Trans segregation in practice:

Experiences of trans segregation following the Supreme Court ruling

Click here to download your copy of the trans segregation report.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court argued that there were no real winners or losers from its judgment. Evidence since is that this was simply untrue. For it is becoming increasingly clear that their ruling has already begun to exclude trans people from society.

Trans segregation has begun.

This report showcases testimonies from individuals, both cis and trans, who now find themselves being exiled from a life they knew and felt safe within just four short months ago.

It documents just some of the ways that trans people face increased discrimination in the wake of the ruling and the publication of the draft EHRC guidance.

Report summary

Harassed for doing what you’re told. People (both trans and cis) trying to follow the guidance given to them are prevented from doing so or experience harassment and threats of violence as a result of being ‘in the wrong bathroom’.
Threatened for doing your best. Trans and cis people continuing to use the spaces they belong in have faced harassment and threats of violence from both venue staff and vigilante toilet police, including men coming into the women’s bathroom in order to harass someone they suspect is trans.
Bad for non-conforming women and intersex people. Many butch cis lesbians and intersex people in particular reported increased instances of harassment and exclusion due to not “looking like a woman.”

A stark choice: mental health and dignity vs. livelihood. Many people report being excluded and bullied out of workplaces, being forced to choose between their mental health and dignity or their livelihood, and fearing for their ability to support themselves
Outed by insensitive employers. People also report being outed by having to stop or start using different bathrooms or by HR staff who are communicating changes in policies in targeted ways.
Excluded from previous safe spaces. Trans people report being suddenly excluded from social spaces and clubs which have been safe previously, and now avoiding going out or only going to places confirmed as trans inclusive.
Bullies empowered. The changes are reported as empowering bullies who are already engaged in campaigns of harassment against trans people.

Invasive questions. In both workplaces and otherwise, people were asked invasive questions about genitals, asked to produce Gender Recognition Certificates.
Jumping to exclusions. Exclusion was frequently justified based on people’s perceptions of whether the trans person passed or based on what genital configuration they had; “you can’t use this until you are post-op.”
Creating issues for those who don’t hate trans people. There were several reports of reluctant enforcement in venues and workplaces from people and organisations who recognise the harm of trans segregation and disagree with the policy but don’t want to incur legal risk.
Nowhere to go anyway. Many reports highlighted the lack of the ‘third spaces’ such as unisex or disabled bathrooms which guidance insists trans people should use.

Spotlight on segregation

Every story is deeply concerning. Download the full report to understand the awfulness. The following selection represents the range of impacts reported to us as a result of trans segregation.

…As I entered a woman with two children under 10 were walking towards me.

“The woman said ‘You’re not allowed in here. I swore at her and continued walking past her. I think she said some more things but my hearing isn’t great and I was moving away from her.

“I am a cisgender butch lesbian. I currently sport a short haircut that some would define as masculine and I wear masculine clothing.”

ABLE-BODIED, CISGENDER, BUTCH LESBIAN WHO FACED ISSUES IN PUBLIC TOILETS IN ENGLAND.

…that I’m no longer allowed to use the men’s changing room (as a trans man).

“Also that I’m not allowed to use the women’s changing room. I would only be allowed to use the family changing room, but as I don’t have kids, this would make me feel uncomfortable
and I also feel it makes me look like a creep.

“It made me feel like I’m being segregated and pushed out of a space based on my gender and trans status.

“I don’t feel welcome at the gym. I feel like they are saying I am not a real man because I am trans. I felt like they are claiming that I’m some kind of threat to people, or that by me changing in my gender’s changing room I would somehow offend or upset other people .

“After that, I no longer wanted
to use the space.”

TRANS MAN WHO FACED ISSUES AT A GYM, SPORTS CENTRE OR HEALTH CLUB IN ENGLAND.

…that they are following the recent interim guidelines, which don’t allow transgender people to use the toilets of their gender, and they would instead be modifying two cubicle toilets on the other side of the building into gender neutral toilets for transgender people to use instead.

“These toilets are about a 5 minute walk away from my
desk, despite there being perfectly fine toilets in my
work area. I am only out to a few people, and so this
change will forcibly out me to the rest of the workforce,
violating my privacy and putting me at risk of
harassment from those who are transphobic.

“It made me feel absolutely humiliated, degraded,
violated and dehumanised.”

WHITE TRANS WOMAN WHO FACED ISSUES
AT WORK IN WALES.

She is a cis-female who wears her hair short and was challenged by a security guard on leaving the ladies toilet, who told her she shouldn’t have been in there.

She was utterly embarrassed, although the
security guard apologised to her, I cannot comprehend what he thought he was
doing.”

PARENT OF A CIS-FEMALE WHO FACED ISSUES AT AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE IN SCOTLAND.

…to female lounge because of being transgender.

“I felt upset, alienated and othered.

“I was invited by other women patients to take part in a spa evening, but I was unable to join them because the hospital directors would not allow me to be in a female space.

“The patients were upset and outraged on my behalf, they felt it was unjust.

“I felt like a hole had opened up, that I was a freak and not right for society.”

TRANS WOMAN WHO FACED ISSUES WITH A
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN ENGLAND.

…and finally told I’m disgusting and that hopefully this will
teach me to use the right loos in the future.

“I felt angry, anxious, attacked.”

CIS WHITE WOMAN WITH PCOS (POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME) WHO FACED ISSUES IN PUBLIC TOILETS IN ENGLAND.

…of the changing rooms in the women’s clothing section. I was wearing feminine clothes and carrying items from the women’s section to try on.

“A staff member approached me as I headed towards the
changing area, stopped me and said I should use the men’s changing rooms, while looking me up and down.

“This was despite my wife going into the same changing area a few minutes before. Another woman went in with no question a few moments later.

“There was no issue with the changing area which is made up of locking individual cubicles. I was upset and humiliated.
I was so shocked by being singled out in this way that I didn’t have the confidence to question the staff member in the moment as I was worried I was going to cry.”

WHITE, NEURODIVERGENT TRANS WOMAN WHO FACED ISSUES IN A SHOP OR SHOPPING CENTRE IN ENGLAND.

Click here to download your copy of the trans segregation report.

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NOTE: a hardcopy version of this report will be released in due course that you may purchase for your library or academic institution. Email press@transactual.org.uk for details.

Last updated:

28 August 2025