2 weeks Ago
Thousands of trans rights protesters have gathered in central London days after the UK's Supreme Court ruled that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition. With unease growing over what the ruling means for the rights of transgender people, protesters came together on Saturday, local time, for what was billed as an "emergency demonstration" in Parliament Square. Activists demanded "trans liberation" and "trans rights now", with some waving flags and holding banners.
The UK's Supreme Court landmark ruling excludes transgender women from the legal definition of a woman. Trans groups are worried that Wednesday's landmark decision will undermine their rights, even though the UK's highest court has said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling meant transgender women would be excluded from women's toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.
"It's a terrifying time to have your rights taken away from you," said 19-year-old transgender woman Sophie Gibbs. "I was disappointed to think that we could live in a society that seems so progressive now but is willing to make such a dangerous and harmful ruling." The British government has said the unanimous decision by the five judges brought "clarity and confidence" for women and service providers.
Out of some 66 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, about 116,000 identified as trans in the latest census count. About 8,500 gender-recognition certificates have been issued. People at the rally in central London demanded "trans liberation" and "trans rights now", with some waving flags and holding banners.
The ruling stemmed from a 2018 law passed by the Scottish Parliament that required at least 50 per cent women on boards of Scottish public bodies. Transgender women with gender-recognition certificates were to be included in meeting the quota. The Supreme Court said that using a certificate to interpret someone's sex would clash with definitions of man and woman and, therefore, the anti-discrimination provisions of the 2010 Equality Act could "only be interpreted as referring to biological sex".
The court upheld an appeal by a campaign group on whether transgender women are legally women under equality legislation. Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said on Saturday that he understood the "hurt and anguish" trans people were feeling over the verdict, while accepting that the ruling must be followed. Many people at Saturday's protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgements diminishing the rights of transgender people.
"It's a Pandora's box situation where I just think we allow certain things and then we essentially opened up the door to allow way more than we ever thought could be accepted or pushed through," Zuleha Oshodi said..
