Women's rights group sue Hampstead Heath Ladies' Pond for £50,000 for still allowing transgender bathers in, despite Supreme Court ruling
Sex Matters, who advertise themselves as a 'human-rights charity', are gearing up to take legal action against the City of London Corporation over their stance that transgender women can use the ponds in north of the city.
It has been the view of the corporation that anyone who identifies as a woman can swim in the Ladies' Pond under its formal guidance since 2019.
But critics in the women's rights group say this goes against the Supreme Court ruling, which earlier this year ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on their sex at birth under the Equality Act.
After the ruling, the organisation said that its policy of trans women using the pond would 'remain in place' as it looked to gather legal advice, prompting the threat of courtroom action from the women's rights group.
The City of London Corporation has said that it did not need to comply with the requirement for single-sex spaces in the Equality Act, arguing: 'The Ladies' Pond is not a single sex facility … precisely because trans women are permitted to access the swimming facilities.'
Chief Executive of Sex Matters, Maya Forstater, told The Times they were 'amazed' that the corporation held this view, saying it was 'nothing more than linguistic trickery'.
She added: 'The corporation claims that, because it chooses to define "women" and "men" according not to biological sex but to who wants to be referred to as "she" or "he", the Supreme Court judgment doesn't apply.
In recent years women's rights protesters have held several protests at the ponds including storming the men's pond wearing false beards and moustaches (as seen above)
'Neither Hampstead Heath nor the City of London Corporation are sovereign entities that get to make their own laws.
'We will be taking our next steps in August and think this case will be very significant in testing what can only be described as creative interpretations of equality law following the Supreme Court judgment.'
The Kenwood Ladies' Pond Association (KLPA), who represent people using the pond, said after the Supreme Court ruling that the Ladies' Pond is open to 'all women and girls over the age of eight'.
They added: 'According to the lifeguards, trans women have been swimming there for many years without incident.
'The Ladies' Pond is well staffed by lifeguards and stewards who are there to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all users.'
Members of the KLPA last year also voted to reject a motion that 'only those born female in sex can use the pond'.
Close to one million visits are made to the 30 bathing ponds across Hampstead Heath each year for swimming.
In recent years women's rights protesters have held several protests at the ponds including storming the men's pond wearing false beards and moustaches.
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