Hundreds of people gathered in over 20 UK cities, including Sheffield, this weekend, to show solidarity with the transgender community after the Supreme Court ruled the definition of a woman refers to biological sex.
Lexi S, 21, a transwoman, who attended the Bite Back 4 Trans Rights march on Saturday, expressed the trans community has never had equality and even more so now after the court’s judgement on 16 April.
The Supreme Court ruled under the Equality Act 2010 the definition of a woman refers only to biological sex and did not include transgender women, even those who hold a gender recognition certificate.
Lexi believes this ruling is dangerous, particularly for transwomen, who will now have to use bathrooms that do not align with their gender identity.
The ruling also means that trans people will be assigned to hospital wards and prisons that coincide with their biological sex and not their gender identity.
She said: “It means people will make our lives miserable, it means being told we are somehow lesser.”
This morning the leader of the Conservative party, Kemi Badenoch, suggested transgender people should use disabled toilets following the court’s decision.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has backed the court’s ruling and even welcomed it despite in 2021 advocating his party was committed to updating the Gender Recognition Act so trans people would be able to self identify.
Organiser of the march and Sheffield student, Carys Mcloughlin,19, stated she was “disgusted” by Starmer’s response to the ruling considering he had championed the trans community prior to the judgement.
She said: “People who have voted have been deceived and it’s not right. None of this right.”
CEO of a Sheffield and South Yorkshire LGBTQ+ charity, SAYiT, Nicola Fearnley- Hill, 44, expressed her disappointment for the ruling and uncertainty of the ramifications the judgement holds.
She said: “It is obviously going to massively impact mental health and people’s identity. I fear that hate crimes towards this minority group of people will rise.
“Our main focus is to continue to provide a safe space for our LGBTQ+ community, helping them to protect their mental health and to navigate this volatile and politically charged climate.”
Over 20 protests have taken place this weekend alone, with the BBC reporting activists in Birmingham were met with physical abuse and even being spat on.
Advocators for trans rights were also met with verbal abuse and attacks in Sheffield despite conducting a peaceful protest.
Lexi added: “The amount of protests across the UK means there is anger, it means people want a solution, it means people want to fight for their rights and hopefully it will bring real change.”
