Supporting our trans community

This update follows the UK Supreme Court's ruling, in relation to For Women Scotland (Ltd) versus the Scottish Ministers and the subsequent consultation process being conducted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This ruling was in response to a challenge to Scottish legislation and is expected to have a wide-reaching impact on how equality law is interpreted across the UK. At York St John University, we know that the ruling has left some students and staff feeling uncertain about how this change might impact them.

We have responded to the consultation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on their code of practice for services, public functions and associations. We have outlined the need for clarity, including in relation to existing rights for trans people under the Equality Act 2010 and Gender Recognition Act 2004, and to ensure that we can fulfil our duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty.
 
We are currently in discussions with colleagues while we audit our provision and policies and will not be taking any immediate action during this process. Ultimately, our aim is to co-create solutions with relevant stakeholders to comply with the law alongside adhering to our own institutional values and commitment to support all members of our university community. As we work through this process and forthcoming EHRC guidance, we will update any relevant policies as appropriate.
 
We remain committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone. We understand some of our staff and students may be feeling anxious at the moment and might benefit from some wellbeing support.
 
Students can access support from our Wellbeing and Welfare teams via our website.
For staff, a full range of support can be accessed via our Health and Wellbeing intranet page. 

We understand that people will have personal and varying views in response to the ruling.  We recognise and support everyone’s right to engage in open dialogue in line with our core principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom.
 
Thank you for navigating this change with empathy and respect.