The union representing staff at universities has called on employers to support the right for workers to use gendered facilities which match gender identities, as its congress voted to “stand shoulder to shoulder with the trans community”.
It follows the Supreme Court ruling last month that the words “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
In the wake of the ruling the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance, saying trans women “should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities” in workplaces or public-facing services like shops and hospitals, with the same applying for trans men using men’s toilets.
More detailed draft guidance was published last week, with a consultation period running until June 30.
The guidance says people can be asked to confirm their birth sex so long as it is “necessary and proportionate for a service provider, those exercising public functions or an association to know an individual’s birth sex to be able to discharge their legal obligations”.
It cautions that any such question “should be done in a sensitive way which does not cause discrimination or harassment”.
The University and College Union (UCU), which is the UK’s largest post-16 education union and represents more than 120,000 education staff, held its congress on Monday where delegates backed four motions committing the union to “fight back against unprecedented attacks on trans people’s human rights”.
General secretary Jo Grady said: “Our congress has once again committed our union to stand shoulder to shoulder with the trans community in the fight for equality.
“This year trans people have suffered a wave of attacks against them, but UCU remains steadfast as one of their most vocal allies.
“We refuse to allow trans people to be the collateral of a right-wing culture war and while they continue to experience violence at home, in the workplace and on the airwaves, we will stand by them.”
As a result of one of the motions, the UCU has resolved to call on employers to support the right for staff to use the gendered spaces appropriate to them, saying that the Supreme Court ruling contradicts the current practices that allow this at most post-16 institutions.
As part of the motion the congress also committed to issuing a statement to members and on social media platforms “expressing concern” at the ruling and “reaffirming our steadfast commitment to defending trans people”, and to call on employers to develop and implement trans-inclusive policies “as a matter of urgency”.
Another motion criticised the Government’s “decision to ignore the damning critiques” of the Cass Review, and in its wake the union will write to the Health Secretary condemning the report’s findings and methods.
Published last year, the review concluded children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on medical interventions in gender care, which led to NHS England announcing a new plan which requires new referrals into the clinics to have been seen by a GP and mental health specialist or paediatrician first.
The UCU will also advocate for healthcare that “affirms and values” trans people in its letter to Wes Streeting as it criticised the ban on the supply of puberty blockers for young trans people – which was made permanent in December and which means they are not prescribed on the NHS to children for the treatment of gender dysphoria.
Plans remain in place to set up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers this year, although no patients have yet been recruited while ethical and regulatory approval is awaited.
Two motions were concerned with the actions of US President Donald Trump’s administration, with one condemning its “concerted attacks upon trans people”.
