Minister is unable to say which changing room trans women can use after ruling

A government minister was unable to say which changing room transgender women should use after the Supreme Court ruled they are not legally women under the Equality Act.

- MILLIE COOKE POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

The judgment, handed down on Wednesday, means transgender women with a gender recognition certificate can be excluded from single-sex spaces if deemed “proportionate”.

But asked which changing room a transgender woman should use, Labour health minister Karin Smyth could not say.

“Look, I think we need to make sure that in this discussion we are following both the law so that is clear for women and for service providers and you know... this varies upon what the provision of those service providers are. Large organisations, smaller organisations, many smaller organisations,” she told Times Radio.

Asked why it varies, Ms Smyth responded: “Because some will have unisex provisions. There might only be one bathroom, one changing room in an organisation. It’s a large complex issue so that’s why people have to be very clear on that guidance.”

When it was put to her that the public is looking for clarity from the government, she said: “Female changing rooms should be used by women.”