The future of one of London’s most beloved queer-friendly swimming spots is suddenly murky, as the City of London Corporation (CoLC) announced a review of the gender policy governing Hampstead Heath’s historic Ladies Pond. The iconic all-female bathing haven, which has long welcomed trans women, is now at the heart of a legal and cultural reckoning over who gets to take the plunge.
The review comes in the wake of an April Supreme Court ruling that controversially interpreted “woman” in the Equality Act 2010 as referring to “biological women.” Although the judgment has sparked fierce legal debates, it has not legally compelled public services to exclude trans people. Yet, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) quickly followed with interim guidance suggesting that service providers could bar trans people from gendered spaces, a move that’s already being used to shut doors—both literally and symbolically.
For trans women, this review is more than just bureaucracy. It threatens the right to access a space that has been a sanctuary—one protected by an inclusive policy since 2019, reaffirmed just this year by the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association (KLPA). The group overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to redefine “woman” as “only those born female,” standing proudly with their trans sisters.
Legal Fog, But the Water’s Still Warm
Despite all the legalese and headline hysteria, experts remain firm: there’s nothing in the Equality Act that mandates the exclusion of trans women from gendered facilities. In fact, Baroness Brenda Hale, former president of the Supreme Court, publicly clarified that the Act doesn’t require single-sex services to deny entry based on gender identity. “Nothing says you can’t have gender-neutral loos,” she noted—an eyebrow-raising contrast to how some institutions are interpreting the law.
CoLC’s review includes consultation with swimmers and other “stakeholders,” whatever that euphemism might entail. A spokesperson explained the corporation is “reviewing our access policies, including those at Hampstead Heath’s bathing ponds,” adding they’re “taking legal advice” and aiming to “meet our legal duties.” The irony of consulting legal advisors to potentially walk back an inclusive policy is not lost on the LGBTQ+ community.
To queer Londoners and allies, this feels like déjà vu. Once again, the lives and dignity of trans women are up for debate—masked under the guise of policy reviews and legal compliance. But the stakes are real: these spaces aren’t just for swimming, they’re about identity, safety, and being seen.
The KLPA insists it will continue to provide an inclusive environment “for all women, including transgender women.” In a city that prides itself on diversity, the fight over who gets to access a swimming pond is telling. When you start policing who qualifies as “woman enough,” it ripples far beyond the water’s edge.
If London’s Ladies Pond loses its inclusive legacy, the message sent is as chilling as the pond’s waters in January: trans women’s rights can be revoked at the whim of bureaucracy. But if the community rallies—and history shows it will—the pond might yet remain a space where all women can dive in with pride.