Transgender women are set to be barred from female bathrooms and sport, an equality chief said today – as lawyers suggested they could be asked to use disabled bathrooms at work.
The Supreme Court’s ruling that the definition of a woman in equality law is based on biological sex means trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if ‘proportionate’.
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner has described yesterday’s ruling as ‘enormously consequential’ and she vowed to pursue organisations which do not update their policies.
On issues such as toilets, changing rooms and sports, Baroness Falkner echoed the Government in saying the ruling had brought ‘clarity’ to providers on their duties under equality law around single-sex spaces.
Asked if it was now simple that trans women cannot take part in women’s sport, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Yes, it is.’
On changing rooms and toilets, Baroness Falkner said: ‘Single-sex services like changing rooms must be based on biological sex.’
