Thousands of protesters rally in London against the Supreme Court’s trans ruling
Thousands gathered in the capital following the Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex. (Ben Montgomery/Getty Images)
Thousands gathered in the capital following the Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex. (Ben Montgomery/Getty Images)
Thousands of protesters took to London to rally against the Supreme Court’s trans ruling after an “emergency” protest was called by organisers.
On 16 April, the Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case that the the legal definition of a woman excludes trans women and the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ under the 2010 Equality Act refers to biology.
Experts have warned that the ruling will have wide-ranging implications for the trans and non-binary community, particularly in the way that public bodies and organisations operate with inclusion and single-sex spaces in mind.
The British Transport Police have already announced that trans women held in custody will now be strip-searched by male, rather than female, officers.
The decision has sparked outrage from trans activists and allies, with Stonewall CEO Simon Black stating that the ruling “will be incredibly worrying for the trans community”.
In response, nearly 30 different protests were announced across the country over the Easter weekend (18 to 21 April), including in London, where turnout was unprecedented for organisers, according to reports.
In London’s Parliament Square rally on Saturday (19 April), which was hailed as an “emergency demonstration”, protesters were seen waving transgender pride flags and held up signs reading “trans women are women!” and “trans rights are human rights”.
Others called for “trans liberation” and “trans rights now” on various signs and banners.
Those at the protest, which took place adjacent to the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey, also worried that the ruling could open the floodgates to further judgements putting the trans and non-binary community in jeopardy.
“It’s a Pandora’s box situation where I just think we allow certain things and then we essentially opened up the door to allow way more than we ever thought could be accepted or pushed through,” Zuleha Oshodi told AP News.
If this story has affected you, call Mindline Trans+ on Fridays 8 pm-11 pm on 0300 330 5468. For emotional support, Mindline is available 24/7 on 01823 276 892.
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