MORE than 15,000 people have written to their MP urging them to reject the UK equalities watchdog’s draft code of practice on single-sex spaces.
In May, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) draft guidance was laid in the UK Parliament after being repeatedly delayed.
The guidance bans transgender women from using female toilets, changing facilities and sports teams, and transgender men from the male facilities.
It was updated following the Supreme Court ruling in April last year that said a woman is defined by biological sex under the Equality Act 2010.
The guidance has been branded “authoritarian and cruel”, with many arguing it goes beyond the Supreme Court ruling and leaves transgender people with “less rights”.
The guidance states that in relation to the Equality Act, "a person’s sex remains their biological sex, whether they have a GRC [gender recognition certificate] or not".
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, lodged an Early Day Motion (EDM) seeking to have the code “disapproved”, with 131 MPs now backing her bid.
It has support from Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, Green, Plaid Cymru, SDLP, Your Party and independent MPs.
MPs and peers have 40 days to review the draft code, which was laid before Parliament on May 21 by Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson, shortly before Westminster broke off for Whitsun recess.
Philipson did not attend the House of Commons, and instead parliamentary under-secretary of state for equalities Seema Malhotra gave a statement in her stead.
Malhotra was criticised by a trans advocacy group for making an “extraordinarily inflammatory and dangerous” statement on the guidance.
Dr Rebecca Don Kennedy, CEO of Equality Network, said: “There is a palpable strength of feeling that the current situation facing trans people is unjust, inhumane and unconscionable.
“Not only will implementation of the Code as it stands have a devastating impact on trans people, it will negatively impact all people, especially women, who do not conform to expectations of what people supposedly should look or behave like.
“The Code will also have a significant impact on service providers forced to implement guidance that is harmful and unworkable.”
Vic Valentine, manager of Scottish Trans, added: “If services across Britain were run the way this Code describes, it would turn the clock back on trans people’s equality by decades.
“Trans people cannot find ourselves in a situation where we are forced to choose between just two options: use spaces based on our ‘biological sex at birth’ or be totally segregated from others. That is how we used to be treated – and it caused a great deal of harm.
“We welcome the support of MPs for the EDM to reject the code, and the message that it sends. If this is really the way that trans people must be treated following 2025’s UK Supreme Court ruling, then it is clear that the law will have to be changed.”
In response to the surge in support, a UK Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the strength of feeling from Members across the House on this topic, which many expressed during debates on the draft code in the House earlier this month.
“The 40-day laying period for the draft code will give another opportunity for MPs, as well as the public, to make their views heard, and they will be able to continue to raise questions to Ministers in the usual way during this time.”
