100 local businesses sign up in support of project to show that they 'remain inclusive'

CAMPAIGN STARTED IN NOTTINGHAM LOOKS SET TO SPREAD

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

A HUNDRED Nottinghamshire cafes, bars, shops and businesses have joined a campaign to show they “remain inclusive” to transgender people after a recent controversial ruling.

The Pastel Project, an activist group that says it aims to “make Nottingham a city of sanctuary for transgender people for the UK”, has created the campaign in a bid to offer businesses guidance in the wake of a new legal verdict made on gender.

On April 16, five judges at the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act refer to biological woman and biological sex.

The ruling means transgender women with a Gender Recognition Certificate - a Government-issued document issued after someone legally changes sex - can be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate”.

The case was brought against the Scottish Government by campaign group For Women Scotland, which argued that the use of single-sex spaces, including bathrooms and changing rooms, should be limited to those born female.

But transgender people and support groups argue this will have a negative impact on the safety of transwomen. Businesses have also shared concerns about what the new ruling means in terms of legal guidance around the use of toilets and other single-sex spaces.

Sam Harvey, director of The Pastel Project, says he created the Your Spaces Too project to help businesses during the period, but also to give them the opportunity to show they remain inclusive of the transgender community.

"We're giving bars and venues some clarity and some guidance," he said. "Many businesses are worried these recommendations from the Supreme Court are unworkable. We're asking them to provide certain facilities for transgender people. Some places just have facilities such as stalls and urinals, and that works fine.