"Hampstead Heath officials have said that the public swimming pools will remain trans-inclusive following campaigns by the gender-critical group Sex Matters. City of London Corporation councillors have voted to keep the parks' bathing ponds open to trans swimmers. In doing so, they rejected the campaigners' urging to follow the Supreme Court judgement that "sex" refers to biological sex."
"Councillors rejected this "strictly single-sex access" bid. Instead, they are maintaining existing rules that the Ladies' Pond is for use by biological and trans women. In 2025, Sex Matters began legal proceedings against the City of London Corporation. Their "keep men out of the Ladies' Pond" campaign set out to challenge the trans-inclusive policy."
"The Sex Matters campaign argued that allowing trans people to use facilities of their gender identity was a breach of the Equality Act. However, a 2025 consultation, with over 38,000 participants, revealed most wanted the existing trans-inclusive arrangements to remain. Just 13% said they wanted the Men's and Ladies' ponds to become strictly single-sex spaces."
"'The people were asked. And the people responded correctly.' In response to the news about the pond being upheld as a trans-inclusive space, there is, sadly, some transphobic hatred spreading online. Though there are also those who are happy that the space will remain trans inclusive. One commenter on a news post about the ruling shared: "The people were asked. And the people responded correctly.""
Hampstead Heath officials will keep public swimming pools trans-inclusive following campaigns by Sex Matters. City of London Corporation councillors voted to keep parks’ bathing ponds open to trans swimmers and rejected calls to adopt strictly single-sex access based on a Supreme Court view of “sex” as biological sex. Existing rules will remain, with the Ladies’ Pond available to biological and trans women. Sex Matters began legal proceedings in 2025 to challenge the trans-inclusive policy, arguing it breaches the Equality Act. A 2025 consultation with over 38,000 participants found most people wanted trans-inclusive arrangements to continue, with only 13% supporting strictly single-sex spaces. Online reactions included transphobic hatred and supportive comments from pond users.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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