One year ago today, the UK Supreme Court made a historic ruling stating that the terms “woman” and “man” in the Equality Act should be defined based on “biological sex” alone. This decision came after For Women Scotland, a ‘gender critical’ volunteer organization, challenged the Scottish Government’s use of the term ‘woman.’
The judgment by Lord Hodge, Lady Rose, and Lady Simler, supported by other Justices, unanimously clarified that the term ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 pertains to biological sex.
Following the ruling, concerns were raised by trans activists and charities about potential negative impacts on the trans community. A recent report, the 2025 Trans Segregation in Practice, highlights testimonies from individuals, both cisgender and transgender, who feel excluded from society compared to just four months ago.
According to the report, approximately 53% of trans respondents and 17% of cisgender respondents in the UK reported instances of being stopped, questioned, or harassed when entering gendered spaces throughout their adult lives.
Reflecting on the ruling’s anniversary, Helen Belcher, director at TransActual, emphasized the significant disruption it caused to the lives of tens of thousands of trans individuals. She expressed concerns about the lack of clarity regarding where trans and gender non-conforming people can perform basic activities in public spaces, leading to a sense of insecurity within British society and workplaces.
In response to the ruling, Not In Our Name (NION) was established to counter narratives suggesting the ruling favored cisgender women. NION advocates for the acceptance and inclusion of transgender individuals and rejects the discrimination against them in the name of cisgender women.
The NION open letter, denouncing the exclusion of trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, has garnered nearly 100,000 signatures and received support from influential figures, including Carla Denyer MP, Kate Nash, and David Tennant.
For women who align with this perspective and wish to show support for the trans+ community, they are encouraged to sign the Not In Our Name letter.
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