The British Medical Association (BMA) has condemned the Supreme Court’s “scientifically illiterate” Supreme Court trans ruling.
The UK Supreme Court issued an 88-page judgement on 16 April, in which it ruled that the legal definition of a woman in the 2010 Equality Act refers to “biological” women, therefore excluding transgender women.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has welcomed the ruling, which is likely to have wide-ranging implications for trans and non-binary people.
In response, a conference held by the BMA has condemned the ruling, calling it “scientifically illiterate”.
Ruling ‘will cause real-world harm’
The BMA’s meeting, held in opposition to the ruling, aimed to reaffirm its position on “affirming the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals to live their lives with dignity, having their identity respected”.
The union urged the Supreme Court to acknowledge the existence of intersex people and condemned the “scientifically illiterate rulings from the Supreme Court, made without consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders, that will cause real-world harm to the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities in this country.”
Protests have erupted across the UK in opposition to the Supreme Court ruling, with Stonewall chief executive Simon Blake expressing “deep concerns” over the possible implications.
Helen Belcher, the chairperson of LGBTQ+ not-for-profit group TransActual, was “devastated” by the outcome of the court case.
Belcher said: “The Supreme Court chose not to hear from any trans people, preferring instead to listen to exclusionary groups.
“Instead of bringing clarity, the Supreme Court has made a ruling which appears to contain a number of contradictions.”
Immediately after the verdict, British Transport Police announced that trans women held in custody by the force will be strip searched by male officers instead of female officers.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
The post British Medical Association condemns Supreme Court’s ‘scientifically illiterate’ trans ruling appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.