What are your chromosomes?
The UK Supreme Court have ruled that Sex = Chromosomes. Let’s see what this means for you and me.
I have never made a post like this in the past, but when such issues arise, I always find ways to show my support in the background; hope has still been kept alive. Sadly, after the decision made by the Supreme Court today, silence is no longer an option to tackle this heinous level of discrimination.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled that chromosomes = sex.
I am a trans masculine individual, and I am not ashamed to say that I have fought hard every day, battling my own thoughts – and the thoughts of the world – to say that I have a right to be here and that things will get better. This sentiment is all too real for fellow trans individuals, feeling marginalised for just trying to live, for just trying to be themselves.
The idea that chromosomes define one’s sex into a binary category, either male or female, is scientifically incorrect. Many conditions affect an individual’s chromosomes, whether that be (to give two examples) because they are born intersex, or with androgen insensitivity syndrome (https://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/services/disorders-of-sex-development/) (https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/our-services/find-service/womens-health-1/gynaecology/differences-sex-development).
It is very real that fellow members of society have chromosomes that don’t match their “biological sex”. Without actually getting your DNA tested, there’s a chance that your chromosomes don’t match the sex you are. See above.
All this ruling does is define and categorise what it means to be a woman, whether that be your looks, the way you dress, how tall you are, etc, etc. None of these things define you. Being a woman, or a man, is not defined by chromosomes; science does not correlate this. Nobody I know has actually had their chromosomes tested; this ruling creates a expectation of how you behave based on the way you look.
The harsh reality is that trans people, especially trans women, were, and always have been, attacked for just trying to be their authentic selves. I struggle to see how this is right? How is the UK going down this path? It is frightening and is certainly something that needs to change before more innocent trans people are murdered for simply living (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/20/brianna-ghey-found-guilty-murder) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-68145441) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34869620).
I’m taking my final bar exams, and as I take these final few steps to fulfil my dream of becoming a barrister, I have to live with the reality that the legal system I have worked so hard to be a part of, is now telling me that I am not valid. That I am not supported. That I cannot have the protection I so greatly need because of the divisive, far-right rhetoric of the few.
Whilst the Supreme Court tried to remind us in their judgment that trans people still have protection under the Equality Act 2010, it is difficult to see how we can live knowing now, the fire has already been lit, and that our rights are already being infringed upon? This is a worrying step in the wrong direction, and sets a nasty precedent for other protections’ historical rulings being overruled also. Will trans people lose their right to exist completely?
The Supreme Court remind the general public that this is not “a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another” (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/16/uk-supreme-court-legal-definition-woman), but with the insidious reaction of the far-right few, it is safe to say that this warning will not be heeded.
Safe spaces for women are so important, and trans women are women.
The ramifications of this decision reach far beyond what I can describe in this post, and will continue to affect trans people – as well as cis women – for years to come.
I am outraged, upset, and beyond fearful for what is to come. Please take the time to show your support for trans people you know; it is so important every day, but now, more than ever, we need your support. Educate yourself on the issue, read articles, keep up to date with the news on this, and please, whatever you do, don’t let this be the way things are.
I, and so many trans people, have fought so hard to be here today in more ways than we would like to admit, and every day we continue this fight. It is so hard and so exhausting. Hard enough, in fact, without rulings like this now trying to define us. We just want to be ourselves, the most authentic and happy version of ourselves.
Please share this, spread the message and keep talking about it. Don’t let this go silently. Don’t let us go silently.
Below are links to some articles to help follow along with the outcomes of this decision. Please take the time to educate yourself and show support for those trans people you know, now and always.