What does the Supreme Court judgment mean for lesbians?
This panel will discuss the implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment on the term "sex" and its implications for lesbians, the journey to this decision, and what lies ahead.
What does the Supreme Court judgment mean for lesbians?
25 Jun 2025, 18:30 – 20:30
On 16 April 2025, a judgment from the UK Supreme Court stated that the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, as part of the case of For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers.
The Lesbian Project, Scottish Lesbians and LGB Alliance acted as interveners in the case, submitting evidence in support of the position of For Women Scotland that sex means biological sex. The judgment referred to the autonomy and dignity of lesbians and to their freedom of association to meet as a single-sex group.
This event will be particularly useful to anyone who wants to understand the implications of the Supreme Court judgement.
Related links
Image
Zaie via Adobe Stock.
Julie Bindel
Co-founder and Co-director
The Lesbian Project
She is an investigative journalist, author and feminist campaigner against male violence. Her latest book, Lesbians examines what defines lesbian culture, love, friendship and happiness today.
Julie is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading School of Law.
Professor Jo Phoenix
Professor of Criminology
University of Reading
Her academic expertise is in the areas of youth justice, sex, gender and justice, qualitative research methodology, discourse analysis and academic freedom, politics, ethics and research.
She took the Open University to an Employment Tribunal for harassment, discrimination and constructive dismissal and, in January 2024, she won her case.
Jo is currently writing a socio-autobiography of her experiences of being a lesbian, a feminist, an academic, cancelled and a successful claimant.
Akua Reindorf KC
Barrister
Cloisters Chambers
She specialises in employment, discrimination and human rights law. She is instructed in high profile trials and investigations involving significant reputational risk, polarising and contested identity and equality issues or serious harassment.
She is the author of the Reindorf Report and was appointed as a Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2021. She is a visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE Law School.
Dr Diane Stoianov
Research Administrator
UCL Children and Families Policy Research Unit (CPRU)
She has a background in policy-facing research in the women’s sector, and is currently Research Lead at The Lesbian Project, a research think tank aiming to build a robust knowledge base around lesbian lives and wellbeing in the UK.
She is also a convenor of UCL Women’s Liberation.
Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
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