This decision represents a significant attack against the trans community, the wider LGBTQ+ community, and women’s rights in the UK. Pride in STEM stands proudly with our trans and non-binary siblings in the face of increased hostility and aggression from the far-right, the transphobic media, and government ministers.
As scientists, we know that there is nothing scientific about “biological sex”. We know that sex is complex and multi-faceted, and cannot be contained within legal definitions of the words “man” and “woman”, which reduce women to their ability to bear children and relegate trans people to the margins of society.
We encourage all service providers and organisations to stand by their principles and make good on their promises to keep trans and non-binary people safe. Trans women ARE women, trans men ARE men, and non-binary people deserve to be recognised. No judgment can deny these facts or impose an identity on any person.
The EHRC has since produced new draft guidance, which is a bigoted attempt to segregate trans people in public spaces. Pride in STEM supports challenges such as those made by the Good Law Project, to this guidance being unlawful under the Human Rights Act and European Human Rights Law. This was a predictable outcome and is a serious case of political overreach by the Conservative-appointed and Labour-reappointed head of the EHRC, Baroness Falkner. In doing so, she has further damaged the organisation’s credibility to push anti-trans prejudice.
This new guidance is not statutory and has no force of law. There remains no legal requirement to force trans people to out themselves in public to use single-sex spaces, no obligation to exclude trans people from those spaces, and we will continue our work to ensure that all people, regardless of sex, gender, or sexuality, are able to live their lives to the fullest.
In a world filled with so many crucial challenges to humanity, transphobia is not just sad and anger-inducing. The demonisation and targeting of vulnerable minorities is simply pathetic.