Thousands of trans rights activists have taken to the streets of central London, rallying for an “emergency protest” just days after a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman. Trans rights organisations, unions, and community groups united for what was dubbed an “emergency demonstration” in Parliament Square.
Protesters called for “trans liberation” and immediate “trans rights now”, with many brandishing flags and hoisting banners aloft. On Wednesday, the UK’s apex court issued a pivotal judgment, affirming that the terms “woman” and “sex” within the 2010 Equality Act pertain strictly to biological women and sex.
The verdict allows for the exclusion of transgender women with gender recognition certificates from single-sex spaces if deemed “proportionate”. Government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers, while a Labour Party source said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had brought the party to a “common sense position” on the subject from an “activist” stance.
Protests ongoing around the country
Protests against the Supreme Court’s ruling have taken place across the country today.
Giuliette Alexandria, one of the organisers of a protest in Plymouth said the ruling did not create protection for anyone.
They said: “Trans women face traditional women’s rights issues like unequal pay, sexism in the workplace and harassment on the street,” they said.
“The removal of trans women from the Equality Act means that they will no longer have those protections and they are now at more risk.”
Protest was ‘jubilant’ and ‘angry’
The London protest which took place in London this afternoon was described as “jubilant” and “angry” by a campaigner.
Keyne Walker, strategy director at TransActual, told Sky News: “The mood is jubilant and also angry and also people are anxious… Right now trans people are coming together to demonstrate to the country, and to everybody else, that we’re not going anywhere because we don’t have anywhere to go…
“Queer people have been through worse than this before, and… we’ll suffer through whatever is to come in the next few years.”
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Statues daubed with graffiti
Supporters, trade unions and community organisations came together for what was billed as an “emergency demonstration” which started in Parliament Square before heading towards St James’s Park.
Activists demanded “trans liberation” and “trans rights now”, with some waving flags and holding banners which read “No feminism without trans women” and “Biology is not binary”.
At least two statues in Parliament Square were daubed with graffiti during the rally, with “fag rights” and a heart painted on the banner held by suffragette Millicent Fawcett, and “trans rights are human rights” sprayed on the pedestal bearing a memorial to South African military leader and statesman Jan Christian Smuts.
(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Speakers from across the Labour movement expected
Speakers from across the labour movement and trans activist networks are expected to address the crowd at the London demonstration.
A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), who were named among the protest’s supporters, said: “We have not authorised the use of our logo on any materials relating to this demonstration and we have not taken any position on this event.
“RMT supports the Equality Act which provides protections for women and trans people facing discrimination and we have a proud history of fighting all forms of oppression both in Britain and internationally.”
Protest organised to ‘put pressure’ on the government
Avery Greatorex, co-chair of Pride in Labour, told the PA news agency: “Not a single trans person or trans organisation was represented in that case, and so we weren’t given an opportunity to have a seat at the table, which is obviously a very concerning thing for our community when decisions are being made without us.
“So the protest was organised to put pressure on the Government, on the public to act.
“To be able to secure the rights of transgender people and to secure those protections, we need legislative power and we need lobbying power.”
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Trans activist: ‘We will continue to fight’
A spokesperson for Trans Kids Deserve Better said: “The transmisogyny that led to this court ruling is unacceptable.
“Though this ruling has brought another wave of fear to the trans community, we will continue to fight for our rights and freedoms.
“When you attack trans women you attack all trans people and all women. Our rights do not oppose each other, they go hand in hand, and we will keep fighting until we’re all free.”
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Trans group: ruling ‘legitimises the hate movement’
Activist group Resisting Transphobia, who is organising a similar protest in Edingburgh said: “The case is a sham that legitimises the hate movement to force trans people out of public life, and is an attack on everyone’s freedom and autonomy”.
The government says ruling brings ‘clarity and confidence’
The Government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers, while a Labour Party source said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had brought the party to a “common sense position” on the subject from an “activist” stance.
The ruling means trans women cannot use single-sex female toilets, changing rooms or compete in women’s sports, according to the head of Britain’s equalities watchdog.
Scotland’s First Minister ‘understands’ the ‘hurt and anguish’
Scotland’s First Minister has said he “understands” the “hurt and anguish” trans people are feeling over the UK Supreme Court verdict on the definition of a woman.
John Swinney said that he fully accepted the court’s judgement but also recognised the pain it has caused.
Speaking while campaigning for the SNP’s candidate in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, the SNP leader said the verdict must be followed.
He told the PA news agency: “Now, of course, there will be many, many people who feel very hurt by the decision that’s been taken by the Supreme Court.
“I understand that hurt and that anguish, and in my reaction to the Supreme Court judgement I’ve said two things: Firstly, that I accept the judgement of the Supreme Court because I believe in the rule of law, but secondly that I believe in the protection of the rights of everybody within our society.
“The Supreme Court made it abundantly clear that it was vital that the existing legal instruments that are in place to protect the rights of trans people continue to operate.”
Judge Lord Hodge said that the ruling should not be seen as a triumph for either side of the debate and stressed that existing law still gives trans people protection against discrimination.
‘F**k JK Rowling
Hundreds of protesters can be seen chanting about the Harry Potter author, an outspoken critic of the trans movement.
The Scottish writer is one of the most outspoken figureson the perceived dangers of trans women in women’s only spaces such as bathrooms and domestic abuse shelters.
She drew the ire of trans activists with a tweet in light of the legal ruling which said “I love it when a plan comes together” as she smoked a cigar.
Protesters call for trans rights
Thousands of protesters have descended on Parliament, with signs stating “You can’t legislate us out of existence”.
Many believe that the Supreme Court’s ruling denies trans people the ability to fully transition by banning them from having the same rights as people born into the gender they are transitioning into.
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(Image: Getty)
Protest a defining culture wars issue
The issue of trans rights has become one of the cornerstones of the so-called culture wars in recent years.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act has implications for the use of same-sex spaces such as toilets and the participation of trans people in sport.
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Protest sees trans group unite
The protest in London sees several trans activist groups come together including Trans Kids Deserve Better, Pride in Labour, the Front for the Liberation of Intersex Non-binary and Transgender people (Flint) and TransActual.
Similar protests are also being held in Edinburgh and Brighton.
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Thousands gather to protest the Supreme Court ruling
Thousands have gathered in Westminster to protest the Supreme Court ruling that stated that the definition of “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act refers “to a biological woman and biological sex”.
The ruling has divided views sharply, with some describing it as a “victory for common sense” while others warning that it represented a backward step for the trans movement.
(Image: Getty)
