17-05-2025
Trans women gather in topless Scottish Parliament protest against supreme court ruling
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Transgender women held a topless protest outside of Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh on Saturday, May 17, in a show against the recent supreme court ruling on the legal definition of a woman.
Around 200 protestors took part in the demonstration at Holyrood as they set out to "confront the Scottish government's failure to respond with strength and solidarity."
The transgender woman stood outside parliament, topless, with red painted right arms as a show of solidarity with anti-fascist feminists in Europe, tape over their mouths to represent the censorship of trans voices in this ruling and a white rose to represent the death of transgender rights in the UK.
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Sophie Molly, who took part in the demonstration and helped organise the event alongside a group of transgender women across Scotland said she felt the Supreme Court Ruling and the EHRC Interim Guidance is "a real setback for bodily autonomy" and that this ruling wouldn't just hurt transgender women, but all women.
(Image: Ross Macdougal)
She added: "It went really well. Lots of support for trans and non-binary people. A good turn out of around 200 people. A joyous atmosphere of resilience and determination.
"We were joined by pro-Palestine campaigners. A good show of solidarity."
It comes after Pride Edinburgh suspended political parties from participating in this year's pride march in response to the ruling.
This year, political parties won't be invited to give the traditional pre-march speeches, political parties will not be able to have stalls at the community fair and they will not be permitted to partake in the march.
Sharing this decision on social media, organisers wrote: "It is clear those in power and the combined voices of political parties across the UK, by their silence and inaction, are not hearing the voices of our community, and it would be wrong for Pride Edinburgh 2025 to give political parties a platform at our event.
"Therefore, the first time in our history, Pride Edinburgh is suspending the participation of all political parties from our 2025 event."
