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Woman’s Place UK vs. transgender people

Woman’s Place UK is a British anti-trans organization active from 2017 to 2024. It was formed to oppose gender self-identification and to keep sex segregation enshrined in law and policy. Many key figures in British anti-trans extremism were involved in the organization.

The Labour Campaign for Trans Rights described it as a hate group.

Background

Woman’s Place UK originally published 5 demands:

  1. Respectful and evidence-based discussion about the impact of the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act to be allowed to take place & for women’s voices to be heard.
  2. The principle of women-only spaces to be upheld – and where necessary extended.
  3. A review of how the exemptions in the Equality Act which allow for single sex services or requirements that only a woman can apply for a job (such as in a domestic violence refuge) are being applied in practice.
  4. Government to consult with women’s organisations on how self-declaration would impact on women-only services and spaces.
  5. Government to consult on how self-declaration will impact upon data gathering – such as crime, employment, pay and health statistics & monitoring of sex-based discrimination such as the gender pay gap.

They also enacted 5 resolutions:

  1. Women have a right to self-organise: Women have a right to self-organisation, to speak and to be heard free from fear of abuse, threat or vilification in public and political discourse and in academia. This should be actively facilitated by those with civic or legal responsibility for promoting equality.
  2. An end to violence against women: Government must make the end to male violence against women and girls a priority. Sustainable funding for independent women-led services for women subjected to VAWG must be fully resourced by central government alongside the implementation of statutory relationships and sex education in all schools.
  3. Nothing about us without us: All organisations, committees and politicians speaking on issues of material concern to women to demonstrate that they have widely consulted the women they represent and serve and that such consultation informs their action and their policies.
  4. The law must work for women: The law must be strengthened to ensure that all women who want or need single sex spaces (including toilets, health provision accommodation, prisons, sports, sexual and domestic violence services) are able to access them without resorting to extraordinary measures. Service providers should be supported in offering such services through legal and financial means and clear guidance must be issued on the exercising of such rights. There needs to a complete overhaul of the criminal justice system and its treatment of women and girls.
  5. Sex matters: Rigorous collection and analysis of sex-based data and high-quality research must be central to the development of any services, policies or actions which address women’s needs or which challenge sex discrimination and inequality.

People

Directors

  • Ali Ceesay
  • Judith Green Co-founder
  • Philipa Harvey
  • Sarah Johnson
  • Kim Thomas Press Officer
  • Kiri Tunks Co-founder
  • Helen Watts

Other officers

Women’s Liberation 2020 Conference

This anti-trans event was hosted by UCL Women’s Liberation Special Interest Group in conjunction with Woman’s Place UK and supported by Centre for Womens Justice, FiLiA, National Assembly of Women & Southall Black Sisters.

Opening plenary

Panels

  1. How can women campaign for our own interests? Mary Davis, Judith Green, Pragna Patel, Chair: Holly Smith
  2. How can we make the law work for women? Harriet Wistrich, Julian Norman, Allison Bailey
  3. What needs to happen to end violence against women & girls? Karen Inglala Smith, Nina M, Fiona Broadfoot, Chair: Judith Suissa
  4. How can policy making work for women? Alice Sullivan, Mary-Ann Stephenson, Lucy Hunter Blackburn, Chair: Lesley Gourlay
  5. Do sex differences exist & do they matter? Sophie Scott, Katie Alcock, Emma Hilton, Chair: Gemma Moss

Workshops

  1. Women & Law: Audrey Ludwig & Julian Norman
  2. Women’s Rights are Human Rights: using the law and lobbying to uphold our rights Rosa Freedman, Viv Hayes & R
  3. Speaking up in universities and HE: Shereen Benjamin, Kathleen Stock & Raquel Rosario Sanchez
  4. Speaking up: how to & what to be aware of Jodie Ginsberg & Helen Steel
  5. Grassroots Campaigning This workshop is women only Jean Hatchet & Ali Ceesay
  6. Organising in political parties Kay & Dawn
  7. Organising in trade unions Cindy Douglas, Lucy Masoud & Ruth Serwotka
  8. Organising in communities & NGOs: Pilgrim Tucker & Marjorie Mayo
  9. Lesbians in a straight world: Lesbian erasure & visibility: Angela Wild, Grace Adetoro, Sarah Masson, Maji, Charlie Evans & Liane Timmermann
  10. Disability, women’s rights & activism: Fiona A Kumari Campbell, Michelle Moore & Becki Meakin
  11. Challenging the hostile environment: race & inclusion: Rahila Gupta
  12. Men supporting women’s rights (without taking over, talking over or expecting medals): Michael Conroy & David Challen
  13. Making the media work for women: Hannah Bayman, Nina Goswami, Reged Ahmed & Tammi Walker
  14. Towards a progressive RSE system: Gemma Aitchison & Philippa Harvey
  15. Women & local economic decisions: Janet Veitch & Sue Himmelweit
  16. Prevention of violence against women: Michaela Clare Addison & Hibo Wardere
  17. Abolition of the sex trade: First Session ONLY: Fiona Broadfoot
  18. A woman’s place is not in prison: Frances Crook & Jo Phoenix
  19. Critical issues in Women’s sexual and reproductive health: Susan Bewley
  20. Brexit is not done: What is the feminist agenda for the negotiations? Mary-Ann Stephanson & Sylvia Walby
  21. Countering wrong body narratives: Stephanie Davies-Arai
  22. Intersectional Feminism: Claire Heuchan
  23. Doing Women’s History: motives, methods, politics & fun: Selina Todd & Sarah Pederson
  24. Lessons from the women’s movement: Paula Boulton
  25. Secularism, faith and the women’s movement Yasmin Rehman & Maryam Namazie
  26. Sex & class – Ladies versus Women!: Louise Raw
  27. Why is the media’s coverage of women’s issues so terrible? Helen Joyce
  28. Why are men not held accountable for violence against women & girls? Jessica Taylor
  29. ‘Becoming woman’ – Sex-based socialisation & the second wave: Jane Clare Jones & Dani Ahrens
  30. Feminism & Neoliberalism: Judith Suissa & Bea Campbell

Closing Plenary

  • Joan McAlpine MSP
  • Julie Bindel
  • Kiri Tunks
  • Chair: Holly Smith

Other events

A Woman’s Place is in conversation: challenging men’s violence against women 17th September 2020 Joan Smith, Pragna Patel, Karen Ingala Smith, Afsana Lachaux

A Woman’s Place crosses the pond: Equality law in the UK and USA 25th July 2020 Audrey Ludwig, Elizabeth Hungerford, Lucy Masoud

A Woman’s Place is in conversation: Sex in the Census 18th October 2020 Alice Sullivan, Lisa Mackenzie, Jane Clare Jones, Selina Todd

A Woman’s Place is in the House of Lords 10 October 2018 Speakers: Kathleen Stock, Julian Norman and Raquel Rosario Sanchez, Baroness Winterbourne (Chair)

WPUK Goes to the Movies: But What Was She Wearing? 28th June 2020 Vaisnavi Sundar and Gita Sahgal

Women’s Liberation 2020 1st February

References

Krasteva, Gergana (7 February 2021). Oxford University project says ‘women must be defined by sex.’ Oxford Mail https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19071904.oxford-university-womens-rights-project-keeps-trans-women/

Melero, Shannon (20 December 2020). Why Did Lush UK Give Money to an Anti-Trans Group? Jezebel https://jezebel.com/why-did-lush-uk-give-money-to-an-anti-trans-group-1845785110

Krasteva, Gergana (14 December 2020). Oxford University biggest funder of ‘anti-trans’ group. Oxford Mail https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18942476.oxford-university-biggest-funder-anti-trans-womans-place-uk/

Parsons, Vic (3 March 2020). Trans allies pull out of University of Oxford feminist conference over ties with ‘clearly transphobic’ Woman’s Place UK. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/03/womans-place-uk-selina-todd-oxford-university-feminism-transphobia-lola-olufemi/

Brown, Andrew (20 February 2020). When Social Justice Activism Becomes an Act of Self-Destruction. Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/20/labour-starmer-transgender-rights-social-justice-activism-becomes-an-act-of-self-harm/

Krasteva, Gergana (8 February 2020). Oxford historian wants the legal definition of a woman to be based on sex only. Oxford Mail https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19071904.oxford-university-womens-rights-project-keeps-trans-women/

Staff report (12 April 2018). Protest by transgender community over A Women’s Place meeting. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-43745853

Media

BBC News (Oct 20, 2018). Why some women don’t back ‘self-identifying’ – BBC News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubMWHxvi5gU

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Woman’s Place UK (womansplaceuk.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

UK Companies House (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk)