From Donald Trump's anti-abortion agenda, to the creeping spread of the far-right in the US and across Europe, it's never been harder to be a woman. But this week, my thoughts are with trans women specifically, following a Supreme Court ruling that effectively outlaws and excludes them from all public spaces in Britain.
The Court, which shockingly ruled that trans women are not legally 'women' under the Equality Act, failed to hear from any trans women at all – yet saw fit to make a ruling that will, in the words of trans writer Diana Thomas, put their very lives at stake. In preventing trans women from using public toilets and changing rooms (as well as many other areas of everyday British life), it puts them at direct risk of abuse and assault – and worse. Trans women are already the most marginalised and vulnerable members of British society. This ruling threatens their very existence – and if you don't think it matters to you, think again. This will affect us all.
Not only does it set a precedent for a row-back on the rights of the wider LGBT+ community thanks to a movement funded by the far-right in America, it also –
as my colleague Kat Brown pointed out – means that any woman who doesn't resemble some mythical feminine ideal also risks being challenged in loos and changing rooms – and indeed, this has already happened to Kat (she stands at a statuesque 6'1).
Those who seek to take away others' rights often do it out of fear. Many of those who celebrated the ruling yesterday have never even talked to a trans woman, let alone listened to their story. If you haven't, I urge you to read Diana's piece – as well as this breakdown of the ruling by Robin Moira White, who was the first barrister to transition from male to female in practice at the employment and discrimination bar in 2011. She unpicks how it could be enforced – and what it means for prisons, schools and hospitals. And if you think the ruling was justified simply because it was enshrined in law, read this piece by Jolyon Maugham KC: he explains that the Supreme Court had a choice – and they made the wrong one.
The Supreme Court ruling is not the only news this week that feels completely antithetical to our core British values of tolerance, diversity and inclusion. In our exclusive news story, political editor David Maddox spoke to a source close to the US vice president JD Vance, who's reportedly considering giving Keir Starmer an ultimatum: get rid of Britain's 'hate speech' laws, LGBT+ protections and repeal the online safety act – and you can have a trade deal.
Do take time to look at social media platform WeAre8 CEO Zoe Kalar's insightful piece on how often 'hate speech' is conflated with 'free speech' – and read our editorial, which says (cutting to the chase): the Trump administration should mind its own business. Veteran campaigner and activist Peter Tatchell puts it even more bluntly: Britain must not trade away its values for a deal with Trump.
Until next time...
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