This week’s ruling changes the landscape entirely.
In an unexpected move that has caught the legal and LGBTQIA sector by complete surprise, the UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Equality Act’s definition of women does not include trans women.
In an instant, this ruling took away some of the rights Trans people have. Worse, it writes a blank cheque for anti-trans activists, politicians and the media to further perpetuate a scientific falsehood, because the UK’s highest court has further established it as law.
The court’s ruling defines sex as binary. It simply is not. Though it isn’t new for this falsehood to be stated in law, a court ruling reiterating it at such a high level – is significant.
Intersex variations are naturally occurring biological variations in sexual characteristics that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female – there are over 30 medical terms that define these. But critically, every intersex person is different.
There are thousands, if not millions, of different combinations of sex characteristics that determine someone’s sex. That is far from binary.
Critically in just 3 days it has been spun as a victory against Trans people – and ‘for women’.
But its impact is anything but that. It creates a foundation for the UK to get wrapped up in a debate which will increasingly narrow what any woman can and should look like, wear, act or be able to do.
This ruling is one of the largest victories for the patriarchy I’ve seen in my lifetime. It’s happened thanks to a fringe, radicalised group, fronted by women and delivered thanks to men: the group’s lawyers, supporters, and (beyond JK Rowling) its funders too.
Thoughts
Every transgender person. man or woman, is scared on where this will lead.
I posted this on Bluesky recently, I now know what the Jews during the 1930’s felt like in Germany, and what the Black Americans felt like and still do in some respect.
We are hurting, but the fight back starts NOW
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