Trans rights groups descend on London for mass protest (2025)

Thousands of trans rights protesters gathered in central London in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.

Trans rights groups, trade unions and community organisations came together for an ’emergency demonstration’ in Parliament Square.

Chants of ‘trans liberation’ and ‘trans rights now’ echoed off the buildings in central London, with some protesters waving flags and holding banners.

In a long-awaited judgment delivered on Wednesday, the UK’s highest court confirmed the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the 2010 Equality Act ‘refer to a biological woman and biological sex’.

This means transgender women with a gender recognition certificate can be excluded from single-sex spaces if ‘proportionate’ – and has sparked outrage in the UK and abroad.

The Government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought ‘clarity and confidence’ for women and service providers, while a Labour Party source said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had brought the party to a ‘common sense position’.

The ruling means trans women cannot use single-sex female toilets, changing rooms or compete in women’s sports, according to the head of Britain’s equalities watchdog.

Among the groups supporting the London protest were Trans Kids Deserve Better, Pride in Labour, the Front for the Liberation of Intersex Non-binary and Transgender people (Flint) and TransActual.

Celebrities have also spoken out about the matter.

Nicola Coughlan raised more than £100,000 fortransgender womenfollowing a ‘stomach-churning’ Supreme Court ruling over the legal definition of a woman.

Various transgender stars and allies alike have spoken out against the ruling in support of trans people, includingDerry Girlsstar Nicola, 38, who was left ‘completely horrified’ by the legal change.

Speaking in an Instagram video, theBridgertonactress said: ‘To see an already marginalised community being further attacked and attacked in law is really stomach-churning and disgusting, and to see people celebrate it is more stomach-churning and disgusting.’

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