Trans advocacy organisation unveils “Third Toilet” outside Supreme Court

TransActual UK, a trans advocacy organisation, has unveiled an eye-catching installation outside the UK Supreme Court.

TransActual UK has unveiled the “Third-Toilet”, which BBH London created. They are demanding urgent answers and protection for trans people in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on biological sex.

The question at the heart of their campaign is “where, exactly, are trans people supposed to go?”

Supreme Court ruling

As the Canary previously reported, in April the UK Supreme Court ruled that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer exclusively to characteristics assigned at birth. This was thanks to a campaign by anti-trans campaigners who mobilised under anti-feminist left hate campaigns and far-right hate movements.

Predictably, this decision had a far-reaching impact on who can access single-sex spaces, such as public toilets.

The TransActual installation is a direct response to comments made by Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. She suggested that trans rights groups should push for a separate “third space”.

The group have placed the toilet outside the UK’s highest court. Importantly, this reflects the exposure, isolation, and risk that trans people face in everyday life. It also challenges the idea that safety and dignity can be optional.

Additionally, they are aiming to pressure policymakers into providing clarity and protection for trans people, who are currently left in limbo. Many are unsure where they are safe to access public spaces, such as toilets, healthcare, work, education and society more broadly.

‘A powerful statement’ from TransActual

Hafsa Qureshi, a Director of TransActual UK, said:

The Supreme Court claimed it brought clarity to an area of difficulty. However, it did the exact opposite while also diminishing the rights or status of trans people in the UK. The impact on the trans community, to date, has been devastating.

This campaign is a powerful statement – about being forced to exist without safety, privacy, and rights, in full view of a society that refuses to see us; a demand for legal clarity, human dignity, and real, lived safety for all trans people; and an attempt to put pressure on public policy makers to ensure they are answering questions and, ultimately, are held to account.

Olivia Campbell Cavendish, a Founder & Executive Director of the Trans Legal Clinic (pictured above), said:

We need to move the conversation on from ridiculous things like bathrooms and onto the things that matter. And that is the safety of trans people everywhere.

Camila Gurgel and Ieva Paulina, Associate Creative Directors at BBH, the creators of the TransActual installation, said:

We can’t call it a victory when so much has been lost. The trans community was left out of a decision that directly impacted their lives. So we set out to create something that will help their voices be heard and their demands recognised.

Our hope is that the Third Toilet installation sparks awareness, conversation, solidarity and inspires more people to stand with the trans community.

Feature image via Trans Media Watch