Support groups have reported that women and non-binary people are increasingly being challenged in toilets and changing facilities following the UK Supreme Court's ruling on biological sex. Critics warn that the ruling may affect cis women who do not conform to traditional feminine appearances, while others dismiss these concerns as scaremongering.
Caz Coronel, a composer and producer, described being confronted by a man at the Royal Festival Hall in London. While queuing for the ladies' toilets, a man shouted that the men's toilets were on the other side and touched her shoulder before she asked him bluntly if he wanted to see her breasts. Coronel linked the incident directly to the Supreme Court ruling, questioning whether it had emboldened such behaviour.
Claire Prihartini, who had a bilateral mastectomy after breast cancer, was challenged in a women's changing room at her local pool. Another woman gasped and said there was a man in the room, despite Prihartini explaining she was not a man. Prihartini noted that the woman seemed empowered by the ruling to question her gender rudely.
Dee, who did not give her surname, was challenged in a Marks & Spencer changing room. She unzipped her jacket to reveal her chest, and the woman apologised but added that she should be careful these days. Dee said people who previously gave her looks have become bolder since April's ruling.
Taranjit Chana of Black and Brown Rainbow, a grassroots anti-violence service, said their helpline has seen an increase in calls from black and Asian LGBTQ+ people who fear or have experienced challenges in toilets. Chana noted that women's toilets have never felt entirely safe for black and brown women, who often do not fit a narrow, European version of female appearance.
