "The ruling is clear."

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the ruling in his first comments on the matter, saying it gave "much needed clarity".

The prime minister told the BBC: "I'm really pleased the court has clarified the position.

"We can move on from there. [I] think that has been very helpful."

Earlier, Phillipson said the law on trans women accessing single-sex spaces on the basis of biological sex "would apply right across the board".

But she stressed that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) "will be setting out additional guidance and a statutory code of practice, because we need to make sure that everyone has the ability to access services that are safe and appropriate, and respect their privacy and dignity".

In particular, there needed to be "appropriate and available services for all people, including trans people" when it came to settings such as hospitals and changing rooms.

Pressed on what the ruling meant for trans women looking to use a toilet today, she responded: "The ruling was clear that provisions and services should be accessed on the basis of biological sex.

"But I know that many businesses large and small will ensure that they have appropriate provision in place, for example many businesses have moved towards unisex provision or separate cubicles that can be used by anyone."

The EHRC has already suggested trans people should use their "powers of advocacy" to campaign for so-called third spaces that are gender neutral to avoid these sorts of dilemmas.

Phillipson, who is also education secretary, said many places had unisex toilets or individual cubicles.

"Go into your local cafe, a local family cafe - [the] chances are that they'll have one cubicle that's self-contained that can be used by anyone," she added.

The Equality Act 2010 allows for single-sex spaces and services without it being considered discriminatory, such as when a user may reasonably object to another person being of the opposite sex.

The Supreme Court found the biological interpretation of sex was required for single-sex spaces

Campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought the case, warned that interpreting "sex" as gender identity under the law would have implications for the running of single-sex spaces and services, such as hospital wards, prisons, refuges and support groups.

The decision by the Supreme Court found the biological interpretation of sex was required for single-sex spaces - which can include changing rooms, hostels and medical services - to "function coherently".

However, single-sex spaces could exclude people with gender recognition certificates (GRCs) - which give legal status to a transgender person's gender identity - "if it is proportionate to do so", the judges ruled.

Transgender people have said the ruling may erode the protections they have against discrimination in their reassigned gender - protections the judges said they had under other parts of the Equality Act.

Phillipson, who managed a women's refuge before becoming an MP, said it was important that "women - especially those who have experienced male violence, sexual violence and trauma - are able to access safe, therapeutic spaces" while ensuring that "everyone in our society is treated with dignity and respect".

She said these women-only spaces could now be "confident as to how they deliver services" as the Supreme Court had "set that beyond doubt".

Asked whether there was unity among ministers, following reports of division over the issue, Phillipson replied: "Yes there is, and I speak for the government on this matter."

She added that she was "crystal clear" the government welcomed the ruling.

Sir Keir told ITV West Country on Tuesday that the ruling provided "real clarity in an area where we did need clarity" and was a "welcome step forward".

He added: "A woman is an adult female, and the court has made that absolutely clear."

Michael Foran, a lecturer in law at the University of Glasgow, said that the discourse surrounding the ruling had been muddied by misinformation and "attempts to delegitimise" the Supreme Court.

He told the Today programme that some were suggesting the ruling would not affect policies around single-sex spaces, which was "obviously incorrect", adding: "This decision has profound implications for trans inclusion in those spaces."

Dr Foran added: "It's incumbent on the government to communicate clearly what this judgement does and does not say, and to combat that misinformation."

[dykewiththetism]

I have no words. The UK is so fucked up. I hate it here. Solidarity to my trans sisters 🏳️‍⚧️

[perverted-asexual]

So, for those who are unaware. The UK supreme Court has recently changed the definition of woman to only mean "biological" (cis) women in law. This bars trans women from single sex spaces.

They have also made claim to change the legal definition of lesbian to exclude trans women. (They cannot enforce this)

This ruling has allowed police officers to have women they suspect to be trans to be strip searched by male rather than female officers under the law.

This endangers all women, as there is no certain way for anyone to tell a cis and trans woman apart at glance. Cis women can be hairy, masculine, strong, deep voiced, etc. All this ruling does is fit women into a box that one must conform to to pass as "feminine enough"

Here are a few petitions I have found:

Sign the Petition

Overturn the UK's New Legal Definition of a Woman

Petition: Legally enshrine the right of adults to physically transition using NHS services

Introduce a law to legally protect the right of those aged 18 and over to transition using NHS services. This should specifically cover phys

Petition: Allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender.

We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an o

If you are a UK citizen or live in the UK, please sign and share.

Even if you are not from the UK, please share and help spread these to people who are.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Toilets and changing rooms must be used on basis of biological sex, guidance confirms

The guidance was published on Thursday following the landmark Supreme Court ruling last year.

By: Alison Holt and Nick Triggle

Published: May 21, 2026

Single-sex spaces - such as changing rooms and toilets - must be used on the basis of biological sex, new guidance from the equalities watchdog has confirmed.

This means, for instance, that a trans woman - a biological male who identifies as a woman - should not use female toilets or changing rooms, according to the code of practice.

The guidance, produced by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and now approved by ministers, makes it clear that transgender people should instead be offered a third or a gender-neutral space.

The code states that leaving a trans person without access to any services or facilities would be unlikely to be proportionate and could be discriminatory.

The guidance was published on Thursday following the landmark Supreme Court ruling last year that the definition of a woman under the Equality Act should be based on biological sex.

The code of practice sets out how associations, businesses and services open to the public should organise their facilities. It covers a wide range of settings from shopping centres and gyms to hospitals and restaurants.

Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson said the aim was to allow people to live free from discrimination and harassment.

"Our focus has always been making sure organisations have clear, accessible guidance on how to implement the law," she said.

Within the guidance, it was recommended that gender neutral toilets or changing rooms should have self-contained lockable areas with floor-to-ceiling walls and wash basins.

The watchdog said it did not think the requirements would be too onerous as services could decide to let trans people use toilets for disabled people, for example.

The EHRC also said if a service just had two toilets - one for men and one for women - they could be changed into unisex facilities.

With the guidance now before parliament, MPs and peers have 40 days to raise any concerns. If there are no objections, the guidance becomes statutory.

The guidance, which is more than 300 pages long, was first sent to the government in September 2025.

The EHRC said it expected ministers to spend six weeks examining it before either asking for revisions or placing it before parliament.

Instead, the government said it would deal with the issue "thoroughly and carefully", and took eight months to release the guidance.

EHRC chair Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson said she hoped people would read the code with an "open mind".

"I think we do need to broaden out the debates, and we need to start from a point of saying, how do we make sure that everyone has access to the services they need, and that will be different things for different people," she said.

At the Watershed arts cinema in Bristol, chief executive Clare Reddington said they pride themselves on being inclusive.

She said it had taken too long for the guidance to be published which has led to confusion and misinformation.

Reddington described the impact on trans people as "toxic", and said they had been waiting to hear what the guidance meant "for their ability to live a full public life".

The Watershed has gender neutral toilets, which won a Loo of the Year award in 2024.

The brightly coloured cubicles have floor-to-ceiling doors, and some have sinks inside. They also have separate male and female toilets.

"I would say that designing toilets for everyone is great for business," Reddington said.

'Fewer rights'

Maya Forstater, of Sex Matters, a gender-critical women's rights group, said: "Finally, there are no more excuses for the many public and private sector organisations that said they were 'waiting for guidance' before fixing their unlawful policies.

"The government's long delay in placing the updated code of practice before Parliament was seized on as cover by organisations that preferred to break the law than enrage trans lobby groups.

"The new guidance is long and detailed, but at its heart is a simple principle: 'sex' means what it says – male and female. What people call themselves and how they dress doesn't change their sex.

"Any business, charity or public service provider that took a wrong turn and started letting men who identify as women use women's spaces or vice versa must now urgently fix its policies."

But a spokesperson for TransActual, a trans rights campaign group, said the guidance left trans people with fewer rights.

"Not only does this new guidance fail to protect the rights and dignity of transgender people, but appears to have weakened protections for the LGBT community as a whole," they said.

"TransActual will continue to fight for equal access to public life for all trans people, and will publish our full thoughts on the new code once we have had the time to properly scrutinise it."

Joanne Moseley, of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, said she is being regularly asked to provide advice to business and services on what they need to do.

She believes that good signage and, where appropriate, ensuring that a gender-neutral space is available are important.

She said some businesses and employers made changes to their facilities immediately after the Supreme Court judgement, but others are putting off doing anything until the EHRC guidance comes into force.

However, she warned the guidance was not "a silver bullet" and that if someone made a claim of discrimination against an organisation it was not a defence to say "we're waiting for the guidance".

––

Sophie Raworth: Long-awaited guidance on single-sex spaces in Britain has confirmed that a service, such as a public toilet or a changing room, must be used on the basis of biological sex. The code published by the Equalities Watchdog has been written after the Supreme Court ruling last year which said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Alison Holt reports.

Alison Holt: Public toilets and changing rooms, vital for many people's busy lives, are now an everyday battleground for what is meant by a single-sex space under equality law.

Today, after eight months of waiting, the government has published guidance which aims to help service providers and associations navigate what that means for transgender people.

Mary-Ann Stephenson: If you are providing a single-sex space, that has to be on the basis of biological sex. But what we've also said in our code is that you need to make sure that that doesn't leave trans people without services that they can use.

Holt: The guidance has been updated following last year's Supreme Court ruling that in the 2010 Equality Act, the term sex refers to biological sex, not gender. It says in practical terms that means, for instance, a trans woman, a biological male who identifies as a woman, shouldn't use women-only spaces or services.

But the 300-page long guidance, which covers England, Scotland, and Wales, also says to avoid discriminating against a transgender person, a third or gender-neutral space should be offered. Campaigners who won last year's Supreme Court clarification on biological sex say this guidance is important.

Maya Forstater: I'm sure that lots of organisations that have held on to their previous policies have been breaching the law, and that there really is no reason to delay, and that includes both employers and service providers. This code is about service provision, but lots of employers have been holding on to their old policies and using it as an excuse.

Holt: But trans rights campaigners say it is marginalizing trans people who just want to get on with their lives.

"Blake": It's going to have an impact on my day-to-day life and my ability to participate in activities with friends, in sports centers, having to check restaurants, places, bars, pubs, anywhere I go to see if there's facilities I can use. It simply means I can't use the spaces where I feel the most comfortable.

Clare Reddington: We opened up these new inclusive toilets just after COVID…

Holt: At the Watershed Arts Cinema in Bristol, they already have toilets everyone can use.

Reddington: So for this, it means that we have floor-to-ceiling cubicles, so you can really have a moment of privacy within them.

Holt: They pride themselves on being inclusive for trans people, but the chief executive says the long wait for guidance has been confusing, toxic, and any changes needed will be costly for some organisations.

Reddington: Whether you're a charity or whether you're an arts organisation like us, there hasn't been really clear guidance on what to do. And of course, really, the law hasn't changed for people like us, but the level of confusion has been really dangerous.

Holt: The government describes the code as practical and proportionate. There's separate guidance for schools. Alison Holt, BBC news

==

"'gEnDeR' iS sEpArAtE fRoM sEx!!!"

[hjellacott]

In the end, it all boils down to this: to have a protected category, you need to define it in a concrete, easily recognisable way. Without a clear definition, you cannot protect them. Trans women? Males wanting to present as women. Trans men? Females wanting to present as men. Women? Adult human female. Define it with scientific clarity, recognise it, protect it.