20-04-2025
Hundreds of protestors march on Edinburgh after controversial court ruling
Hundreds of protestors marched on the capital this weekend in response to a controversial Supreme Court ruling.
The court ruled on Wednesday, April 16 that the term "woman" when used in the Equality Act 2010 is limited to biological women, and "sex" is defined as biological sex.
It also limits access to certain "women-only" spaces or services if an individual was assigned the male gender at birth.
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A massive gathering was held in Edinburgh on Saturday, April 19 in protest of the decision, drawing individuals from across the UK who wanted their voices heard. One trans woman who spoke to Edinburgh Live called the decision a "giant step backwards for trans rights".
Photos from the event show hundreds of protestors gathered outside the UK Government building on Sibbald Walk in centre city.
Other images show crowds outside the National Gallery with some holding trans flags.
Emma Davis, 34, a trans woman from Durham, travelled up to Edinburgh for the protest.
She told Edinburgh Live: "The Supreme Court ruling this week has sent shockwaves of fear through the trans community. All of my friends are angry and upset, but mainly terrified.
"All we want is to live our authentic lives, with adequate access to gender-related health care, and our gender identities properly recognised and protected under the law.
"This ruling is a giant step backwards for trans rights - I don't want to risk getting a criminal record every time I need the toilet, never mind the risk of verbal and physical assault because someone thinks I don't look feminine enough to be using a women's bathroom.
"This ruling not only hurts all trans and non-binary people, it also hurts any cis women who don't meet typical feminine beauty standards."
Lydia Jones, 32, was in Edinburgh visiting from the West Midlands and decided to join the protest.
She shared: "As a cis woman, when I heard about the ruling of the Supreme Court I was shocked because I've never found sharing space with trans women an issue. I feel like there are so many other things that matter to me as a woman that this time, effort and money could have been better spent on such as chronically underfunded sexual violence services and improving sexual violence conviction rates.
"I don't see how creating more hostility to an already marginalised group of people helps anyone. However, it was so amazing to see such a huge turnout in Edinburgh and so much solidarity. "
Josie Giles, a Leith-based writer who is involved with Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh, said: 'Today proved the enormous power of trans people's collective organising. Together we have all the strength and skills we need to fight the powers that seek to exclude trans women from public life, and to seize what all oppressed people need: food, housing, medicine and a joyful life. Our liberation is workers' liberation and women's liberation. And trans people said it loud: Free Palestine!'
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