Latest news with #TransActual
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Trans activists install 'third toilet' outside UK Supreme Court after ruling
A trans activist group made their stand by placing a "third toilet" on the steps of the Supreme Court - a direct response to the suggestion to make their own "third space" Trans advocacy organisation TransActual UK launched its latest campaign right on the doorstep of the UK Supreme Court, and its not something you can miss. On Wednesday, May 21, the "Third Toilet," - which is quite literally, a toilet - was placed significantly on the court steps to highlight the question: where will trans people go... for the 'loo'? Made by creative agency BBH London, the pink and blue striped toilet, representing the trans flag, posed as both a call for action and demand for a reinforcement of trans rights and the community's protection since the UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of what is called the 'gender critical' volunteer organisation For Women Scotland. The group's appeal fought against the Scottish Government's use of 'woman' in reference to the non-cis community. The Mirror reported on the joint judgement given by Lord Hodge, Lady Rose and Lady Simler, with which the other Justices agreed, relaying that a unanimous verdict that the term 'woman' used in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, and that alone. This controversial court ruling created a wave of debate on online platforms, stirring the fears of the trans community in regards of their safety, along with the stigma that trans women are supposedly at fault for women feeling unsafe, particularly in bathrooms. The court ruling in Scotland has manifested into exclusive bathrooms for cis-gendered men and women, drawing TransActual's question: "Where, exactly, are trans people supposed to go?". Demand for single-sex places - and comments such as Baroness Kishwer Falkner's, active chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who said that trans rights groups should create a separate "third space" - have resulted in the statement piece dropped deliberately outside Britain's most esteemed court. TransActual's message? To confront the exclusive ruling which threatens to isolate the minority from the public and social aspect of everyday life. The organisation's director, Hafsa Qureshi, shared a statement which read: "The Supreme Court claimed it brought clarity to an area of difficulty, however, it did the exact opposite," who added that whilst reducing the rights of the trans community, the ruling has already has "devastating" effects. She continued, saying: "This campaign is a powerful statement – about being forced to exist without safety, privacy, and rights, in full view of a society that refuses to see us". Two days ago, in act of defiance, Olivia Campbell Cavendish, founder and executive director of the Trans Legal Clinic, made her stand by (in fact) sitting on the Third Toilet. She said: "We need to move the conversation on from ridiculous things like bathrooms and onto the things that matter," before stating that "the safety of trans people everywhere," takes precedence. Camila Gurgel and Ieva Paulina, Associate Creative Directors at BBH, were clear about the exhibit not being a real victory "when so much has been lost," when the ruling ostracised the community in question from what "directly impacted their lives". "Our hope is that the Third Toilet installation sparks awareness, conversation, solidarity and inspires more people to stand with the trans community," concluded BBH. To find out more, visit
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trans people fearing arrest due to ‘confusion' around Supreme Court ruling, say campaigners
Trans rights campaigners have warned that misinformation spreading through the community is fuelling fear and confusion, a month on from the Supreme Court's ruling on the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act. Support and advocacy groups have said 'weaponised misunderstandings' about the practical consequences of the ruling – such as whether trans women can still legally use women's toilets and other spaces – have caused panic among some trans people. They said some trans women have reported feeling nervous about using women's toilets in public spaces out of fear of being arrested, despite the ruling not having created criminal law. jane fae, director of campaign group TransActual and chair of Trans Media Watch, said: 'It's fair to say trans people are afraid they'll be arrested if they go in [women's] spaces, because there are people who are afraid of that. It is creating panic. 'Any person saying now saying if you go in that space you'll be arrested, is talking nonsense. There is no crime. 'But [trans people] are self-limiting because they are scared.' Joanne Lockwood, a 60-year-old trans woman, believes there has been a 'weaponised misunderstanding' of the ruling by gender critical groups, which has aided misinformation being spread about it. She said that even though she had been using women's toilets for many years, the ruling had made her question whether she should continue to do so. She also cancelled her gym membership as she was unsure how her gym would respond. 'Nobody wants to be embarrassed going to the toilet, and nobody wants to be embarrassed going to the gym,' she said. 'I ended up cancelling my gym membership because I couldn't be bothered to have the conversation. 'It affects your mental health, it affects how you perceive your rights. Nobody wants to be seen as a threat or somebody who is trespassing in someone else's space.' Lui Asquith, a solicitor at law firm Russell-Cooke, which represented Amnesty International UK in these proceedings, told The Independent that the Supreme Court did not rule that a trans person would be acting 'illegally' if they accessed a women-only space. They said: 'The fact that this question is even being asked reflects the way this judgment is being communicated to the general public. 'The judgment deals with the rules around possible discrimination by service providers; particularly, when they can rely on the exception which permits discrimination by service providers on the basis of the 'sex' protected characteristic in certain, limited circumstances.' They added: 'The Equality Act is mainly enforced in employment tribunals and the civil (not the criminal) courts – the Equality Act does not involve criminal law, which the state enforces by prosecution in the criminal courts. 'The confusion may lie in the fact that there are forms of harassment that are dealt with as criminal offences, but that isn't what this judgment was dealing with.' Steph Richards, CEO of leading UK trans rights group TransLucent, told The Independent misinformation around the meaning of the ruling had left some people 'deeply distressed' and 'frightened', adding: 'There are people who have just been going to their work, lots of people don't even look at the news these days because frankly its quite miserable. 'So I think there's been a degree of shock, and because it has been so misinformed that this is a criminal issue when it's not - it's a civil issue - there have been concerns.' However, guidance from bodies such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has stated that trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services such as shops and hospitals. The equalities watchdog has been threatened with legal action since the guidance was published, with lawyers acting on behalf of TransLucent sending a letter warning it 'incorrectly states the legal position' of the court ruling. After the ruling, former Supreme Court judge Jonathan Sumption warned that organisations were potentially misinterpreting the landmark ruling, telling BBC Radio 4's PM programme that, contrary to much of the commentary, judges did not take a side and did not provide an obligation to create single-sex spaces. Asquith said the judgment does not oblige services to exclude trans people, and that there was 'a risk that service providers respond hastily without fully understanding the judgment and the Equality Act, undermining access to services for trans people'. They added: 'As the justices repeated, trans people (whether or not they have a gender recognition certificate) continue to be protected by the Equality Act and service providers must be able to justify their exclusion from services as proportionate and legitimate.' Jo Maugham, executive director of the Good Law Project, said the group had seen an increase in trans or gender non-conforming women being confronted. 'Anecdotally, we can see a rise in violence against gender non-conforming women, be they cis or trans,' he said, adding he had seen reports of multiple women being challenged for using a toilet. 'I would describe the EHRC statement as misinformation, which has had a very profound negative effect on the lives of, in particular, gender non-conforming women.' A spokesperson for the EHRC told The Independent: 'At the EHRC we uphold and enforce the Equality Act. Our response to the Supreme Court's judgment has been, and will continue to be, firmly grounded in the law. Those who rely on us are reassured that every explanation of equality law from the EHRC will be accurate and authoritative. That is our job, as Britain's independent and expert equality regulator. 'We know there is uncertainty among duty-bearers and affected groups. The EHRC has been visible in providing clarity on the consequences of the judgment and will continue to be so. 'We will shortly launch a consultation on the detailed draft updates made to our statutory Code of Practice for service providers, public bodies and associations, following the Supreme Court judgment. It is important that our code is both an accurate interpretation of the law and clear to those who use it. We want to hear affected stakeholders' views on the clarity of these updates. So we urge interested parties to respond to the consultation when it is launched. We will consider every response carefully and amend the draft where necessary following the consultation. 'The EHRC is wholeheartedly committed to upholding everyone's rights and tackling discrimination in all its forms.'
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Children waiting two years for critical gender care as numbers trapped on waiting lists soar
Children aged under five are among a soaring number of young people waiting for gender care treatment as the NHS grapples to clear a backlog of patients. The number of children waiting for treatment in England and Wales has risen by 12 per cent in a year, with 6,225 children now on the national waiting list, up from 5,560 a year earlier. A total of 157 of those are aged under 10, with up to 10 aged under five. Average waiting times have also grown to more than two years for a child to get a first appointment at a specialist clinic. One expert warned children need help 'before they reach crisis point', with numbers showing that 'demand is outpacing supply'. Responding to the latest figures, the NHS medical director for specialised services, Professor James Palmer, said he understands it 'can be really difficult' for children and their families waiting to be seen. TransActual, a charity supporting trans people, said the waiting list figures were 'unacceptably high'. Two new gender care services led by London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) and Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool opened in April 2024 following the closure in March 2024 of the UK's dedicated gender identity clinic, run by the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust. A third service has since opened in Bristol while another is planned for the East of England 'later this spring', according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The aim is for there to eventually be up to eight specialist children's gender clinics covering the seven NHS regions in England. Last year, health secretary Wes Streeting branded waiting times 'unacceptable', acknowledging the 'enormous distress' they can cause. Waiting times for a first appointment have also risen, to an average of 116 weeks at the end of March from an average of 100 weeks at the end of May last year, according to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association. There is no minimum age requirement for gender care and the NHS previously said it wanted to ensure parents of very young children are given support where necessary, with some aged under five seeking help. Dr Roman Raczka, president of the British Psychological Society, said: 'It is essential that children, young people and their families can access the professional care and support they need, before they reach crisis point. 'Demand is currently outpacing supply. This contributes to a range of broader challenges which face children and young people's services that require further investment.' Chay Brown, operations director for TransActual UK: ' Trans and gender questioning children and young people are having to wait years to access support from the NHS. 'The majority of people leaving the waiting list at that time will have aged out. Sadly, some will have died whilst waiting – waiting times for NHS gender services have been cited in several prevention of future deaths reports.' Following last year's Cass Review, which concluded children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions in gender care, NHS England announced a new plan which requires new referrals to the clinics to have been seen by a GP and mental health specialist or paediatrician first. Some 250 patients transferred from the Gender Identity Development Service have been seen by new services, and it is understood that each of the new clinics is designed to see 25 patients a month. Guidance expected to be published later this month will see the health service move away from a 'medical model' in favour of a 'holistic' approach to children's gender care, as per recommendations from the Cass Review. According to leaked plans reported last month, children who have gender dysphoria will now be tested for neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Prof Palmer said: 'We know it can be really difficult for children and young people and their families who are waiting to be seen by our new holistic gender services, and that's why it has been so important that we put a new system in place to ensure that, while they're waiting, they can access mental health support if they need it. 'The NHS is now almost halfway through its planned expansion of regional services, and we are seeing significantly fewer referrals as children are first assessed by paediatric or mental health experts and provided with care in NHS services that are more appropriate to their needs.' Puberty blockers are not prescribed on the NHS to children for the treatment of gender dysphoria, after a ban last year was made permanent in December. Plans remain in place to set up a clinical trial into their use this year, although no patients have yet been recruited and ethical and regulatory approval is being sought. A DHSC spokesperson said: 'We are working with NHS England to reform children's gender services in line with the recommendations from the Cass review, to provide children with timely, holistic support. 'We've opened three new children and young people's gender services, with a fourth anticipated to open later this spring. These new services will increase clinical capacity and reduce waiting times, so patients can be seen sooner and closer to home.'
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lush puts transgender 'propaganda' leaflets in birthday party bags for girls as young as seven - claiming there is a global conspiracy against trans people
Lush Cosmetics placed a leaflet in party bags gifted to children as young as seven and eight, which claimed there was a global conspiracy against trans people. Young girls received the leaflet as they left a birthday celebration event for one of the stores branches, where they also created bath bombs and soaps. The 24-page booklet, which was created in collaboration with TransActual, claimed those in the transgender community had been made 'the target of a calculated media assault' in a bid to divert attention from 'global crises'. It also went on to claim the media landscape was 'encouraging violence' and diverting attention 'from those nicely off' while others struggled, adding that lives had been 'devastated' by a 'tidal wave of hate'. The leaftet, which was created by the charity TransActual and produced by Lush Costmetics 'in solidarity and allyship with trans people everywhere' also outlined terms used by the community. It explained that while some people may describe themselves as trans, others use terms as gender-queer, gender-fluid, nongender, third gender, bi-gender, as well as trans woman, trans man and neutrois. The document said that these were descriptions and 'not prescriptions', explaining the term intersectionality, adding: 'It just means we are all subject to multiple forms of inquality or disadvantage (or privilege and advantage).' A mother, who was present at the party dubbed the leaflet as 'fully propaganda in tone', while also debating if it was entirely appropriate for children of such a young age. 'I feel fairly "live and let live" about what people over 18 want to do but to put this in bags going home with seven-year-old girls seems really shocking to me,' she told The Times. 'Pretty sure nobody is handing these out to little boys at football parties.' The booklet also went on to compared the present Day US to Nazi Germany, saying how the regime led by Adolf Hitler, 'destroyed the world's first gender clinic', sent transgender individuals to concentration camps and set alight to books. It said there were 'echoes' in the US of Germany's difficult past as trans individuals have 'their passports confiscated, birth certificates torn up, history erased, healthcare banned and legal protections removed.' Around 20,000 leaflets were printed and shared across over 100 branches across the UK. A 'Liberation' bath bomb, which shared the same colours as the trans flag, also came with the leaflet, with 75 per cent of profits being donated to three campaign groups, which includes TransActual and My Genderation. On its website, Lush stated that trans people have 'come under increasing attacks in certain political and cultural spheres'. It comes after Supreme Court unanimously decided that 'the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act refer to a 'biological woman and biological sex'. The booklet says the Cass Review, a review led by Dr Hilary Cass on gender identity services for young people in children 'set a standard of proof' which is distinctive to trans healthcare. It also criticised the ban on puberty blockers, claiming there were 'no major side-effects', despite the Cass Review stating that evidence indicated puberty blockers could affect bone density in teenagers. Lush told The Times: 'The booklet was designed to be displayed in stores next to signage about the campaign and at till points, for people to take if they wished. 'It should not have been put directly into bags without being asked for and we have issued guidance to our staff to ensure that does not happen again.' It also said that any queries regarding the leaflet's content should be put to TransActual.
Sky News
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Thousands of trans rights activists gather in London after Supreme Court ruling on definition of a woman
Thousands of trans rights activists have been demonstrating in central London days after the Supreme Court ruled the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Trans rights groups, trade unions and community organisations came together for what was billed as an "emergency demonstration" in Parliament Square in Westminster. Activists demanded "trans liberation" and "trans rights now", with some waving flags and holding banners. A rally and march organised by Resisting Transphobia was also taking place in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon. In a long-awaited judgment delivered on Wednesday, the UK's highest court ruled the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 "refer to a biological woman and biological sex". It essentially means trans women who hold gender recognition certificates are not women in the eyes of the law. This means transgender women with one of the certificates can be excluded from single-sex spaces if "proportionate". Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said on Thursday that the ruling means trans women can no longer take part in women's sport, while single-sex places, such as changing rooms, "must be based on biological sex". The UK government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought "clarity and confidence" for women and service providers. Meanwhile, a Labour Party source said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had brought the party to a "common sense position" on the subject from an "activist" stance. Among the groups supporting the London protest were Trans Kids Deserve Better, Pride In Labour, Front For The Liberation Of Intersex Non-binary And Transgender people (Flint) and TransActual. Keyne Walker, strategy director at TransActual, told Sky News the government needed to put equality laws back on a "sound footing". Speaking from Parliament Square, they said: "The mood is jubilant and also angry and also people are anxious... Right now trans people are coming together to demonstrate to the country, and to everybody else, that we're not going anywhere because we don't have anywhere to go... "Queer people have been through worse than this before, and... we'll suffer through whatever is to come in the next few years." The activist continued: "The government needs to immediately clarify how they are going to protect trans people and what this ruling actually means for spaces. "It does not bring clarity... businesses and venues at the moment don't know what they can and can't do... the government needs to step in and put equalities law back on a sound footing." It comes as Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan announced she has helped raise more than £100,000 for a trans rights charity following the Supreme Court decision. Following the ruling, the Irish star said she was "completely horrified" and "disgusted" by the ruling and added she would match donations up to £10,000 to transgender charity Not A Phase. The fundraiser has since raised £103,018, with a revised target of £110,000. 2:10 Why was the case heard in court? The Supreme Court ruling followed a long-running legal challenge which centred around how sex-based rights are applied through the UK-wide Equality Act 2010. The appeal case was brought against the Scottish government by campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) following unsuccessful challenges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. FWS called on the court to find sex an "immutable biological state", arguing sex-based protections should only apply to people born female. 1:41 The Scottish government argued the protections should also include transgender people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC). The Supreme Court judges were asked to rule on what the Equality Act 2010 means by "sex" - whether biological sex or "certificated" sex as legally defined by the 2004 Gender Recognition Act. Delivering the ruling at the London court on Wednesday, Lord Hodge said: "We counsel against reading this judgment as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another. It is not. "The Equality Act 2010 gives transgender people protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender."
