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Rebecca Bull vs. transgender people

Rebecca Bull is a British solicitor and anti-transgender activist. Bull is a co-founder of anti-trans group Sex Matters.

Background

Rebecca Mary Kirkwood Bull was born in September 1981. Bull earned a bachelor’s degree from University of York in 2003 and a master’s degree from University of Manchester in 2004.

From 2008 to 2010, Bull was a trainee solicitor at Hill Dickinson LLP. From 2010 to 2012, Bull was an
employment solicitor at EAD Solicitors before joining Simpsons Solicitors in that role in 2012.

Anti-trans activism

In 2020, Bull, Maya Forstater, and Anya Palmer co-founded anti-trans private company Sex Matters. On January 1, 2021 Palmer was removed, and Naomi Cunningham and Emma Hilton were added. Sex Matters frequently lists the original founders as Rebecca Bull, Forstater, Cunningham, and Hilton. The private company was dissolved in 2025.

Sex Matters became a registered charity on April 3, 2024. The original four trustees were Bull, Michael Biggs, Emma Hilton, and Anya Palmer.

References

Hansford, Amelia (January 7, 2026). Charity Commission investigating Sex Matters following formal complaints. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/01/07/sex-matters-charity-commission-investigation/

Domb, Arielle (July 14, 2025). Who are Sex Matters? The group fighting to ban trans women from Hampstead Heath’s ‘ladies only’ pond. London Evening Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/sex-matters-who-hampstead-heath-women-only-pond-b1238022.html

Whirehead, Harriet (April 5, 2024). Regulator grants Sex Matters charitable status. Civil Society https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/regulator-grants-sex-matters-charitable-status.html

Anti-trans coverage

Nobre, Andreia (December 8, 2021). UK: Law Commission Advises Parliament to Protect ‘Gender Critical’ Views. 4W https://4w.pub/protect-gc-views/

Selected writing by Bull

Kurnatowska, Monica; Bull, Rebecca (May 15, 2025). Why the Supreme Court ruling on women-only spaces and services matters for construction employers. Building https://www.building.co.uk/why-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-women-only-spaces-and-services-matters-for-construction-employers/5135847.article

Staff report (20th September 2024). Sex Matters appoints new trustees. Sex Matters  https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/sex-matters-appoints-new-trustees/

Bull, Rebecca (22nd June 2022). Trans students: the legal risks for schools. Tes Magazine https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/trans-students-legal-risks-schools

Bull, Rebecca (April 7, 2022). Single Sex Services: 10 Reasons why the Statutory Code should now be updated. Legal Feminist https://www.legalfeminist.org.uk/2022/04/07/single-sex-services-10-reasons-why-the-statutory-code-should-now-be-updated/

Bull, Rebecca (February 24, 2020). Rebecca Bull: The impact of gender recognition legislation on sex-based rights. Scottish Legal News https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/rebecca-bull-the-impact-of-gender-recognition-legislation-on-sex-based-rights

Bull, Rebecca (October 7, 2020). Sex and the Law Society: Open Letter to the Simon Davis, President of the Law Society.. Legal Feminist https://www.legalfeminist.org.uk/2020/10/07/sex-and-the-law-society-open-letter-to-the-simon-davies-president-of-the-law-society/

Asteriti, Alessandra; Bull, Rebecca (2020). Gender Self-Declaration and Women’s Rights: How Self Identification Undermines Women’s Rights and Will Lead to an Increase in Harms: A Reply to Alex Sharpe, ‘Will Gender Self-Declaration Undermine Women’s Rights and Lead to an Increase in Harms?’ (2020) 83(3) Modern Law Review, 539. https://www.modernlawreview.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Asteriti-and-Bull-Reply-to-Sharpe.pdf

Media

Woman’s Place UK (Mar 28, 2022). A Woman’s Place is in Manchester: Rebecca Bull (24 March 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEC4GYQJvwg

Resources

Legal Feminist (legalfeminist.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Sex Matters (sex-matters.org)

Tes (tes.com)