As you may have seen in the news, the Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers was quite a large case in terms of Transgender health, safety, and wellbeing in this country. This ruling changed the definitions used in same sex spaces, such as restrooms. This change means that rather than single sex spaces being defined based on gender, they are now being defined based on “biological sex”. The updated guidelines put forth by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have caused a great deal of uncertainty in an already tumultuous time for Transgender people worldwide. This ruling, however worrying it may be, does not change that the Union of Brunel Students remains an inclusive and safe space for transgender people attending Brunel University.
In light of this ruling, care is being taken to keep trans students’ health and safety as a priority. We are working internally to create policy which protects our students and their wellbeing, and to understand the implications these guidelines have on our campus spaces. We acknowledge this is a time of uncertainty and want to encourage students to seek support where they can. We also want to acknowledge the anxieties of transgender staff at this university, and state that we stand in solidarity with them to create a safe and inclusive Brunel.
The university provides spaces for trans students to find both support and community both through the union and the university at large:
The Union provides access to community spaces through both the LGBTQIA+ Student Network and LGBTQIA+ Society, which are accessible through the Union website. The Union also has the Advice team, who can provide students with support and direction for any potential help they may need.
The University itself has multiple support services, including the Wellbeing Team, Report + Support, and the Student Hub. These are all places where students can access wider support systems, whether it be counselling, reports of harassment or general services provided by the University, such as the hardship fund.
In addition to this, there are multiple external organisations where students can access support:
- Switchboard LGBTQIA+ helpline: phone, email or chat at switchboard.lgbt
- Mermaids: support for trans young people at mermaidsuk.org.uk
- MindOut: LGBTQ+ counselling at mindout.org.uk