Brrrr…Maya and supporters outside the Royal Courts of Justice on 3rd November, before our High Court challenge over the Hampstead Heath ponds
On Tuesday 3rd November I found myself in bare feet and a swimsuit standing on the pavement outside the Royal Courts of Justice, with eight other brave souls. We wanted to make a splash in the papers and we did.
The picture says everything about the significance of the case. The iconic sign. The clear rule that defines and protects a valued women’s service. And the women who refuse to be shamed or bullied into giving up their rights.
Inside, the court was packed with women (and a few men). Our list of witnesses was read out: Josey Graham, Issy Ismail, Marilyn Herman, Eve Kay-Kreizman, Joyce Glasser, an anonymous GP, Charlotte Godber and Felix Oram. Other stories feature in my witness statement, including those of Susie Cottee, Carol Jones, Janice Williams, Amanda Craig, Beverley Woodburn, Lissa Evans, Alison Jenner, Carol Lewis and Kimberley Turner. Many of these were in court.
The City of London says it is confident its approach is “lawful, proportionate, and appropriate”. But it did everything it could to stop the case getting even this far, arguing that we were either too early or too late to bring a case, and that if a case was to be brought at all, it should be brought by individual swimmers.
One by one those excuses were demolished and finally the City found itself shivering in its swimming trunks, with no choice left but to dive in.
The City’s barrister, Dan Stillitz KC, argued that it isn’t direct sex discrimination to exclude men or women from a service as long as the service provider does so on the basis that the people excluded are “living as” men or women, rather than because they are male or female. According to him, it is a “win-win” to allow trans-identifying men into the women’s pond, because women benefit from those men’s presence. “It’s a feature, not a bug,” he claimed.
Moreover, he added, even if some women are disadvantaged, humiliated, frightened, traumatised or excluded by the City’s policy, this can be justified because that policy is a “positive action” to benefit transgender individuals, which outweighs any negative impact on others.
I hope the judge sees through all this for the legally incoherent, sexist, offensive, irresponsible nonsense that it is.
As with For Women Scotland, this isn’t a case merely about how the Equality Act applies in a specific situation. It is about whether a service provider – the City or any other – can use such word games to evade responsibility for being clear about whether a service is single sex or for both sexes.
It is likely to be spring before we get a judgment. In the meantime, our thanks go to our brilliant legal team, Sasha Rozansky, Tom Cross KC and Sarah Steinhart, and to all the witnesses and everyone who came to court or donated to support this case.
Left to right: Maya, Sarah Steinhardt, Sasha Rozansky, Fiona and Tom Cross KC after the hearing
We are still short of our stretch target for the case (this is the third time we have been in court for this case since it began in August 2025).
Find out more
Defendant’s skeleton in R (Sex Matters) v City of London
Claimant’s skeleton in R (Sex Matters) v City of London
Media coverage
Court hears Hampstead ponds trans access challenge
BBC News covered our High Court challenge to the City of London Corporation’s policy on the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond.
BBC News
Legal fights for women’s spaces and parents’ rights | Fiona McAnena on Talk TV
Jeremy Kyle • Talk TV
Letting trans women use female Hampstead Heath pond ‘breaks equality law’
Sanchez Manning for The Times reported on our High Court challenge to the City of London Corporation’s policy on the Hampstead Heath ponds.
Sanchez Manning • The Times
Women can’t tell if trans people use Hampstead ladies’ pond, court hears
Gabriella Swerling for The Telegraph covered our High Court challenge to the City of London Corporation’s policy of allowing men into the women’s bathing pond, showers and changing rooms at Hampstead Heath.
Gabriella Swerling • The Telegraph
Hampstead Heath pond trans inclusive rules go to High Court
Bridget Galton for the Ham & High covered our High Court challenge over the Hampstead Heath ponds, quoting our blog post from before the hearing: “We are challenging the City of London’s decision that men who identify as women may...
Bridget Galton • Ham & High
Hands off our kids!
With thanks to Fair Play For Women for inspiration, we have produced a new two-minute animated video which explains why people should be concerned about the draft Conversion Practices Bill, and what action they can take.
Please share it around whenever you see it on social media.
It links to an email tool that will help you to write to your MP, and a short template to help you submit evidence to the parliamentary committee scrutinising the bill. You don’t have to answer all 16 questions – we suggest that people answer three short questions (about whether the legislation achieves its goals, whether it fills a gap in the law and whether it defines things clearly - No, No and No) and one long question (where they can explain how the bill could affect them, for example as a parent or family member, or at work or as a volunteer).
The Daily Telegraph has picked up the issue and turned it into a campaign, and there has been media coverage in many other outlets too (including The Independent!), so now is a good time to talk to friends and to write to your MP about the issue.
Find out more
First evidence session: criminalising parents who don’t affirm
Media coverage
Speaking on conversion practices in Parliament | Helen Joyce on Free Speech Nation
Josh Howie • GB News
Revealed: How Labour conversion therapy ban could land company bosses in court
“Every organisation in the country should be terrified of the Government’s Draft Conversion Practices Bill.” - Helen Joyce
Martin Beckford • Daily Mail
“It’s hard to imagine more incompetent legislative drafting – or a more draconian and harmful law.” - Helen Joyce
Conservative Post
Bringing criminal law to your kitchen table | Maya Forstater on Talk TV
Alex Phillips • Talk TV
Bosses risk jail if staff use wrong pronouns under trans law
“Given the insistence of the trans lobby that having to use the correct toilets for their sex is a serious infringement of trans people’s human rights, employers will be between a rock and a hard place. Let trans-identifying men use... - Helen Joyce
Daniel Martin • The Telegraph
Why employers should worry about the Conversion Practices Bill | Maya Forstater on Talk TV
Jeremy Kyle • Talk TV
Anger over £100million cost of Labour’s gender Bill
“The idea that the conversion practices bill could contribute nearly £800 million to the economy is pure fantasy based on shaky evidence, while the cost of the bill has been grossly underestimated.” - Maya Forstater
Martin Beckford • Daily Mail
In other news
How schools are dragging pupils into the trans debate
“Demanding that pupils affirm a cross-sex identity is misleading and confusing for the children. It centres the teacher’s desire for affirmation at the expense of the learning needs of the pupils. Other staff should have no truck with this.” - Fiona McAnena
Janet Murray • The Telegraph
Taxpayers foot £6.5m bill as trans breast removal surgeries soar
“The NHS should not be providing treatment that does no good and a great deal of harm. It’s only a matter of time before these surgeries are looked back on with the same sort of horror as lobotomies.” - Helen Joyce
Hayley Dixon, Richard White • The Telegraph
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