The EHRC code and the case for trans allyship

The updated EHRC Code of Practice follows last year’s Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of sex, and for trans, non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming people, it changes something fundamental: how safely they can move through everyday spaces, from toilets and changing rooms to healthcare settings and refuges. Even the government’s own impact assessment acknowledges the change is likely to cause harm. Drawing on my time with Switchboard’s Health Inclusion Project, where I listened directly to trans and non-binary community members about the barriers they face in healthcare and beyond, I set out why allyship has to start with listening, not theory.