EHRC code on single sex spaces comes into force on 5th August 2026

[SingleSexSpacesInSchools]

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/788/pdfs/uksi_20260788_en.pdf

Likewise smoking in pubs & restaurants.

I would like to understand the thought process (and ideally the law) which gives you the right to invade women’s spaces. Men are not women so in what grounds are your (and others) actions justified?

Trans people have always used opposite sex spaces and the ones just there to have the facilities have not been a problem.

Then they shouldn’t have been.

I’m sceptical of your claim, though, and see no evidence to support it. It hasn’t been the norm for people to use opposite sex spaces. I’m not saying it has never happens, but it wasn’t widespread and commonplace. Even during the attempted push back of women’s rights over the last ten years or so, it still isn’t something I’ve seen a lot of, though there has definitely been an uptick.

As for there not being a problem, that’s rubbish, as evidenced by the sexual assaults in toilets by trans identified males and also the fact that many of us do have a problem with it.

Ultimately, though, no matter what anyone did before, the law is now abundantly clear and nobody has the right to use single sex facilities for the other sex. So stay out of them.

I don’t believe they have either. It’s an attempt to rewrite history to gaslight women that everyone’s always been ok with it. I wouldn’t have been then and I’m not now.

Men pretending to be women have invaded female spaces for many years
women stay silent
because such men are a threat

Men have gone into womens toilets over the years with varying levels of consent
eg during the New Romantic era
but those men never pretended to be something they were not

If its aways been accepted for men to use women's spaces, why did we have an explosion of 'dont confront men in these spaces' signs

Why would women suddenly forget that its acceptable and they are ok with it?

The spaces transvestites used where in gay clubs, or cross dressing spaces. I suspect that the transvestites we occasionally saw in the street didnt put themselves in the position to be challenged because it would've burst their bubble.

But again, even if our grandmother's were happy to share, consent means we can change our mind.

I think you’re right. I always like to hear a solid counter argument. But alas, they never appear.

What protests are planned? Please not another topless one 🙏🏻

It's also important to remember we are talking about different men and different demands.

I'm sure a handful of relatively old school transsexuals and possibly transvestite did use women's bogs and were either not clocked or quietly ignored.

However, the evolution and convergence of transexualism and transvestisism from personal secrets into political and social identities, and with that what I'd call the agressive/colonialist trans identifying men, has increased both the number and diversity of men who wish to use women's facilities.

And these new men, the ones who call themselves transgender and see their existence as a political statement as well as a practical fact, don't just hope for their presence in the wrong places to be quietly ignored as a courtesy. They want an absolute right to be there and for women to know they have that right, that power over us and know that we can't object or do anything about it. They see women asserting our own boundaries and rights as a challenge to them and they want to win.

That is a massive change.

So the TRActivists arguing that sex doesn't matter now based on what might or might not have been accepted or at least ignored 30 plus years ago for a completely different group of men (some of whom of course were very problematic towards women and women's spaces even then) are at best ignorant and at worst down right deceitful.

Yes, exactly. The nature of the demands have changed and people are increasingly aware of it.

I have to ask. Wtf are punk boots? 😂I'm actually from the era when punk was big and I've never heard of them. Anyway, I'll back my vintage Docs against your "punk boots" Any day.

👏👏👏

Typo. He missed the s at the beginning.

I don’t know what I have done to deserve it, but my LinkedIn feed is full of posts from professionals ( HR Managers, University Professors! )urging their contacts to sign a petition to disapprove the new guidance.

Hasn’t the commencement been set already, what do they hope to achieve by yet another tedious petition?

People sign these things without much thought.

The guidance comes into force in less than 3 weeks time on Wednesday 5th August.

Yes, I thought it was pretty much set in stone now, however much whinging there is about it.

Really good read. Thank you.. Let's see if those who say they fight to reduce violence against women and girls stand up for our safe spaces.

The law to which it relates has been in force since 2010 and was clarified in Easter last year concerning GRC (and repeatedly before that for years regarding self ID). So following old guidance would put you at risk of litigation

So following old guidance would put you at risk of litigation

Following the guidance is a defence at an ET. The guidance is statutory so if you follow it you should not be at risk of litigation. The fact that the guidance has been wrong since 2011 is a big part of the current problem as it pre-dates Stonewall Law. The new guidance supersedes the old guidance but not until 5t August.

This thread has motivated me to complain to a council about a recent encounter I had in a Ladies Public Toilet and to point out that their signage needs to be much, much clearer.

But the guidance never overrules the legislation, statutory or not. And given the level of publicity plus interim guidance it would not be a strong defence.

Maybe silly question but isn’t the guidance that comes into line on 5th August about service users not employees. Obviously the SC ruling had an impact on both but with regards to ETs the legislation EA10 and health and safety regs would be what is argued about not this particular guidance. It’s all very confusing.

Service providers.