logo
Thousands of trans rights activists gather in London after Supreme Court ruling on definition of a woman

Thousands of trans rights activists gather in London after Supreme Court ruling on definition of a woman

Sky News19-04-2025
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."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Keir Starmer is 'seriously considering' introducing digital ID system as a way to tackle immigration and bring public services back into shape, ministers say
Keir Starmer is 'seriously considering' introducing digital ID system as a way to tackle immigration and bring public services back into shape, ministers say

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Keir Starmer is 'seriously considering' introducing digital ID system as a way to tackle immigration and bring public services back into shape, ministers say

Sir Keir Starmer is giving serious consideration to the idea of introducing a digital ID system - in defiance of longstanding warnings by civil liberty advocates. The Prime Minister reportedly sees the proposal as necessary if Labour is to crack down on illegal immigration and make public service delivery more efficient, The Times reported. As Director of Prosecutions, Sir Keir was a self-styled 'moderniser' who singled out the use of paper files and the need for the profession to utilise modern IT solution. Now cabinet colleagues say that the PM has growth increasing convinced of the need to harness the power of technology to challenge some of the biggest problems facing his government. While no proposal is expected soon, Downing Street is reported to be considering the 'workability' of issuing every individual a unique digital identifier. The tag would be used to check an individual's right to live and work in this country, as well as their eligibility to access healthcare or housing. Advisors to Sir Keir believe such a system could help smooth the friction between individuals and the state, and have noted the success of the official NHS app. There would reportedly be no requirement to carry any kind of physical ID card, in much the same way as national insurance cards work now. The tag would be used to check an individual's right to live and work in this country, as well as their eligibility to access healthcare or housing A system of identity cards was originally introduced in September 1939 under the National Registration Act - but it was repealed in May 1952. Pictured: An enumerator visits a household in the UK to deliver a compulsory registration form to a householder A system of identity cards was originally introduced in September 1939 under the National Registration Act - but it was repealed in May 1952. A huge driver for the introduction of a universal digital ID appears to be a new paper by the Tony Blair Institute, commissioned by Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. The paper presents digital ID as a crucial step in meeting the demands of voters in the modern world, as well helping to curtail immigration in a bid to neuter the threat of Reform UK. The proposal has reportedly been met with enthusiasm by several of the most influential figures in the Labour cabinet. Proponents of the scheme are believed to include health secretary Wes Streeting, technology secretary Peter Kyle and chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden. One senior Labour figure told The Times: 'I think it is now coming. Yvette is no longer resistant. They're working through the how.'

Sydney Harbour Bridge protest shutdown: What you need to know as pro-Palestine demonstrators disrupt public transport and close down roads
Sydney Harbour Bridge protest shutdown: What you need to know as pro-Palestine demonstrators disrupt public transport and close down roads

Daily Mail​

time4 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Sydney Harbour Bridge protest shutdown: What you need to know as pro-Palestine demonstrators disrupt public transport and close down roads

A massive pro-Palestine protest is set to block the Sydney Harbour Bridge after the Supreme Court threw out cops' failed bid to stop the march. Tens of thousands of protesters are set to gather in Lang Park, in the city's CBD, at 1pm on Sunday and begin the march to block the iconic bridge. Despite rainy conditions forecast for the demonstration, Palestine Action Group expect as many as 50,000 people to participate. Protesters are scheduled to begin marching through York and Grosvenor streets at 1.30pm before heading across the bridge and finishing Bradfield Park, on the bridge's northern end. The Harbour Bridge will be closed to traffic from 11.30am. Authorities expect the march will last three hours and are set to re-open the bridge at 4pm. Transport for NSW said that 'extensive' queues are expected at the entrance to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Motorists were urged to avoid the area and consider alternative routes. Bus services will not cross the bridge during the demonstration. Buses on the south side of the bridge will terminate in the CBD while those on the northern side will end at North Sydney and St Leonards. Trains will continue operating across the bridge throughout the protest but are expected to suffer significant delays due to increased commuter volume. More to come...

Palestinian schools teach kids to glorify suicide bombers who kill Jews, reveals dossier as PM plans to recognise state
Palestinian schools teach kids to glorify suicide bombers who kill Jews, reveals dossier as PM plans to recognise state

Scottish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Palestinian schools teach kids to glorify suicide bombers who kill Jews, reveals dossier as PM plans to recognise state

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PALESTINIAN schools teach children to glorify suicide bombers who slaughter Jews, a shocking dossier reveals. Kids are taught to look up to terrorists in classroom textbooks and even learn to add up by calculating how many 'martyrs' have died. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Palestinian schools teach children to glorify suicide bombers who slaughter Jews, a shocking dossier reveals Credit: AFP 2 The PM has defended his decision to set the UK on a course to recognise Palestine Credit: Reuters The Palestinian Authority (PA) - which runs the West Bank - also spends hundreds of millions of pounds a year on a 'Martyrs Fund". This pays monthly salaries to the families of Palestinians who have died or are in jail for carrying out attacks on Israelis. A prisoner's pay increases the longer the jail term. The families of those serving 30 years or more can get up to 3,400 US dollars - the equivalent of £2,500. Read More on World News SUBS SNUB Russia dismisses Trump's warning of sending nuclear subs closer to country The shocking revelations are contained in a dossier shared exclusively with The Sun on Sunday. They will spark fresh criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer's decision to recognise an independent state of Palestine in September unless Israel signs up to a peace process. Michael Rubin, Director of Labour Friends of Israel, backed the creation of a Palestinian state - but said the PA must clean up its act before it can be founded. He said that under leader Mahmoud Abbas the PA is 'authoritarian, riddled with corruption, and commits shocking human rights abuses'. He added: 'The PA must clean up its act if we're going to recognise a Palestinian state. 'We need to tell it to abolish the morally repugnant payment of 'salaries' to terrorists, quit glorifying suicide bombers in schoolkids' books, and stop naming its schools after Nazi collaborators.' Hamas vows no peace unless key demand is met as thugs share sick clip of hostage The PA's South Hebron Directorate of Education posted a photo of a children's book about female suicide bomber Hanadi Jaradat. She killed 21 Israelis and injured over 50 more when she blew herself up at a restaurant in Haifa in 2003. In another shocking example, a grade 5 textbook Palestinian terrorist Dalal al-Mughrabi is celebrated for her heroism. She carried out the 1978 Coastal Road massacre which killed 38 Israelis, including 13 children. Earlier this year, Mr Abbas said he will end payments to the families of Palestinian 'martyrs'. The PM has defended his decision to set the UK on a course to recognise Palestine. Speaking earlier this week, he said: 'We do need to do everything we can to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where we are seeing the children and babies starving for want of aid which could be delivered. 'That is why I've said unless things materially change on the ground, we'll have to assess this in September, we will recognise Palestine before the United Nations general assembly in September.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store