Equality watchdog issues new rules on biological-sex based single-sex facilities

A new code issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission is now in force throughout England, Wales and Scotland, stipulating that publicly accessible single-sex spaces be organized on the basis of biological sex. Under the guidance, transgender people must either use gender-neutral facilities or those that correspond to their sex at birth, meaning a trans woman would be barred from women-only areas and a trans man from men-only areas.

The rule applies to a wide range of settings, from gyms and public toilets to rape-crisis centres and domestic-violence shelters. It follows a UK Supreme Court decision that clarified "sex" in the Equality Act refers to biological sex, prompting both support from sex-based rights advocates and opposition from trans-rights activists who say the policy is impractical and exclusionary. Groups such as the Women's Institute and Girl Guiding have already adjusted membership rules to align with the code. Legal challenges are expected from both sides of the debate as the guidance is implemented.