With the entry into force of the 'Code of Best Practice' established by the UK's equality regulator, toilets, spa complexes, hospital wards, and any other gender-segregated facilities must be used according to the sex assigned at birth, rather than the gender a person identifies with.
According to a report by the agency Efe, this means that approximately 13,000 toilets and over 5,000 spa complexes in gyms, hospitals, and leisure centers across England, Scotland, and Wales may require reconstruction, costing tens of millions of pounds.
The implementation of this directive followed a Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 in a case brought by the organization For Women Scotland, which limited the legal definition of a woman to biological sex. This decision was widely criticized and deemed discriminatory towards transgender individuals.
The Code stipulates that service providers may, at their discretion, exclude a transgender person from using a facility designated for only one sex to 'avoid awkwardness or discomfort' for other users, or if other people object to shared use of the space based on appearance.
The UK Secretary of State for Women and Equality, Bridget Phillipson, presented the draft code to Parliament on May 21, after which it was automatically approved on July 9, as the 40-day period expired without discussion or voting in either House, despite requests from several LGBTQ+ organizations.
The British organization Trans+ Solidarity Alliance stated in July that transgender people 'will face risks' and their access to essential services 'will become more restricted' after the new directives come into effect.
The organization's manifesto added: 'This is about the ability of transgender people to live their daily lives safely and confidently. This Code of Best Practice will not make the problem disappear, as some seem to wish.'
