Spectra are deeply concerned today about the UK Supreme Court ruling around the sex definition in the Equality Act 2010. The judgement said: “The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. But we counsel against reading this judgement as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another, it is not.”
There is a lot of fear and confusion for trans and gender-diverse communities right now about what this judgment means. We want to remind our service users that we are here for you, and that together with other leaders in the LGBTQ+ sector, we will be working to interpret the judgement. In the meantime, we will provide information and guidance when we can around how this judgement will affect gender-diverse people’s lives on a practical level.
There will be many things written about this judgement in the press as people try to understand the situation, but not all of it will be clear or accurate. One thing is for sure; the judgement won’t stop us as trans, non-binary, intersex and gender diverse people from living our lives and gaining support from each other and our allies.
Our peer-led gender-diverse services are here to help and support you and we must remember that we have legal rights under the Equality Act 2010 against discrimination, under the protected characteristic of gender reassignment that were not taken away today. If you’re looking for connection or community during this time, our health advocacy, counselling, peer mentoring, and trans and non-binary social groups continue to run as safe, inclusive spaces for peer connection.
Further help and support outside Spectra:
For those over 18: Switchboard LGBTQIA+ support-line: 0800 011 9100, Open 10am to 10pm every day
For those under 18: Text MERMAIDS: 85258 for 24/7 mental health support from Shout.