Trans rights protest held outside Hull Crown Court following Supreme Court ruling
– 2 min read
A group of demonstrators gathered outside Hull Crown Court on Thursday morning to show solidarity with the trans community in response to the Supreme Court's decision regarding the legal definition of "woman."
Police were called to the scene at approximately 10.30am after reports of the protest. According to one activist, the group consisted of 15 individuals ranging in age from 16 to 51.
The peaceful protest followed an April 2025 ruling by the UK Supreme Court, which clarified that under the Equality Act, the term "woman" refers specifically to a biological female, and that "sex" denotes biological sex. This decision has been widely criticised by human rights groups, who argue it undermines legal protections for transgender individuals
According to the 2025 Trans Rights Index by Transgender Europe (TGEU), the UK is among several countries experiencing a significant rollback in trans rights. For the first time in the index’s 13-year history, regressions in trans human rights across Europe and Central Asia now outweigh progress
Legal experts have warned that the UK is approaching some of the most restrictive trans policies in the Western world.
The protest group outside Hull Crown Court urged the public to "judge us on our behaviour and not on our appearance or our transness."
The youngest of the group, a 16-year-old who protested inside the court, added: “I'm taking part in this action because I'm painfully aware of the danger this ruling puts my community in, especially my trans sisters. We must prove to those in power that we are not powerless, and we will fight to ensure that trans voices are heard and trans rights are respected.
"We deserve to be treated as the gender we identify as, and pushing us into incorrect spaces, or leaving us with no public spaces at all, will have detrimental effects on our mental wellbeing. We call on the government and the courts to end the increasing isolation of trans people.”
