Following his installation into number 10, new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly planning to make changes to the Equality Act 2010. In a report released by The Telegraph, Sunak is planning to review the Act thoroughly to "make it clear that sex means biological sex rather than gender." As it stands, the Equality Act protects people from discrimination, including prejudices based off a person's sex and/or "gender reassignment."
Transgender people, some of the most underrepresented and most vulnerable people in the UK, are protected under these rights which afford them legal protection. Currently transgender people have access to same-sex spaces and facilities like homeless shelters. Trans people are protected under the Equality Act, regardless if they have undergone medical treatment for transitioning or hold a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). Trans people are often referred to as "self-identifying".
The Telegraph also reported: “It would also mean clarifying that self-identification for transgender people does not have legal force, meaning transgender women have no legal right to access women-only facilities.”
