Salfordians have come forward with their views on the recent decision by the UK Supreme Court regarding the the legal definition of a “woman”.
On Friday 16 April 2025, the United Kingdom Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a “woman” in the Equality Act of 2010 is based on biological sex, not gender identity.
This stance taken by the UK’s highest court means that when discussing women-only spaces, a transgender woman could be excluded on the base of their assigned sex at birth.
Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer praised the decision made by the Supreme Court during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 23 April 2025.
Starmer said the ruling provided “clarity,” and “confidence to women,” despite many across the country fearing this judgement will only “create issues for biological women who don’t look feminine enough,” Jean-Baptiste, a concerned Salfordian remarked on our Facebook post.
Quinn Heath, 21, is a nonbinary individual who lives in Salford, expressed their frustration at the verdict, and Starmer’s praise, labelling it a “betrayal.”
They said: “I felt really betrayed and I just completely lost all hope. And then it started hitting me, I started realising that what this means for trans women, for cis women, for non binary people.”
However, Quinn then criticised Starmer for the “U-turn” he was accused of making during PMQs on Wednesday, they said: “I had a little bit of hope when Keir Starmer was talking about Brianna Ghey and her mother.
“I feel like maybe it was a little naïve to to have some hope that maybe we had a Prime Minister that could be on our side.”
This ruling has shocked trans people across the country, with many activists arguing that the decision was unnecessary, and will endanger transgender people across the country.
Quinn reflected this mindset, and said the judgement will cause animosity towards the trans community: “The UK has already got a national emergency against violence, now there’s going to be another emergency against this group of people, there’s going to be animosity between the cis people celebrating this verdict and trans communities.”
Other Salford residents took to social media to express their disappointment at the verdict, with many labelling the situation “backwards.”
These sentiments were echoed by Natalie Wilson, who said: “It’s ridiculous, trans women are women and trans men are men. Now misogynists will use it as an excuse to claim that any woman doesn’t look womanly enough.”
Many Salfordians agreed with the ruling, however, insisting that the judgement was “common sense,” and a sensible decision, made to protect women assigned female at birth in their own spaces.
Katie Dartnell said: “Biology is biology- men and women. The fact it’s taken a Supreme Court to define what a woman is, is madness.”
But Quinn argues the opposite, that trans individuals are their chosen identity, and the people complicating the topic are those trying to restrict their freedoms:
“I think it is common sense, yes. Women are women, whether or not you’re trans or not, you’re a woman.” They said, before calling for tolerance and acceptance for the transgender community:
Featured image – Creator: Ted Eytan
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