More than 160 MPs press UK government to block EHRC trans bathroom guidance

More than 160 MPs have backed a call for the UK government to abandon the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice before its 40-day scrutiny period ends on 9 July.

The draft guidance would require businesses and public bodies to apply bathroom and changing room rules on the basis of biological sex. It says: “In separate or single-sex services, a trans man will be excluded from the men-only service because his sex is female, and a trans woman will be excluded from the women-only service because her sex is male.”

The code also states that people can be asked to disclose their sex if there is “clear evidence of an issue with members of the opposite sex accessing or seeking to access the single or separate-sex service or association”.

Advocates argue the policy would amount to forced segregation and make daily life harder for trans people and others who do not fit gender stereotypes. The Scottish Greens described the guidance as “authoritarian and cruel and cements exclusion and segregation”.

Equalities spokesperson Kate Nevens said: “It will cause real harm to trans people who have accessed these spaces and services for years without incident. With only days to go before it comes into force, the UK Government still has time to change course.”

She added: “Trans people want the same thing as everyone else, to live their lives free from prejudice, discrimination and violence. Instead, this guidance will legitimise intrusive questioning, encourage suspicion and make everyday life less safe.”

Nevens also warned that the rules would not only affect trans people, but could lead to harassment of anyone who does not conform to gender stereotypes, while leaving workplaces, businesses and public services to enforce what she called confusing and divisive guidance.

NION Women also urged ministers to reject the code, saying the changes are being presented as necessary to protect women but do not address the real causes of violence and inequality.

In a statement shared with PinkNews, the organisation said the changes were being used to justify “policies that promote restriction and exclusion”. It added: “We reject the false choice between protecting women and treating trans people with dignity, and believe women’s rights are best advanced when we stand in solidarity with our trans siblings.”

The statement has been co-signed by a number of organisations, including Amnesty Feminist Network, Girls Friendly Society, Global Women’s Strike, Intersectional Feminists, Level Up and Women Against Rape.

The early day motion calling for the code not to be brought in has now been signed by more than 160 MPs.

What happens next

The scrutiny period for the EHRC code expires on 9 July. Critics are urging the government to intervene before the guidance is put into effect.

The debate comes as campaigners warn that the policy could have broad consequences for trans people’s access to services, privacy and dignity, as well as for how staff in public-facing roles are expected to enforce sex-based rules.

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