Britain is the least supportive G7 country on trans rights, report reveals

The British public’s opinion on trans rights issues ranks lower than every other G7 country, an eye-opening report has found.

British citizens are far more likely to oppose trans people’s fundamental rights, such as access to healthcare or gendered public spaces, than the majority of major economic powers across the globe.

Researchers from Ipsos collated survey samples from 26 countries, including every nation in the G7 economic forum, asking 500-1,000 people from each country to give their thoughtds on key LGBTQ+ issues.

Countries surveyed were Brazil, South Africa, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Spain, Great Britain, the US, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Ireland, Chile, Netherlands, Belgium, Thailand, Singapore, Peru, Italy, France, Poland, Hungary, Türkiye, South Korea, Japan.

While Britons are typically in favour of LGBTQ+ rights generally, the majority of respondents hit a road block when it came to “single-sex spaces”.

Asked whether trans people should be allowed to access so-called “single-sex spaces”, such as public toilets or changing rooms, 54 per cent of people said no, the highest of any country surveyed.

Great Britain ranked second-from-lowest in support for trans teens accessing life-saving gender-affirming healthcare, with 47 per cent opposing their right to do so. It also ranked second from bottom on allowing trans people to change sex markers on government documents, with 52 per cent opposing.

An overwhelming 61 per cent, meanwhile, disagreed with trans athletes competing in competitions consistent with their gender identity, compared to just 15 per cent supporting it.

Comparitevly, 54 per cent of citizens in Japan – the only G7 country where same-sex marriage is illegal – support trans teens’ right to access gender-affirming care, while just 44 per cent oppose trans people accessing gendered facilities.

UK’s treatment of trans people ‘beyond the realms’ of ‘basic decency’

Britain’s overall support for trans rights has plummeted according to IPSOS’ annual survey, with a net decrease in support for nearly every single question related to trans people.

Comparatively, the majority of Brits (65 per cent) increasingly agree that trans people face a great deal of discrimination in the country. Then 71 per cent say the community should be protected from discrimination.

Polling was conducted shortly after the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the 2010 Equality Act, which determined the definition of a woman related to “biological sex”.

Responding to the controversial judgement, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) drafted a code of practice on accessing public services, which it handed to the government for consideration in September.

Sources suggest the guidance, which has yet to be made public, could allow gyms, restaurants, workplaces, and other venues across the UK to ban people from facilities based on their appearance alone.

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, condemned the alleged recommendations as “beyond the realms of what anyone would see as basic decency for human beings”.

Since the Supreme Court ruling, harassment cases against all women have risen sharply, according to a report published in August.