Inverness LGBTQ+ community stage protest outside city centre Town House after Supreme Court ruling on Equality Act
Members of the LGBTQ+ community congregated in the heart of the Highland capital to protest a Supreme Court ruling affecting trans people.
The court recently decided that references to “women” and “sex” in the Equality Act solely applied to biological women, despite not hearing from a single trans person in the process about how such a decision would affect them.
Last night, the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission further recommended that as well as trans men not being able to use men’s facilities, and trans women not being able to use women’s facilities, some circumstances also allow trans women to be barred from men’s facilities, and trans men to be barred from women’s facilities, leaving it up to the facility itself to provide a completely separate space for trans people.
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That sparked immediate dismay from LGBTQ+ groups, and a number of protests were organised across the UK last weekend.
Some of those present described how the ruling made them feel exhausted, angry, distressed and panicked.
Star Craib-Leete explained: “I was worried about what this could all lead to. I got to the point where I was contemplating even continuing existing.
“The idea of it generally seems to prevent me from entering spaces such as women’s bathrooms, which was later reinforced by the Equalities Minister. However, how it will actually impact me depends a lot on what comes next.
“I can see them refining wording and barring myself and other trans women from places like women’s wards in hospitals, or gendered changing rooms, however bringing that into place will provide more issues for both ourselves and them given how we’re protected with certain human rights laws.”
Toni Widmo continued: “This ruling has empowered and emboldened those who wish to do violence against us. I fear for my safety and that of my friends, and despite what Keir Starmer says, this ruling has created a lot of uncertainty for us.
“With the ECHR, the national press and the three highest polling parties in Westminster all calling for our oppression to be increased on the back of this ruling, it doesn't look good.
“I was not surprised, but disappointed all the same. Then came a spark of righteous anger, but this gave way to a desire to spread joy and lift the spirits of my trans friends so we have the strength to fight this. They want us angry but our joy is resistance.”
The outcry led to outrage from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, with some who could not attend the protest voicing their support for trans people.
Kevin Crowe, one half of the first couple in the Highlands to enter a civil partnership and then convert it to a marriage, commented: “I'm old enough to remember when my sexuality was classed as a mental illness and when expressing my sexuality was a crime.
“Throughout the decades of fighting for our rights, we were supported by trans people. Now that my trans comrades are under attack, I will do all I can to support them.”
At this afternoon’s protest itself, those who wished to were able to deliver speeches to the crowd in attendance. Others had prepared signs and placards.
It was a show of solidarity that Star says was badly needed: “I saw the huge outpour of support over in Aberdeen’s protest, and I wanted to see that again.
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“I hope this is not the last either. This is another step in the fight of our lives, and hopefully good can truly prevail.
“We are not this big threat people claim we are. We are human beings.
“We are not defined by what’s in our pants, we are not defined by something you cannot see. We are not living with a mental illness, we simply just want to live our truest lives as who we are.
“We just want to pee in peace, we just want to be accepted.”
Toni added: “From this protest I want to see solidarity, community and the building of a larger movement that eventually replaces the current political consensus of bigotry in the UK, so trans people can live our lives the same as everyone else and not have to constantly counter an organised and well funded hate campaign against us.
“We have each other's back, and the queer community, especially lesbians, overwhelmingly support us, despite the lies repeated in the British press and the supreme court ruling.
“We had to fight all our lives to claim the right to be ourselves and we aren't going to stop fighting just because this country has become more oppressive towards us.”
