Trans women are told to call 999 if they are made to leave female-only spaces and feel ‘unsafe’

• The advice was given by Mermaids – the UK’s largest child transgender charity 
• It tells trans women what they can do if asked to leave women-only spaces
• The charity says if they feel ‘at risk of harm’ to ‘call someone you trust, or… 999’
• One discrimination lawyer called the advice to call 999 ‘grossly irresponsible’

Trans women should call 999 if they feel unsafe after being asked to leave women-only spaces, the UK’s largest child transgender charity has said.

Mermaids said it was ‘not happy’ with the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s ruling that trans women can be excluded from female-only spaces if there is a legitimate reason, such as protecting privacy.

Last month the EHRC published guidance to help venues make lawful decisions on services they offer to women and men separately, such as toilets. 

Mermaids said the guidance was ‘not the law and cannot be enforced’ before listing tips on what to do if ‘someone asks you to leave a facility’.

Mermaids has said it is ‘not happy’ after a ruling by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that trans women can be excluded from female-only spaces (file photo)

It advises those ‘at risk of harm’ to ‘call someone you trust, or… 999’. 

Naomi Cunningham, a discrimination law barrister, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘The advice to call 999 is grossly irresponsible.’

Mermaids was contacted for comment.

The EHRC ruled service providers ‘wishing to limit services to a single sex are legally able to do so, provided the reasons are justified and proportionate’.

These could include ‘reasons of privacy, decency, to prevent trauma or to ensure health and safety’, it said.

Last week, Mermaids criticised the ruling, claiming it was ‘not inclusive enough of trans people’.

It said: ‘You cannot be excluded from a single sex space without a fair reason. Someone being ‘scared’ of trans people is not a good enough reason’.

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