Disability Rights UK (DR UK) has released a powerful statement expressing its unwavering solidarity with trans and intersex people, firmly opposing the updated Code of Practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The charity insists it will not be used as a 'loophole' to undermine trans rights.
Background to the EHRC Code Update
The revised code follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling in April 2025, which clarified that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. The new guidance covers areas such as sport, where trans individuals should compete according to their birth sex, and hospital wards, which can lawfully exclude trans patients from single-sex spaces.
The government has defended the code, stating it provides 'clear, workable guidance' for organisations to make practical decisions in everyday scenarios, including toilet provision in cafes, hospitals, and leisure centres.
DR UK's Stance on the Supreme Court Ruling
DR UK had already voiced its firm opposition to the Supreme Court's judgment last year. In its latest statement, the charity warns that the updated code 'sets a dangerous precedent for the weakening of protected characteristics and risks further ostracisation of trans and intersex people from public life.'
The code suggests that male and female toilets should be reserved for individuals of that biological sex, and that trans people should use accessible, individual lockable, or unisex toilets. DR UK condemns this as a 'vain attempt to get two marginalised groups to blame one another.'
Rejecting the 'Loophole' of Disabled Toilets
DR UK highlights its RADAR key scheme, launched in 1981, which underscores that accessible facilities are vital for social inclusion. The charity states: 'We are appalled at implications from the Code that an adequate workaround is trans people using Disabled toilets instead. It is a vain attempt to get two marginalised groups to blame one another for our lack of facilities, when the blame lies firmly at the feet of policymakers. We will not fall for it. We will not be used as a 'loophole' in the wider erosion of trans rights.'
The disabled community, DR UK notes, understands what it means to be scapegoated, and emphasises that 'trans rights do not come at the expense of Disabled, nor anyone else's.'
Concerns Over Healthcare Implications
The charity also expresses alarm about the guidance's impact in hospital settings, claiming it 'invites increased medical stigma and negligence ... and will lead to even worse health outcomes in an already bleak landscape.'
DR UK concludes by calling on other Disabled People's Organisations (DPOs) to join them in opposing the EHRC Code of Practice revision, which it says 'effectively segregates trans and intersex people from public spaces.'
If you have been affected by this story, contact Mindline Trans+'s emotional and mental health support helpline for anyone identifying as trans, non-binary, gender variant, and their families, friends, colleagues and carers. Their phone line is open Mondays and Fridays, 8pm to midnight. Ring 0300 330 5468.
