The UK – hardly a stranger to transphobia – has outdone itself in the past few months, with British authorities putting forward the most extreme and far-reaching anti-trans legislation in the western world. But it’s not too late to stop this: these policies have yet to become law, and we still have time to take more meaningful action than posting on Instagram. On Wednesday June 25, Trans Solidarity Alliance is staging a mass lobbying day to protest new statutory guidance, proposed by the EHRC, which would have a devastating effect on the lives of trans people in Britain. 

Following on from a landmark decision by the UK Supreme Court, which ruled that “sex” refers only to “biological sex” in the Equality Act, these codes of practice would enforce blanket exclusions of trans people across all areas of public life, from specialist services to public toilets and changing rooms. The guidance is still at the proposal stage: after a consultation process, it will go to the Minister for Equalities for initial approval before passing onto parliament where, unless MPs specifically vote it down, it will pass by default. “We’re organising the mass lobby to urge politicians to reject this proposal,” Jude Guaitamacchi, Trans Solidarity Alliance’s director, tells Dazed. “We don’t think it’s right, we don’t think it’s legal – and politicians can stop it.”

If you object to the British state’s accelerating persecution of trans people, this is the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard and do something which can really make a difference. Here’s everything you need to know about the lobbying day and how you can take part. 

WHAT IS A MASS LOBBYING DAY?

“A mass lobby is where lots of people around the country book in a meeting to talk to their MPs and members of the House of Lords in Parliament, at the same time and about the same issue,” explains Jude.  “We are asking people to contact their MP about the EHRC guidance and the devastating effect it will have on the lives of the trans+ community if it comes into law. With a growing human rights crisis, this moment really calls for visible and vocal solidarity. This is a powerful opportunity to let politicians know that the public cares deeply about trans rights.”

 This won’t be the first time the British LGBTQ+ community has used mass lobbying to protest discriminatory legislation. “In the late 1980s, hundreds of LGBTQ+ people took part in a mass lobby against the new legislation which would later become Section 28 of the Local Government Act in 1988,” says Jude. Next Wednesday is set to be the largest LGBTQ+ mass lobbying day since then, and may even surpass it in numbers. “Over a thousand people have registered so far, but we need more – and for everyone to turn up on the day and make their voices heard,” adds Jude.

HOW CAN PEOPLE TAKE PART?

To get involved, all you need to do is contact your MP and ask them to meet you at Parliament on June 25, between 1pm and 4pm. It doesn’t matter if they decline or don’t respond – you can still request a meeting on the day through a process known as “greencarding”, or Trans Solidarity Alliance can allocate you a member of the House of Lords to speak with. That may sound complicated, but the most important thing is to show up on the 25th, whether you’ve booked a meeting or not. Together, as Jude puts it, we can “show the force of hundreds and hundreds of people - trans and cis - calling for urgent action.”

For those who live outside London and can’t afford to get there, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance has some money set aside to help with travel costs, which is accessible through an online registration form. If you’re not sure about what to say if you do get a meeting with your MP, they will also be handing out leaflets with key talking points.

WILL THIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

If enough people show up, there’s no reason to believe it won’t. The EHRC has already backtracked on one of the key policies it first put forward (that employers have a legal obligation to provide single-sex facilities), which shows there’s still everything to play for and that public pressure can make a difference. As Jude argues, the British government will eventually be forced to reverse these policies by either the domestic or international courts (or both) – the only question is how long this will take and how much harm is caused to the trans community in the meantime.

“They’re just delaying the inevitable,” Jude says. “This is so similar to what happened with Section 28 in the end, which wrought years of harm to queer people in this country until it was eventually scrapped and looked back on with shame.” If we take action now, there’s still time to prevent this life-ruining legislation from being implemented in the first place. “We can see in the political debate that MPs are having to listen to their overflowing inboxes of trans+ people and allies – so we need to keep the pressure up,” they add.

WHY IS THIS PROTEST SO IMPORTANT?

It’s impossible to overstate how devastating the impact of the EHRC’s proposals would be on trans people in the UK. “If it came into force, this draft code of practice would make it impossible for us to go about our day to day lives safely because of the restrictions on accessing toilets and changing rooms. It would force all single sex services and groups to exclude us, from local men’s wellbeing groups to specialist support for women survivors of domestic abuse,” says Jude. “Trans+ and cis people alike would be more vulnerable to harassment and invasion of privacy, and organisations would be more exposed to complaints and lawsuits whatever choices they make.” If the EHRC gets its way,  transphobic discrimination will be not just permissable but, in effect, legally mandatory. 

After years of media backlash and lobbying efforts by anti-trans organisations, transphobia in the UK is already having profound effects. “We’re just trying to live our lives but face not having access to essential services or basic facilities,” continues Jude. “What if I need the loo in a pub? Or need to be admitted to hospital? Or want to change in the gym? So many places don’t have any gender neutral facilities, so this would have a devastating impact on our ability to participate in daily life, to do our jobs, to see our friends – all of it. I’d challenge any politician to look me in the eye and tell me that this is showing trans+ people ‘dignity and respect’, as so many keep saying.”

There has never been a more urgent time to take a stand for trans rights, so please get involved if you can.

For more information, you can find a step-by-step guide on the Trans Solidarity Alliance website, which includes where to meeet and an email template to send to your MP.