Transgenders take streets of London to protest recent UK Supreme Court decision

(MENAFN) Thousands of transgender individuals and their supporters took to the streets of London to protest a recent UK Supreme Court decision that defines a woman, under the Equality Act, strictly by biological sex. The ruling effectively excludes transgender individuals — even those with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) — from certain legal protections afforded by the 2010 anti-discrimination law.

Demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday, carrying placards with slogans like “Trans women are women” and condemning the court’s decision as discriminatory and “transphobic.” Police reported that seven statues, including one honoring feminist and suffragist Millicent Fawcett, were vandalized during the protest.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the acts of vandalism “disgraceful,” especially as they targeted historical figures known for fighting for justice, such as Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. A spokesperson for Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson also strongly condemned the defacement of Fawcett’s statue.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday, clarified that under the Equality Act, the terms “woman” and “sex” should be interpreted based on biological sex, not legal gender reassignment through certification. The court said that defining sex as something other than biological would undermine the law’s internal consistency.

The case was brought by the conservative group For Women Scotland, whose co-founder Susan Smith welcomed the ruling, stating that it affirms the reality of biological sex and ensures that spaces and services reserved for women remain exclusive to them.

However, LGBTQ+ organizations, including advocacy group Stonewall, criticized the decision, warning that it could have serious negative consequences for the transgender community.

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