policy page
The Supreme Court ruled that in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), ‘sex’ means biological sex.
This means that, under the Act:
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A ‘woman’ is a biological woman or girl (a person born female)
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A ‘man’ is a biological man or boy (a person born male)
If somebody identifies as trans, they do not change sex for the purposes of the Act, even if they have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).
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A trans woman is a biological man
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A trans man is a biological woman
This judgment has implications for many organisations, including:
- workplaces
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services that are open to the public, such as hospitals, shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, refuges and counselling services
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sporting bodies
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schools
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associations (groups or clubs of more than 25 people which have rules of membership)