Protesters Target Equality Watchdog Over Trans Guidance

A protest group has targeted the headquarters of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in response to the commission’s controversial interim guidance on single-sex spaces.

The group, known as BASH BACK, claims responsibility for the action, describing themselves as a “trans-led direct action project focused on total transgender liberation.”

BASH BACK released a minute-long video showing several members approaching the commission’s London headquarters, smashing windows and spraying pink paint as a form of protest. The video is believed to have been recorded in the early hours of Friday morning, October 31.

Controversial Guidance Sparks Outrage

The EHRC's interim guidance, which has been the subject of widespread criticism, was published earlier this year following a UK Supreme Court decision. The court's ruling in the case of For Women Scotland vs Scottish Ministers interpreted ‘sex’ for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act to mean biological sex only.

The guidance suggested that organisations and service providers exclude trans men and women from single-sex services and spaces such as changing rooms and toilets, which align with their gender identity. It added that in “some circumstances,” trans people could be barred from spaces based on “biological sex.”

Clarifications provided later indicated that these “circumstances” referred to situations where a trans person’s presence could be reasonably objected to, for example, if a trans man had a masculine appearance that might cause discomfort in a female-only space.

Widespread Criticism

The guidance has been condemned by trans activists, LGBTQ+ groups, and human rights advocates, as well as members of parliament. Michael O’Flaherty, the commissioner for human rights for the Council of Europe, criticized the UK’s approach in a letter, warning that this “zero-sum approach” could lead to the widespread exclusion of trans people from many public spaces.

In early September, the EHRC submitted a finalized version of the guidance to the equalities minister, Bridget Phillipson. A leak suggested that the final document closely resembled the interim version, despite the uproar.

As of late October, the final guidance has yet to be publicly released, and the interim version has been removed from the EHRC website.

BASH BACK's Mission

A spokesperson for BASH BACK stated, “Under the leadership of ‘Baroness’ Falkner, the EHRC has transformed into a body that threatens our rights and freedoms.”

They added, “We cannot accept this. Despite immense legal and political pressure, they continue to push their guidance, promoting segregation of trans people from all single-sex spaces, in a cynical attempt to erase us from public life.”

The spokesperson cited past actions by the EHRC, such as the endorsement of conversion therapy, opposition to Gender Recognition Act reforms, and support for the Cass Review, as evidence of an increasingly hostile environment for trans rights.

“The EHRC describes human rights as basic rights and freedoms belonging to every human being. Yet they deny certain rights to trans people—rights denied to us specifically. Are we not human?” the spokesperson asked. “This is only the beginning—we must secure our freedoms through continuous resistance. We will not stop until we are free.”

BASH BACK has previously engaged in similar acts of protest. In September, they targeted the Brighton Centre ahead of the FiLiA Conference. Additionally, in August, they vandalized Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s East London office, protesting his decision to ban puberty blockers for trans youth under 18.

The EHRC has been contacted for comment but has yet to respond.