Trans Rights in the UK

This wasn't exactly what I had planned to do after I got back from my holiday but since I have a platform I need to help spread the word and ask for your help.

Trans rights in the UK are being dangerously rolled back leaving trans people like myself, and perhaps yourself too, at risk of discrimination, violence, medical neglect and more.

If you're trans or know a trans person, I'm urging you to take the time to read up and understand the following so you can help protect our human rights.

• The Supreme Court Ruling on the definition of a woman in the Equality Act (2010) - 16/04/2025
• The EHRC interim guidance - 25/04/2025 stating trans women must use mens facilities and trans men must use womens facilities. This is in direct violation of GDPR and privacy laws.
• The real life impact of these rulings. These rulings are under the guise of "protecting women" however none of these things will protect women, in fact women are now under greater threat of violence from men. Trans people are now under even more threat of verbal and physical violence.

• • Trans women now have to be strip-searched by male law enforcement. All it takes is for a police officer to say he suspects a woman of being trans to now be able to strip search her and she cannot do anything to protect herself, even if she insists she isn't trans. I don't think I need to remind you of how many womens lives have been taken by the police in the UK in recent history to know this is a VERY real threat.
  • Cis men can now enter womens bathrooms pretending to be to be trans men, as this is where the law says trans men (who often look identical to cis men) should be.
  • This guidance extends to hospitals - trans people cannot be placed on the hospital ward of their assigned gender (regardless of any medical transition they have undergone). It is also seen as inappropriate to have them on the ward of their birth sex, so they must be placed in a "side room" if one is available. Spoiler alert - hospital beds are few and far between, side rooms are rarely available - this will lead to the rejection of treatment of sick trans people needing medical care (including life saving surgeries).
• Amendment of the Data Bill which would force all public bodies (including the NHS and DVLA etc) to revert our gender markers back to our birth sex, even if we have a Gender Recognition Certificate and new birth certificate and look nothing like our birth sex. This would out trans people across the UK and make it impossible for us to live safely.

IMPORTANT (BASIC) THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT TRANS PEOPLE AND GENDER

• You CANNOT tell who is trans just by looking at them. Sure you can with some of us who perhaps haven't been on hormones for long or haven't had any gender affirming surgeries (which, by the way, no one has to do!), or maybe we just don't care if we "pass" because it isn't always the goal. You walk past and share rooms with hundreds of trans people a week and you wouldn't have a bloody clue. Don't believe be? Just google search "trans man" and click on images.
• Not all trans women have a penis but some do.
• Not all trans men have a vagina but some do.
• Non-binary people don't owe anybody androgyny
• Intersex people exist, are as common as red-heads, and are completely ignored and erased in these bills.
• We just wanna be left alone and live our lives in peace like everyone else.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Use this template put together by London Trans Pride to email your local MP and demand they oppose the amendment to the Data Bill
• Use this template to email your local MP about the supreme court ruling to let them know about the impact its having on trans, non-binary and intersex people.
• If you're in Nottingham then encourage small business to take part in Notts Pastel Projects "Your Spaces Too" campaign. This campaign seeks to highlight local business who are proudly protecting trans people from this harmful bills.
• Again, for Nottingham people - encourage small businesses to contact @transsave.venues.notts on instagram who are collating a spreadsheet of local businesses who are proud to support our trans community. You can be an online business too and don't have to have a business premises to take place.
• Nottingham again...support Ziggy in their sticker bombing (with permission) outreach days which are a positivity-focused day to show how many local businesses support trans people and will not be subscribing to the new toilet rules. It also helps create valuable and educational conversation with people who don't know about the issues and encourages them to get involved.

As a disabled person and a trans person living in the UK at the moment, I am EXHAUSTED and FRIGHTENED for my future and the future of my community. These Trump-esque bills are coming in faster and faster and with the threat of Reform UK rising just as quickly...well.. it doesn't look good does it?

We are fighting tooth and nail to keep our human rights and we need the help of our allies.

If you are cisgender (not trans), it's a sad reality that your voice has more impact than ours. PLEASE use a moment of your time and your voice to speak for us. The links to templates to send an email to your MP take literally less than 2 minutes. Do it while you're waiting for the kettle to boil or while you're on the loo - I don't care what you're doing just please do it.

Drop an emoji or something in the comments once you've emailed your MP!

Love,
Riley x