25/04/2025
I can’t put into words how angry and frustrated I am at the Supreme Court ruling — and even more so at the lack of clarity from the government.
Trans people make up just 0.5% of the UK population. Most people will never knowingly meet a trans person in their life — and even if they do, they may not realise it.
The Supreme Court ruling was said to aim at protecting women’s safety in single-sex spaces. However, I fail to see how this has been achieved. The Court gave no real clarity, and as predicted, the ruling has been widely misinterpreted by the media, politicians, and the general public.
Essentially, the ruling stated that the definition of a woman does not have one fixed legal meaning. It can include trans women, depending on the context and purpose of the law. Unfortunately, due to the lack of clear communication, it’s been misunderstood — and in many cases, weaponised.
Women are now at greater risk in single-sex spaces — not from trans people, but from public perception. For example, a masculine-presenting woman is now more at risk of being publicly humiliated or asked to leave a single-sex space. Given how volatile public opinion is, this kind of confrontation could easily escalate into violence.
Looking at all single-sex spaces — toilets, changing rooms, hospital wards, or prisons — it’s trans people who are statistically at higher risk of physical and sexual assault in all of them.
There is a disproportionate media focus on a tiny minority. This year alone, over 3,000 news articles have been published targeting trans people — with 90% of them aimed at trans women.
What’s even scarier is that the UK is facing pressure from the US — specifically, from some in the American administration — who are threatening to withhold trade deals unless protections for LGBTQ+ people are removed. What they’re asking to be removed would harm more than just LGBTQ+ people — it threatens basic human rights for everyone.
Hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise — not just against trans people, but against the whole LGBTQ+ community. People hide behind the banner of “free speech,” but freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences — whether those consequences are legal, or simply being ostracised by society for hate and bigotry.
For years, some heterosexual people have asked, “Why do we still need Pride?” The answer is this: Pride isn’t just a party. It’s a peaceful protest. It’s a message to our local communities, our governments, and the world, that LGBTQ+ people deserve equal rights and freedom from discrimination.
And Pride isn’t just for the LGBTQ+ community. The “plus” is also for our allies — people who believe in the values of freedom, dignity, and the right to live without fear or discrimination.
Trans people do not threaten the existence of women. Trans people are not a threat to women’s safety. Trans people are not the biggest risk to women.
If only more energy were focused on the real threats to women — such as access to healthcare, and the shocking rates of unconvicted r**e, sexual assault, and domestic abuse — then maybe the world would be a safer place for all of us.
