Rules on single-sex spaces pose risk to trans people's mental health, UK charities say

"Organisations including Samaritans, Mind, Centre for Mental Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists have written to the equalities minister, Bridget Phillipson, to express their deep concern about guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that is awaiting approval from the government. The letter says the guidance could deepen existing inequalities and pose significant risk to the mental health of trans and non-binary people across UK. It says: Mental health services should be places of refuge, not risk, and equality protections must strengthen, not erode, the conditions that enable people to feel safe and supported."

"The EHRC is waiting for ministers to approve its official guidance on how public bodies, businesses and other service providers should respond to the supreme court's ruling in April that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The guidance is expected to closely reflect interim advice stating that transgender people should not be allowed to use the toilets or changing rooms of the gender they live as, which was published by the EHRC immediately after the ruling."

"Last month a version leaked to the Times suggested that service providers would be able to question transgender women over whether they should be using single-sex facilities based on how they look, their behaviour or concerns raised by others. The organisations, which also include the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, Beat, the Mental Health Foundation and the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, are concerned about the impact on access to inpatient wards as well as community-based and crisis services."

Fifteen leading UK mental-health charities warn that proposed EHRC guidance on single-sex spaces could significantly harm the mental health of trans and non-binary people. The guidance would apply the supreme court's ruling that defines a woman by biological sex and is expected to advise that transgender people should not use toilets or changing rooms matching their lived gender. Leaked wording suggests service providers could question transgender women based on appearance, behaviour or others' concerns. Charities raise particular alarm about impacts on inpatient wards, community-based services and crisis support, and note that fear of abuse and discrimination elevates mental-health risk.

Read at www.theguardian.com