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On the 16th of April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled on the legal definition of what it is to be a woman (O’Neill et al., 2025), overwriting what was defined in the Equality Act 2010 (Equality Act 2010, 2010). Other key takeaways from the UK Supreme Court Ruling include the exclusion of trans women from women only safe spaces, the argument on gender reassignment and sex, and the review of gender policies including looking into previously closed cases such as the Dr Beth Upton Vs Sandie Peggy case where Sandie felt 'intimidated' by the presence of Dr Upton (a transgendered doctor, who went through years of medical school just to assault a woman who looks like a 2000s Danniella Westbrook) in female only spaces (BBC News, 2025).

“Transgender women do not pose any greater risk than non-transgender women; this has been borne out time and time again in the real world and there is no evidence that transgender women pose a higher risk to other women”.

This is quoted from a 2019 written submission to Parliament. (Admin, 2025)

This is just one of the major blows EDI has faced this year after the changes made by Trump. Since his re-election, he has signed two executive orders against EDI policies and laid off all federal EDI staff (Schneid, 2025) as well as trying to take over Canada and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of 'MURICA... no this is not a Southpark parody. Completely unashamed of their actions the Whitehouse has even posted a video to social media declaring "DEI is dead under the Trump Administration" (Whitehouse, 2025).

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To understand why these rulings are so important, first it is important to differentiate the difference between a persons sex, and their gender.

The first factor determining sex comes from the sex chromosome in a person's body, either XX or XY. Even after XX or XY chromosomes have been determined, changes in hormones and other factors can change the development of the foetus and will determine how the foetus will develop and continue to grow after birth into puberty. (Riggo, 2022). Even medically it is more than just a person's genitals, but the hormones and decisions a person's body make assigned by a person's genetics.

Gender on the other hand is not determined by someone's genetics but is constructed through a combination of a person's identity and the social constructs of the time. These social constructs are influenced by traditional expectations and cultural changes. Whereas sex is a topic of biology, gender on the other hand is a collection of stereotypes to socialize gender roles and expectations.

To quote Millett's 1698 'Sexual Politics' "Whatever the 'real' differences between the sexes may be, we are not likely to know them until the sexes are treated differently, that is alike."(Millett, 2016). Basically, whatever the biological differences are they cannot be understood until both sexes are treated equally. Or the sexes can't be equal until men truly appreciate that not only is being a woman like losing in the biological lottery, at least compared to the "struggles" of growing up male but the sexism, harassment, sexualisation and dismissal that follows because of essentially a 50/50 biological chance 9 months before birth.

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Intersectionality & The Trans Community 

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Intersectionality & The Trans Community 

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In 1989, Kimberlé Crenshaw defined the term Intersectionality to describe "the many levels of social justice problems or discrimination overlapping,

creating multiple levels of social injustice (Crenshaw, 2016)". Inspired by an African American woman named Emma DeGraffenreid who faced discrimination not because she was black or a woman, but a black woman. (Crenshaw, 2016)

The conflict of the 2025 ruling and the definitions of women as "biological sex" highlights the intersectional conflicts faced by the trans community, particularly trans women. Identifying to society in some way as both male and female either in sex or gender norms, the conflict stems, along with many other reasons, from where transgendered people 'belong' in segregated male/female only spaces. "These include separate spaces and single-sex services (including changing rooms, hostels and medical services), communal accommodation and others"(O’Neill et al., 2025).

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Many theories have been developed to understand how stereotypes form, including the Social Role Theory This model describes the formation but more importantly the socialization of these reinforced societal norms. Described in the dictionary, socialization is "the process beginning during childhood by which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society" ('socialization,' 2025). It's why rich white boys all grow up to be Torys and why poor working-class kids grow up to hate the Torys.

The Social Role Theory (Eagly, Beall and Sternberg, 2005) theorises how gender roles and societal expectations are shaped by the physical differences between the sexes and the division of labour. Due to the reproductive organs of women, the architype of 'caregiver' has been given throughout many societies. This has led men to taking the more physical and assertive 'leader' architype, providing for their families. *grunt* Big strong man provide for the weak helpless pregnant woman! *Beats chest*

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Created in 2010, the Equality Act was designed to consolidate all of the anti-discrimination laws in place into a single Act and promote equality and protect individuals from unfair treatment. The Act discusses "Nine Protected Characteristics" - age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage & civil partnerships, race, religious beliefs, sex and sexuality (Equality Act 2010, 2010).

The act covers various areas including direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and regulations. Furthermore, the Act imposes a duty to all public bodies to uphold the regulations of the act & the nine protected characteristics, and to review their own policies regarding EDI.

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One major event that would be impacted by this decision would be pride. Originating a year after the 1969 Stonewall Riots, Chicago held the first ever pride parade on the 27th June in 1970 and was a protest for gay rights (Sky History, 2024). Since then, Pride parades have started in most major towns and cities. No longer are they aggressive protests but celebrations for members of the LGBTQA+ including parades, dancers and performers, however the event is still a chance for the LGBTQA+ community to protest injustices facing the queer community globally.

The trans community makes up the T in LGBTQA+ and has been an important community to the movement since the beginning. Following the recent regression in the EDIW movement however, some of the largest pride parades have banned political parties from marching in the event (Milton, 2025). TransActual Director Jane Fae is quoted as saying of the political parties "It is also clear, since the ruling, that not one single party has been prepared to give the trans community wholehearted support." (Milton, 2025).

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In the events industry, it is important to be aware of global changes and to consider the impact that they may have on an event. In relation to the changes this year on EDI policies, and the UK Supreme Court Ruling, the most obvious impact would be that on the Pride parades. As an event founded on protesting for the rights of LGBT+ communities, it is likely that this years Pride parades will feature heavy protests for the rights of the trans community.

This however also invites the possibility of counter protests, those in favour of the recent ruling and against trans woman being considered legally as women.

Outside of Pride parades, many companies as mentioned have been changing their EDIW and gender specific policies. This means that those working for the companies will have to comply with new rules they may not align personally with, such as having to exclude trans women from women's bathrooms.

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The UK Supreme Court Ruling has created a large "grey area" for the progress of EDI, and as touched upon previously, this ruling is not creating new policies, but overwriting the current policies put in place by the Equality Act 2010 (Faragher, 2025). This divide puts into question how businesses and venues will adapt. This will put into question "best practice" vs allyship.

Creating an inclusive environment for both sides of the debate, no matter how wrong one side of the debate is.

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Arguments over "Best Practice" and creating a fair and inclusive workplace for transgendered people has become increasingly difficult with the recent rulings. For companies it has become a matter of complying with the law, or allying against the decision made and instead amending their own EDI policies supporting transgendered people.

An example of a company who has amended their policies multiple times would be the Football Association. After amending their policy on transgendered women in April 11, FA backtracked this decision in alignment with the UK Supreme Court's ruling, stating that "only those born biologically female will be permitted to play" (Kearns and Roan, 2025). Other sporting groups are expected to follow with similar bans starting soon. This decision has been supported by PM Kier Starner with his spokesman stated saying "that biology matters when it comes to women's sport and that everyone should be compliant with the law"(Kearns and Roan, 2025).

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To be an Ally is "someone who advocates alongside marginalised communities to empower their voices and together spread knowledge, awareness, respect, and to challenge oppression" (University of Bath, 2023). This can stretch from passive supporters who agree with fair and equal treatment, to active supporters who respect, learn and challenge the boundaries faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

In support of allyship, over 100 companies including Disney, Sky and Microsoft have added their names to a public statement supporting in solidarity with the transgendered community (Stonewall, 2024). One wants to point out the irony of some of the companies allyship, but this is an enemy of my enemy kind of situation, support is support, progress is progress. This means that as well as public support including online posts, 136 major companies have or will be putting into place specific measures and policies into place in support of their transgendered workers, customers and the community.

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Admin (2025) When the Law Forgets We Are Human: The Impact of the 2025 Supreme Court Ruling on Trans women. https://blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk/index.php/2025/04/18/when-the-law-forgets-we-are-human-the-impact-of-the-2025-supreme-court-ruling-on-trans-women/.

BBC News (2025) Trans doctor denies making 'false allegations' to punish nurse. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77r058y30eo.

Crenshaw, K. (2016) The urgency of intersectionality | Kimberlé Crenshaw | TED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o.

Eagly, A.H., Beall, A.E. and Sternberg, R.J. (2005) The Psychology of gender. Guilford Press.

Equality Act 2010 (2010) Equality Act 2010, Equality Act 2010. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/pdfs/ukpga_20100015_en.pdf.

Faragher, J. (2025) Supreme Court ruling and EHRC latest: how should HR respond? https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/supreme-court-ehrc/.

Holt, A. (2025) Key takeaways of court ruling on legal definition of woman. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn7x66jvd34o.

James, S.E. et al. (2016) The report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. report. National Center for Transgender Equality. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf.

Kearns, S. and Roan, D. (2025) FA says transgender women cannot compete in women’s football from 1 June. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cz01z4rdx4no.

Millett, K. (1977) Sexual politics. London: Virago.

Milton, J. (2025) MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/major-uk-pride-parades-ban-political-parties-from-marching/ar-AA1EHi9x?ocid=BingNewsSerp.

O’Neill, A. et al. (2025) 'For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent),' Hilary Term [Preprint]. https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2024_0042_judgment_aea6c48cee.pdf.

Poteat, T. et al. (2014) 'HIV risk and preventive interventions in transgender women sex workers,' The Lancet, 385(9964), pp. 274–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60833-3.

Riggio, H. R (2022) 'Riggio, Heidi R. 2021. Sex and Gender: a Biopsychological approach,' Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 6(1), pp. 115–118. https://doi.org/10.26613/esic.6.1.283.

Schneid, R. (2025) 'The major U.S. companies scaling back DEI efforts as Trump targets initiatives,' TIME, 22 February. https://time.com/7260689/us-companies-scaling-back-dei-efforts-trump-targets-initiatives/.

Sky History (2024) The history of Pride Month. https://www.history.co.uk/articles/history-of-pride-month.

Sky News (2023) Trans rights protesters interrupt talk at Oxford Union by 'gender-critical' academic Kathleen Stock. https://news.sky.com/story/protesters-interrupt-talk-at-oxford-union-by-gender-critical-academic-kathleen-stock-12893229.

'socialization' (2025) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialization.

Stonewall (2024) Over 100 major companies join together to say trans rights are human…. https://www.stonewall.org.uk/news/over-100-major-companies-join-together-say-trans-rights-are-human-rights.

University of Bath (2023) LGBTQ+ Allyship. https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/lgbtq-allyship/.

Wesp, L.M. et al. (2019) 'Intersectionality Research for Transgender Health Justice: A Theory-Driven Conceptual Framework for Structural Analysis of Transgender Health Inequities,' Transgender Health, 4(1), pp. 287–296. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2019.0039.

Whitehouse (2025) DEI is dead under the Trump Administration. https://www.instagram.com/p/DGTEUDzxR1x/.