Trans activists ‘in denial' after Holyrood lavatory ban

Telegraph

09-05-2025

Trans activists are 'in denial' about the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman, it has been claimed.
Scottish Trans and Equality Network wrote to Holyrood's ruling corporate body to protest against an announcement that only biological women will be allowed to use female facilities in the Parliament building from Monday.
They described the decision as being 'rushed, unworkable and exclusionary', despite last month's Supreme Court ruling that trans women are not women taking effect immediately.
Although Holyrood's authorities made clear that extra gender-neutral toilets would be provided, they claimed the change would 'make trans people feel significantly less welcome at Parliament'.
They said that trans people had been 'using toilets in line with our gender identities across Scotland and the UK for decades'. However, the Scottish Tories pointed out the Supreme Court had found this practice to be unlawful.
Tess White, their shadow equalities minister, said: 'This ridiculous letter shows that trans activists remain in denial about the Supreme Court ruling.
'The Scottish Parliament, like every public body in the country, has a legal obligation to protect women's rights to single-sex spaces. Yet this extremist lobby group is urging them to break the law because it doesn't like it.'
Swathes of public bodies in Scotland, including the Scottish Government, NHS boards and councils, allow biological men self-identifying as women to use female facilities.
Experts have warned these practices will have to be scrapped following the Supreme Court's ruling that the definition of a woman is based on biological sex, and does not include trans women.
First Minister John Swinney has said that they should delay acting on the ruling until the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) publishes official guidance in the summer.
This is despite the EHRC publishing interim advice making clear that access to single-sex facilities in workplaces and public services should be based on biological sex.
The Scottish Parliament's Corporate Body (SPCB) wrote to all MSPs and staff on Thursday stating that access to all single-sex facilities in the Parliament would be determined by biological sex from next week.
A bank of three toilets in the public area of the Parliament is to be designated as a 'gender-neutral facility' that could be used by trans people. In addition, an existing shower and changing facility and a toilet in the non-public part will also be gender-neutral.
Vic Valentine, manager of Scottish Trans, dismissed the Tories' claim that the charity was urging the Parliament to break the law as 'completely disingenuous' and argued it should have waited for the final EHRC guidance.
He said: 'If banning trans women from women's toilets and trans men from men's toilets turns out to be a genuine requirement of the recent Supreme Court judgment once the statutory code of practice is in place, then we do not expect Parliament to ignore or to flout the law.'
'But we do expect parliamentarians to be honest and to show leadership when laws are clearly unjust, and cause harm to groups of people.' He added the Parliament's decision 'will exclude us and segregate us in the heart of Scotland's democracy'.
But Dr Kath Murray, of policy analysts Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, said the activists' letter showed that they thought 'women don't matter and identity trumps everything'.
A Scottish Parliament spokesman said: 'Holyrood provides a wide range of facilities so that it is an inclusive and welcoming space for all.
'The Supreme Court's ruling had immediate effect in law and after careful consideration the SPCB announced interim steps to ensure it fulfils its legal responsibilities. This included taking into account EHRC's interim update to organisations.'