We are pleased that, in re-writing it, there has been some recognition of how discriminatory, authoritarian and unworkable the previous draft of the EHRC Code of Practice was. However once again trans people’s fates are being decided behind closed doors without us having any say.
Bridget Phillipson’s claim that the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex in the Equality Act delivered ‘clarity’ is laughable. The ruling a year ago led to mass confusion, inspired disjointed and discriminatory policies, and created a workers rights crisis for trans people by causing trans people to be outed at work, with some prevented from doing their job at all. The ruling and the draft Code of Practice both inspired institutional and vigilante harassment of cis and trans people based on their perceived gender. These are documented in our reports on Trans Segregation in Practice, A Community Living in Fear, and Access to Gendered Spaces.
Whatever happens next, Government must ensure that trans people are able to go to work and be part of our communities without being forced into segregated or unsafe facilities, and we will continue to campaign for that vision of a safe and dignified UK.