EHRC staff at ‘serious risk of violence’ from trans activists

The equalities watchdog has rebuked trans activists for threatening its staff, as vitriol increased following its guidance about the Supreme Court’s ruling on biological sex.

Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), told MPs that it had to cancel its annual board meeting due to a “serious risk of violence”, and said personal attacks “have to stop”.

On 16 April, the Supreme Court ruled that the terms ‘woman’, ‘man’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act refer to biological sex. The EHRC has launched a consultation on its updated guidance, which will become statutory once approved by Parliament.

Intimidation

Lady Falkner affirmed gender-critics who acted in a “dignified, respectful manner” in their campaign through the courts, rather than certain trans activists who have been using intimidation.

She emphasised: “What bothers me more than my own personal security is that my staff should be able to come to their place of work in safety, and that has been somewhat lacking in the last several years.”

“The level of agitation that they can cause in terms of personal attacks, libellous attacks, defamation, where our family members are affected – our intimate family members have to think about how they’re going about to their place of work – has got to stop”.

Kishwer Falkner gets emotional responding to a question from Rosie Duffield MP ( @RosieDuffield1) on activist violence, defends the right to protest but says attacks on @EHRC staff have been unacceptable.

A collective gasp in the room as Falkner is cut off by the Chair. pic.twitter.com/xnTZb4BvGn

— Sex Matters (@SexMattersOrg) June 11, 2025

‘The right decision’

According to a poll commissioned by women’s group Sex Matters, the majority of Brits support the Supreme Court’s decision.

Of 2,106 adults in Great Britain surveyed by YouGov, 63 per cent of respondents thought it was the “right decision” for the UK’s highest court to rule that the Equality Act 2010’s protections are based on “biological sex”. Just 18 per cent opposed the judgment, with 19 per cent unsure.

Susan Smith, a director of women’s rights group For Women Scotland, said: “For all the noise created by activists in recent weeks, this polling indicates that most people believe that women’s human rights matter and that the court acted correctly in determining that robust, clear definitions were critical”.