‘This is just fuelling more hatred’: UCL students speak out after Supreme Court trans ruling

UCL students have spoken out following the recent Supreme Court trans ruling,

The ruling came after a legal battle between the Scottish Government and campaign group For Women Scotland, during which  the Supreme Court was asked to provide clarification on the definitions of sex and gender in the 2010 Equality Act to determine whether transgender women were legally permitted to use women-only spaces.

However, since the case, many students have spoken out in anger from across the UK, including UCL, about the decision.

Speaking to The London Tab, president of UCL’s Gender and Feminism Society Amala Sangha said: “The recent Supreme Court decision marks yet another disappointing step back in the fight for equality and respect for the trans community. Despite what the Justices might say, it is clear that for many, this ruling was seen as a “win” for persecuting a small, vilified group.

“It is entirely unclear how this ruling will play out in practical terms without resorting to reductive gender stereotypes about what it means to be or look like a woman.

“All in all, this decision does nothing to address the root cause of the misogyny women are subjected to on epidemic-levels in this country: Cis-male violence and intimidation. Cis-male predators have never needed “women’s spaces” as an invitation to violate women’s rights, and any argument to the contrary is a transphobic dog-whistle.

“We would ask that the university body and other institutions in power make sure that they are genuinely including the trans community’s voice and opinions before proceeding with any changes following this decision.”

UCL’s LGBTQ+ officer Danilo Paganelli added: “We are horrified at the Supreme Court’s ruling and the continued transphobia shown by the UK government.

Most Read

Paul is apparently dating someone after MAFS Australia and erm, you might recognise her

A deep dive into Carina Mirabile’s many, many attempts at fame before MAFS Australia

The creepy real reason Netflix removed this Black Mirror episode over the weekend

“This is just fuelling more hatred and making the UK a more dangerous place. We hope that the government will change their position and aim to protect trans rights.”

However, policies on gender-based discrimination at UCL and other universities have been questioned since the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.

Most UK universities previously based their gender policy on guidance released in 2022 by Advance HE, a charity organisation which deals with inequalities in higher education, which includes a foreword co-authored by then-president and provost of UCL Michael Arthur.

The guidance states that “trans people should be allowed to use single-sex toilets and changing facilities appropriate to their self-identified gender” and it is “not acceptable to restrict a trans person to using disabled toilets or gender-neutral facilities”, adding that failure to meet these standards would be “unlawful”.

via Unsplash

Since the ruling, this guidance has been questioned by gender-critical university staff.

Speaking to Times Higher Education, UCL sociology professor Alice Sullivan said that an overhaul of university policy was needed: “Gender self-identification is ubiquitous in university policies and practices, and institutional discrimination against staff and students, simply for believing that sex is a real and important characteristic, is rife.

“Sex has always been a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, this judgment means that universities will finally be forced to recognise this.”

In a note added to its guidance page, Advance HE has stated that “the judgment brings clarity to the definitions while reiterating the protections for trans students and staff, with or without a GRC.

“We are currently reviewing guidance materials, including this guidance, to address any changes required as a result of the judgment.”

With huge protests against the ruling breaking out across the country, pressure is mounting on universities to clarify their gender policies. In a statement released on the 25th April, UCL claimed to be “working, in common with other universities, to try to establish clarity about what this means.” 

The statement goes on to affirm that “the legal provisions related to those who hold the protected characteristic of gender reassignment have not changed, and harassment, discrimination or victimisation on the basis of that, or any other protected characteristic, remain unlawful.

“Reflecting our long tradition of safeguarding freedom of speech and academic freedom, we also remain committed to strongly upholding the right of our academic colleagues to engage in debate and to exercise their academic freedom of enquiry. 

“These core principles of inclusion, pluralism and academic freedom are at the heart of UCL’s identity and culture. This will not change as a result of this judgment.”

If you have been affected by recent news and need support, take a look at this resource list for trans and non-binary people from the Terrence Higgins Trust. 

Featured image via Unsplash