Disability rights activists are expressing “horror” as the UK’s trans community encounters similar issues of segregation and exclusion from public facilities, including restrooms, reminiscent of their own experiences. Following a supreme court ruling on biological sex, organizations have began banning trans individuals from using restrooms of their identified gender, often suggesting accessible facilities as an alternative.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservatives, and employment lawyers have proposed that trans individuals use disabled restrooms as a solution, especially for businesses lacking gender-neutral facilities. The head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Kishwer Falkner, has advised trans individuals to campaign for “third spaces” or gender-neutral restrooms.
However, disabled people’s organizations are strongly against the proposal, citing the inadequacy and poor condition of accessible restrooms, making them an unreliable option for either group. They also emphasize that the denial of access to restrooms effectively excludes individuals from public spaces, a sentiment deeply understood within the disability community.
Michaela Hollywood, a disability rights activist, highlights the scarcity of Changing Places toilets, essential for disabled individuals requiring hoists or other equipment. Given that one in three LGBT+ individuals are also disabled, Hollywood underscores the strong sense of solidarity within the disability community and the mutual support for the trans community.
Claire Glasman of WinVisible, a multiracial disabled women’s group, articulates that trans individuals should not be relegated to using disabled restrooms, which are often in disrepair or locked. Inclusion London, an organization for deaf and disabled individuals, warns that enforcing the use of accessible restrooms for trans individuals further marginalizes both communities and encourages public scrutiny based on appearance, which harms their collective rights.
Ju Gosling, co-chair of Regard, a national organization for LGBTQI and disabled individuals, criticizes the EHRC’s stance as akin to a “charter for people to bully you.” The ongoing debate and the potential for legal action over mistakenly allowing a trans person into the wrong restroom could lead to businesses opting out of providing restrooms altogether, exacerbating the issue for disabled individuals.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/24/disabled-campaigners-trans-people-toilet-segregation
