News you need, the perspective you won’t find anywhere else. The trans community’s guide to UK news, media and politics and our place in it.

12 May 2025

The Trans Agenda

Although there was a Trans Agenda weekly edition released yesterday, the stuff that has happened today seemed too important to keep until the weekend. As things develop, this might become a more regular feature. As it is, there are two main stories that are important, one other that offers clarification of the situation in Ireland and another that proves just how confected this whole war on trans people really is. Plus, check out the ‘Any other business’ section for an update on Graham Linehan, who was in court today.

I would also like to take this time to encourage all subscribers on Substack to consider cancelling their subscription and moving over to Patreon. If you have taken out an annual sub here and would like it moved across, just let me know.

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UK & IRELAND NEWS

Pride bans politicians in major rebuke over trans rights betrayal [view statement]

  • The organisers of the UK’s largest Pride events in Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester have announced an unprecedented ban on all political party participation in their 2025 marches, citing the systemic failure of politicians to protect trans people.

    In a collective statement, they accuse current political leaders of abandoning the trans community, warning that “we will not stand by as the dignity, safety, and humanity of our trans siblings are debated, delayed, or denied.”

    The decision is a significant blow to Labour, who have caused growing anger within the LGBTQ+ community since coming to power in the summer. Despite claiming to be allies, Labour has introduced new restrictions on trans rights that go beyond the requirements of the UK Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Equality Act and the discredited Cass Report while claiming credit for the Sullivan Report.

    While repeatedly stating that trans people should be treated with “dignity and respect,” the Labour leadership has parroted anti-trans rhetoric at every opportunity and acted accordingly, rolling back rights in ways even the Conservative government did not.

    The Pride organisers have made clear this is not a symbolic gesture. It is a direct call for accountability. Their statement demands full protections under the Equality Act, dignified access to NHS gender care, meaningful reform of the Gender Recognition Certificate process, and sustainable funding for trans-led services.

    “Anything less is not allyship, it is abandonment,” they write.

    They vow to continue fighting for a future where every trans person can live safely, freely and proudly, and until there is real action, no political party will be welcome on their platforms.

    Took them a while, but they got there in the end.

Teachers back trans rights after court ruling [Daily Mail]

  • Britain’s largest teaching union has voted to support trans teachers’ rights to use toilets aligned with their gender. The National Education Union (NEU) passed a motion titled “trans rights are human rights”, following the Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” as biological sex under the Equality Act.

    The EHRC’s interim update erroneously claimed this could justify restricting trans women from women’s toilets. The NEU will now support legal challenges and call on schools to adopt inclusive policies. General Secretary Daniel Kebede said trans people are unfairly treated as a threat and deserve dignity and protection. The Daily mail framed this as teachers ‘defying the Supreme Court,’ when it is nothing of the sort.

Irish gender law unaffected by UK Supreme Court ruling [Lexology]

  • The UK Supreme Court’s ruling that defines “woman” as biological sex under the Equality Act 2010 has no direct impact on Irish law. While the judgment has implications for UK policy and practice, Ireland operates under a distinct legislative framework. Gender recognition is protected in Ireland under the Gender Recognition Act 2015, and trans discrimination is addressed under “gender” in equality law. Irish courts have consistently upheld trans rights, and there is no indication of plans to adopt the UK’s approach.

Women who swim at Hampstead Ladies’ Pond welcome trans women despite media and GC claims [London Evening Standard]

  • We hear a lot from people who hate trans people telling us what women think, but rarely do we hear from cis women when they disagree with the cult. This, from the Standard was refreshing. They interviewed a range of women who use the pond and none of them had a single problem with trans women. In fact, it will no doubt seriously hurt GCs how inclusive these women, whom they silence, were.

    They also highlighted that there are individual changing rooms people can use, should they have a problem with who else is in the changing room.