Hundreds of transgender individuals and allies descended on Westminster on Wednesday, 25 June, in a landmark show of unity and political action, urging MPs to defend trans rights amidst controversial proposed changes to UK equality laws.
Organised by the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance as part of its “Unite for Trans Rights” campaign, the mass lobby saw an estimated 900 participants meet with their MPs to voice opposition to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) planned amendments to guidance on single-sex spaces. These changes follow an April Supreme Court ruling that defined “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act strictly in biological terms, excluding transgender individuals from that definition.
This reinterpretation has led the EHRC to draft guidance that could exclude trans men and women from facilities aligned with their gender identity, and in some cases, even from those that match their biological sex. Despite criticism, the EHRC initially set a brief two-week consultation period, later extended to six weeks under public pressure, ending on 30 June.
The turnout was so significant that queues to enter Parliament stretched alongside the Palace of Westminster. While official numbers have not been confirmed, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance founder Jude Guaitamacchi noted that 1,400 had registered, and suggested the lobby might have set a record comparable to past protests against Section 28.
Guaitamacchi said: “We achieved exactly what we set out to do… to challenge the EHRC draft guidance, with the hope [MPs] speak up for the trans community and stop it becoming law.” They warned of “devastating impacts” if the changes are enacted, emphasising that the mass turnout was a symbol of hope, unity, and resistance.
The event came just one day after Westminster introduced new toilet policies requiring members of the public to use facilities that correspond to their biological sex or opt for gender-neutral toilets. This change echoes similar measures in the Scottish parliament and intensified calls for protest.
“The change gave us even more of a reason to turn up today,” Guaitamacchi said. “It is in violation of trans people’s human rights… We need [MPs] to speak up on our behalf.”
Guaitamacchi added: “There is a movement that is seeking to push trans people out of public life… but they won’t be successful. We’re not going anywhere, they can’t erase us.”
Musician Kate Nash was among those who met with MPs, standing in solidarity with the community.
Speaking ahead of the event, Guaitamacchi highlighted the broader implications of the EHRC proposals, which they said could create a climate of surveillance and discrimination: “The EHRC’s proposals would force workers in shops and pubs to become ‘gender police’… It’s unworkable, dangerous, and reveals why the LGBT+ community has no confidence in the EHRC’s leadership.”
