Trans people banned from women’s changing rooms, under proposed NHS guidelines
Proposed NHS guidelines have said trans people should not be allowed to use women’s changing rooms.
These proposals, which were drawn up by a group of nurses from Darlington, say female single-sex spaces are private and should not be inclusive of biological males.
This comes as the nurses are taking their employer, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, to an employment tribunal over sexual discrimination and sexual harassment.
This was after they were made to share a changing room with a biological male who identified as a woman, but who was not undergoing any medical treatment to transition.
The nurses said they raised their concerns with HR but were promptly told they needed to be “re-educated.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting met with the women in October, and requested they send him a proposal.
The document, sent to the Health Secretary last month, notes that there should be no “hierarchy” under equality laws, and that the rights of trans people should not be prioritised over those of women.
It says: “There is no hierarchy between the protected characteristics. Each of the nine characteristics enjoys full legal protection. Discrimination or harassment related to one characteristic may never be justified by the need to protect another characteristic.”
The draft also says that members of staff have a right to privacy for activities such as using the toilet and changing, and denying them that right could breach their human rights.
The proposal also states that people’s genuine feelings about their identity must be treated with respect, however legal requirements relating to sex and gender reassignment must take priority.
Bethany Hutchinson, one of the nurses, said she hoped these proposals would “set a precedent for all public services and workplaces in the UK.”
She added: “We believe that as frontline NHS nurses directly impacted by these issues, we are well-placed to help politicians understand what is happening and what must change urgently.”
The nurses are set to speak to shadow minister for equalities Claire Coutinho to further discuss their suggestions.
Coutinho told The Telegraph that the nurses had shown extreme bravery in standing up for women’s rights in the NHS.
She said: “Their fight for fairness has my full support.”
She added: “Women should not be patronised, belittled, or ignored when raising concerns about the safety of single-sex spaces.”