On 21st May 2026, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) laid a new code of practice for access to services based on gender before Parliament. The code is the EHRC’s second attempt at providing guidance based on interpretation of the 2024 For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers case at the Supreme Court. For those who are unaware of the details of the case, that judgement saw Justices define women according to their birth-assigned sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, essentially excluding trans women from initiatives intended for women.
Although exclusion of trans women is the particular focus on the Supreme Court case, the impact of the judgement and the subsequent guidance affects people of all genders, cis and trans. It also has a broader impact on queer people. Paragraphs 2.50 + 2.92 of the proposed code excludes trans women from the definition of lesbian. This means that a married couple containing a cis lesbian and a trans lesbian would not be able to claim protection under the protected characteristic of sexual orientation because according to the code, they are a heterosexual couple.
The code will automatically pass into law 40 days after it was laid before Parliament without scrutiny, debate, or vote unless we act now. That means that if no objections are raised by 29th June 2026, the code will gain statutory power.
There are practical things we can do, but we have to act fast. Follow the guide below to take steps to contact your MP and sign the petition for a comprehensive review of equalities guidance for LGBTQI+ people.
Ask your friends to do this too. If you have people in your life who love you, ask them to support you in this action.
1. Email your MP
This link will open a proforma email template in your email programme. Works on your phone and on desktop.
Dear [MP’s name],
I am writing as your constituent [your full name and postal address] to ask you to stand with the Trans+, non-binary and LGBT+ community and use your place in Parliament to protect our rights.
The EHRC’s updated Code of Practice was laid in Parliament on 21 May. From everything we have heard about its interpretation of the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling, it marks a massive step back for trans and non-binary people.
The Code will effectively bring about a trans+ bathroom ban, but it goes much further. It will limit access to healthcare, housing, women’s groups (even ones that have always been trans-inclusive), social care, domestic violence refuges, gyms, pools and spas.
It will also redefine lesbian and gay relationships under the Equality Act’s sexual orientation provisions. Read together, paragraphs 2.50 and 2.92 of the Code mean that a trans woman in a relationship with a cis woman is no longer protected as a lesbian couple.
As a [your identity, if you want to share]: [one sentence about how this makes you feel].
The EHRC’s draft consultation received over 50,000 responses, many from trans and non-binary people and the people who love them. This Code does not arrive in isolation. It sits inside a wider pattern of removing trans rights.
I am asking you to:
- Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate and a free vote on this Code.
- Support any motion tabled in Parliament objecting to it.
- Write to the Minister for Women and Equalities and the Prime Minister.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Click to find your MP’s email address
It’s important to personalise the sections in [square brackets] in the template before sending.
- Include your MPs name as listed on the Parliament site.
- Ensure that you put your full name, address, and postcode. MPs are only required to respond to their constituents, so including all your details will get a faster response.
- Include your identity, your job, or other reason why this affects you in the section that says [your identity, if you want to share]. This helps to make it clear how this development affects you.
- Change [one sentence about how this makes you feel] to reflect your own experiences. This could be the impact on yourself, friends, family members, your clients, your community. Make it personal and direct.
- Sign off with your real name, because again MPs will not respond to people who aren’t constituents.
2. Sign the petition
Follow this link to sign petition 760382. If the petition reaches 10,000 signatures before the end of September 2026, it will be put before the House of Commons for a debate on constituting a comprehensive review of equalities legislation for LGBTQI+ people.
Once you have entered your details, don’t forget to check your email and click the link to confirm your signature. Without that, your name will not be counted in the numbers.
3. Read a clear digest of the likely impact if the Code of Practice becomes law
Artist and queer organiser Bimini has written a plain English explainer about the Code of Practice on their Substack. It is with thanks to them that we also share the above steps to take action. They laid out these clear steps in their own post to make it as easy as possible to take action for those of us who are overworked and overwhelmed.
Many therapists will already be seeing the impact on trans clients as they talk about retreating from public life or even more drastic actions they feel are their only options in what Trans Actual has called a “hostile environment.” Amnesty International has sounded the alarm about the shadowy organisations pushing for restriction of trans rights as a vanguard operation to roll back LGBT rights, gender equality, and abortion access.
Trans people, especially trans women, need our support in numbers. We need allies to step up to help with this cause. Please take some time today to make a few clicks in support of our queer and trans siblings.
Therapists Against Conversion Therapy and Transphobia 