GUSRC is deeply concerned by the recent UK Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a 'woman'.
This decision represents a significant setback for the rights of trans and non-binary people, whose communities are already facing increasing marginalisation. GUSRC has a long history of standing alongside trans, and indeed all LGBTQ+ students, and we want to reaffirm our unwavering support for our trans community at this difficult time.
This ruling not only undermines the rights of trans women, trans men and non-binary people - it risks harming the rights of all women. Defining womanhood solely on the basis of chromosomes or biology ignores the lived realities of many people, including intersex individuals and those with variations in sex development, such as Turner’s Syndrome.
Reducing identity to such narrow criteria sets a troubling precedent. It appears we are moving towards a society where people must prove their gender with medical evidence to access rights or spaces. This is a dangerous and exclusionary path, and one that affects us all.
Trans rights are human rights. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. An attack on trans people is an attack on all people, and on the principles of dignity, equality, and inclusion that we should all uphold.
We encourage all students to show solidarity with the trans community - whether by checking in with trans friends and peers, supporting trans-led organisations and businesses, or speaking up in your own networks and social spaces.
Pablo, Iris, Heri and Angelica
GUSRC Executive 2024/25
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