Following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on 16 April 2025 – confirming that the legal definition of a woman refers to biological sex, while reaffirming that transgender individuals remain protected under the Equality Act’s provision for gender reassignment – STA has been working closely with sector partners to understand the implications for members managing or working in leisure facilities.

What has happened since the ruling?
We continue to seek clarity from relevant organisations and are monitoring developments across the sector. In particular:

1. Sector Guidance Under Review

We can confirm that ukactive, in consultation with legal experts, has withdrawn its document ‘Guidance for Front Line Staff to Assist Trans People to Access Leisure Facilities’ from its website. This guidance has previously helped inform STA’s position and recommendations. Work is now underway across the sector to review and update this material once further direction is provided by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

2. Equality and Human Rights Commission Update

On 25 April 2025, the EHRC published an interim update outlining key implications of the ruling, including its relevance for women-only facilities. The Commission has confirmed that a new statutory Code of Practice will be issued in June, with a public consultation opening in May. This code will provide an essential legal foundation for updated sector guidance.

3. STA’s Interim Position & Member Guidance

While STA is not a regulatory body and does not directly operate facilities, we remain committed to supporting our members with clear, respectful, and legally informed guidance.

In this interim period, we recommend that STA members manage situations on a case-by-case basis, acting with sensitivity and understanding to ensure all customers are treated with dignity and respect while relevant policies remain under review. The EHRC has stated that employers and other duty-bearers must follow the law and are encouraged to seek specialist legal advice where necessary.

We also advise against making policy changes prematurely or based on guidance that is not independently reviewed or sector-specific. Until the EHRC’s final Code of Practice is published in June, we encourage all members to refer to the EHRC’s interim update for further direction, available here.

STA will continue to work in collaboration with sector partners, including ukactive and CIMSPA, and will continue to keep you informed as new information becomes available to ensure you remain fully up to date.