Four of the biggest Pride organisations in the UK have banned all political parties, including Labour, from participating in their marches and events this year. The decision comes after the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that stated that trans women do not qualify for sex-based protections under the 2010 Equality Act.
Delivered on April 16 this year, the ruling stated that the legal definition of ‘woman’ under the Equality Act 2010 does not include trans women who hold gender recognition certificates (GRCs). With this decision, the court established that trans women do not qualify for sex-based protections under the Act.
The ruling caused widespread outrage both in the UK and abroad, with activists condemning the court’s decision and highlighting its real-life repercussions on trans women. Instead, the UK government stated that the ruling brought “clarity and confidence” on how to run hospitals, sports clubs and women’s refuges.
In a joint statement, Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester Prides announced that all UK political parties wouldn’t be allowed to attend their events until they demonstrated a “tangible commitment to trans rights”.
The statement reads: “As the organisers of the UK’s largest Pride events in Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester, we come together today in unequivocal solidarity with our trans community.
“We are united not only in message, but in purpose. At a time when trans rights in the UK are under growing attack, our resolve has never been stronger: we will not allow progress to be undone.
“We will not stand by as the dignity, safety and humanity of our trans siblings are debated, delayed or denied.”
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The organisers added: “We need every political party to stand unequivocally with every member of the LGBTQ+ community, and to centre the voices of trans people in policy, practice and public life.”
Pressures on the UK government to make a commitment to protect the rights of the trans community are mounting. 14 UK LGBTQ+ charities, including Stonewall and Scottish Trans, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the “genuine crisis for the rights, dignity and inclusion of trans people in the UK” in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
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