Protect trans-inclusive spaces, LGBTQ+ orgs tell PM Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer has been urged to address legal concerns over trans inclusion. (Getty)
A coalition of nearly 150 LGBTQ+ organisations has urged Keir Starmer to protect trans-inclusive spaces from “expensive” legal attacks.
An open letter penned by non-profit Trans+ Solidarity Alliance warned the government that inclusive spaces across the UK, such as single-sex venues or hobby groups, could be at risk of closure through anti-trans legal action.
Signed by 146 LGBTQ, feminist, and human rights organisations, it urges MPs to ensure equality law protects “the norm of trans-inclusion” and to protect “everyone’s freedom of association”.
Signees included TransActual, Galop, Amnesty Feminists, ILGA Europe, Canterbury Women’s March, several trans and LGBTQ+ Pride organisations, and many more.
The call comes just days after a high court blocked Sex Matters from suing City of London Corporation (CoCL) for affirming trans women’s right to access a female-only area of Hampstead Heath ponds.
The ‘gender-critical’ campaign group, which has received financial support from figures such as JK Rowling, pursued legal action after CoLC acknowledged trans people’s right to swim in Kenwood Ladies’ Pond in 2019.
Its objection was brought despite the near-unanimous belief from the pond’s regular members that the site should remain trans-inclusive, with 86 per cent of swimmers supporting the policy in a consultation last month alone.
The coalition of LGBTQ+ organisations warned that similar litigation not only poses a serious financial threat for smaller businesses, but would also waste public funds.
“Without action, we will continue to see inclusive spaces and organisations dragged through the courts and faced with a choice between betraying their values or facing financial ruin,” Trans+ Solidarity Alliance policy advisor, Sandra Duffy, said.
“Excluding trans people does not make any woman safer, and encourages regressive gender policing that hurts us all. Together, we are speaking up to tell our representatives in Westminster that they need to act.”
‘Now is a time for real unity’ activist groups say
Concern rose after the Supreme Court ruled in the FWS v Scottish Ministers case last year that the 2010 Equality Act’s definitions on women and sex referred to biology only.
Guidance on single-sex services was then brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the UK’s equality watchdog. It was handed to the government after a chaotic public consultation which gained widespread criticism over fears it could justify a law banning trans people from public facilities.
Rachel Bottomley, managing director for signatory organisation LGBT Foundation, said the government needs to protect spaces from legal threats at a time of “worrying division”.
“We are deeply troubled to see organisations, including charities, being forced to consider exclusionary stances, fearing legal action if they choose to remain trans inclusive,” she said. “Now is a time for real unity — we must leave no one behind in the ongoing fight for equality.”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome expressed support for the campaign, telling The Independent over the weekend that the government needs to “uphold the rights of our trans constituents” and help to prevent businesses from needlessly going bust.
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