"A morning of trans joy and community celebration will take place to, as the organisers put it, "reclaim Hampstead Heath from the TERFs", as a public consultation on single-sex access to the ponds is underway following the threat of legal action from a gender-critical group. Kenwood Ladies', Highgate Men's, and Hampstead Mixed ponds in north London are all run by the City of London Corporation (CoLC) and are popular swimming and relaxation spots for Londoners."
"In 2019, the CoLC published a policy formally acknowledging trans people's right to swim in the single-sex ponds and five years later, in 2024, the support for inclusion was reaffirmed when members of the Kenwood Ladies' Pond Association (KLPA) voted to reject a different policy which would have redefined the word 'woman' to mean "only those born female in sex"."
"However, following the UK Supreme Court's controversial decision in April - which ruled the legal definition of "sex" and "woman" for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act refer to "biological sex" and "biological women" only - and subsequent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) interim single-sex spaces guidance - the gender-critical group Sex Matters vowed to take legal action against the CoCL if it did not ban trans swimmers from using the ponds that match their gender."
Trans-inclusive access to Kenwood Ladies', Highgate Men's and Hampstead Mixed ponds on Hampstead Heath faces organised opposition and legal threats. The ponds, run by the City of London Corporation, have been trans-inclusive swimming and relaxation sites since 1926. Gender-critical activists have campaigned to exclude trans people, especially trans women in the ladies' pond. The CoLC published a 2019 policy recognising trans people's right to use single-sex ponds, and KLPA members reaffirmed inclusion in 2024. A UK Supreme Court decision and EHRC interim guidance prompted the gender-critical group Sex Matters to threaten legal action, and the CoLC launched an October public consultation. A reclaim event was organised in response.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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