Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has directed public institutions across the UK to begin enforcing a controversial interpretation of the Equality Act that prohibits transgender women from using female-designated lavatories. The instruction follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that defined “sex” within the Equality Act as referring strictly to biological sex.
The move compels universities, hospitals, and other public institutions to implement guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which states that even transgender individuals with Gender Recognition Certificates should be treated according to their sex assigned at birth when it comes to single-sex spaces. As a result, trans women will now be expected to use men’s restrooms, and trans men, women’s restrooms.
The directive has drawn widespread concern from LGBTQ+ advocates and members of the transgender community, who say the policy will increase stigma and lead to harassment and exclusion from essential public services. While the government maintains it is simply enforcing legal clarity, critics argue the effect will be anything but neutral.
“This isn’t just about restrooms. It’s about our ability to move through public life safely and with dignity,” said Leila Ahmed, spokesperson for Trans Equality Now, a UK-based advocacy organization. “What the government is calling ‘clarity’ is being felt by our community as fear.”
In a letter sent to local authorities and NHS trusts, the Department for Equalities urged leaders to act “without delay” to comply with the legal interpretation. Labour insiders say Starmer is seeking to close internal party divisions over gender issues and shore up his position among voters concerned with “sex-based rights.”
But the policy shift has also sparked backlash within the Labour Party. Trans Labour councillor Dylan Tippetts resigned his party membership over the decision, accusing the leadership of turning its back on a vulnerable population for political gain.
“This move sends a message that trans lives are expendable,” Tippetts wrote in his resignation letter. “We’re being sidelined, and for what? A headline? A polling bump?”
Institutions appear divided on how to respond. Some universities and hospitals have paused implementation pending further guidance, citing safety concerns and uncertainty about how to handle nonbinary individuals or staff who have transitioned socially, but not legally. Others are rushing to comply, installing new signage or restricting access to certain facilities altogether.
The EHRC is expected to issue a finalized code of practice later this year, but advocates fear the damage is already being done. Reports have emerged of trans patients being denied access to gender-appropriate facilities during hospital stays and students avoiding restrooms altogether to escape confrontation.
In response, trans-led organizations are stepping up efforts to push for gender-neutral and single-occupancy options as a compromise solution. While such alternatives are legal and supported by many experts, they remain rare, especially outside of metropolitan areas.
“This is not just a legal issue. It’s a human one,” said Dr. Aisha Calloway, a sociologist who studies public space access. “What’s being missed is the emotional toll. We’re telling people they don’t belong, sometimes in the very institutions meant to care for them.”
The fallout from Starmer’s order is likely to grow as summer progresses. Rights groups are preparing challenges in both domestic and international courts, while protests are expected outside Parliament later this month.
For now, trans people across the UK are left to navigate increasingly hostile public spaces, hoping that public empathy will turn the tide before further harm is done.
