Hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered in St Helen’s Square, York, today (26 April) to stand up for trans rights.
The static demonstration, where attendees assembled without marching, was organised by the York LGBT Forum in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling.
On 15 April, judges at the UK Supreme Court ruled that, under equalities law, a woman is defined by her biological sex.
In what many described as “a fight for equality”, protesters came together today to oppose the decision.
They fear the ruling contributes to the marginalisation of trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, while also increasing the risk of violence and hostility against them.
Crowds assembled from 1pm in the city centre, carrying trans flags and signs calling for equality and inclusion.
Claire Douglas, Leader of City of York Council, was among the speakers addressing the rally.
She said, “York City Council is a trans inclusive council. We will uphold those values in all ways possible. There’s an ongoing fight against discrimination, prejudice, and marginalisation in all of our cities, but I will continue to fight that.”
Members of York LGBT Forum also spoke at the event, leading chants including, “What do we want? Trans rights! When do we want them? Now!”
Community voices
YorkMix spoke to several attendees on their views on inclusivity in York.
One man from the North East said he felt both York and his hometown were welcoming environments.
“Without a shadow of a doubt,” he said. “As you can tell from here today, people are being treated very respectfully. York is a very friendly city. I think generally it is very inclusive, people tend to live and let live.”
He added, “I don’t think Britain is the sort of country that is particularly divisive, irrespective of what some people would have us believe.
“This country is very inclusive, we welcome people from around the world. We’re very multicultural, and have been that way for 2000 years. York for example, built by the Romans and taken up by the Vikings.”
However, eighteen-year-old Leo, a trans attendee, spoke about the daily challenges they face.
“I’m always on edge,” they said. “We get bullied for who we are. We shouldn’t, but we do. It happens daily, both online and in person.”
Leo also expressed concern about the wider implications of the court ruling.
“The fact that the government can change anything at all, for example gay marriage, it’s just terrifying as a trans person.”
When asked how they dealt with the distress, they put it down to the community.
“We have a big community, for example on TikTok. We all come together as one and just be proud of who we are. We’ve all got each other’s back,” Leo told YorkMix.
Another speaker, who requested to remain anonymous, criticised the court’s ruling for failing to address the root causes of violence against women.
“This makes trans lives harder, which are already very difficult. It’s sad to see one of the most marginalised groups being targeted again, rather than actually addressing the real issue at hand, which is straight and cis men who will get away with violence, which is kind of crazy,” she told YorkMix.
They stressed the importance of allyship and showing up at protests to challenge, what they see as, harmful government actions.
A protester named Ava echoed that sentiment, warning that attacks on one group’s rights often lead to attacks on individuals.
“We can see clearly from across the US what happens when you remove one group’s rights, it immediately starts knocking on to other groups, and we can see that happening already. You can’t take away one group’s rights without starting to erode the others. It’s just unacceptable,” they told YorkMix.
Although initially upset by the ruling, Ava said it ultimately reminded her of the community’s strength.
“I was angry and it made me sad, but it took me a day or two to realise they’re trying to delete us and take away our identity, but we’re still here, and they’re trying to disempower us, but we still have power and we still have our identities. All they’ve done is shown themselves to be cowards, and that’s the problem.”
Check out the pictures of the peaceful protest below.
