5 harmful legislation affecting the trans community in the UK

1. Supreme Court ruling on sex in the Equality Act 2010

For Women Scotland celebrating after the Supreme Court ruling.

(Image: Getty Images)

There is no doubt that the Supreme Court ruling has had a massive impact on the transgender community. From the removal of their identities to them being segregated to bathrooms that don’t fit their identities.

One reddit user said: “What has been done and what is currently being done cannot, with accurate information and sincerity, be interpreted as unintentional. The media- and political classes in the UK want trans people gone, either dead or completely closeted and repressed.”

For Women Scotland sued Scottish Ministers for the definition and brought it up to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 (EA) referred to biological sex.

Following the ruling around 72 hours after, the British Transport Police (BTP) set out guidelines that if they suspect someone is a transgender woman, they would be searched by a male officer.

2. Equality and Human Rights Commission interim guidance

Activists scaled the ledge of the EHRC offices in Glasgow

(image: Trans Kids Deserve Better Scotland)

Another negative repercussion of the Supreme Court ruling was interim guidance set out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

The guidance said: “trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s facilities, as this will mean that they are no longer single-sex facilities and must be open to all users of the opposite sex.

“In some circumstances the law also allows trans women (biological men) not to be permitted to use the men’s facilities, and trans men (biological woman) not to be permitted to use the women’s facilities”

There was a lot of pushbacks from trans rights activists, namely, Trans Kids Deserve Better (TKDB) who occupied their offices both in Glasgow and London. The protest in Glasgow lead to three activists aged 17 being arrested.

Sylv (not their real name), 17, TKDB activist, said: “With a government that doesn’t listen to the experiences of the marginalised groups their policies effect, how can they say that they are ‘for the people’?”

3. The Cass Review

Dr Hilary Cass with a digital PDF of The Cass Review

(Image: PA)

Something that has impacted transgender rights, especially in under 18’s is The Cass Review. It was an “Independent review of Gender Identity clinics for Children and Young people” written by Dr Hilary Cass.

The review was widely criticised, by the British Medical Association (BMA) and LGBTQ+ charities such as LGBT Youth Scotland and TransActual.

While the Cass review said that Children and Young people should try a holistic approach before medical, which in turn lead to the ban on puberty blockers for under 18’s.

A study by van der Miesen on transgender adolescents before and after gender affirming care found that before getting medical treatment, adolescents showed more internalising problems and reported increased self-harm and suicidality as well as poorer peer relations.

4. Ban on puberty blockers for under 18’s

Wes Streeting, Cabinet Sec for Health and Social Care

(Image: Getty Images)

There is no doubt, this is one of the most harmful legislations against trans kids in the UK. Following The Cass Review, the Conservative government put in place a temporary ban on puberty blockers for trans kids under 18. In December 2024, the newly elected Labour government made that ban indefinite with a review being held in 2027.

Despite Wes Streeting, Secretary for Health and Social Care, said the review provided insight into the “dangers” of puberty blockers. On The Cass Review website, there is a frequently asked questions section, one question asked if puberty blockers should be banned.

The website said: “No. Puberty blocker medications are used to address a number of different conditions. The Review has considered the evidence in relation to safety and efficacy (clinical benefit) of the medications for use in young people with gender incongruence/gender dysphoria.”

Many transgender young people have been affected by this ban.

Luna Simpson-Green, student and transgender woman said: “I didn’t know the ban wasn’t in place for cisgender young people. Finding that out, it’s a purely motivated, transphobic action and I think it's ridiculous.”

5. RSE Guidance

Digital PDF of the RSE Guidance 2025

(Image: Gov.UK)

Although the revised guidance hasn’t been released yet, the presumed impact this will have on transgender rights is not to be ignored. Due to the transphobic nature of The Cass Review and other legislation mentioned earlier, the transgender community brace for the negative impact the guidance could have to trans students in schools.

The July 2025 guidance said: “Pupils should also be taught the facts and the law about biological sex... schools should be mindful that beyond the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment there is significant debate”

The wording within the guidance is very important, as it gives schools the oppertunity to discriminate and altogether be transphobic during these lessons which will have a massive negative impact on trans kids.

There is an upcoming revision of the guidance which leads to speculations that the new one could be much worse than this, leading to people comparing it to section 28.