National Education Union conference to debate if Supreme Court trans ruling is ‘attempted genocide’
Delegates are expected to debate the issue today (31 March) at the union’s annual conference in Brighton
By Aaron Sugg
The National Education Union (NEU) is set to discuss whether the 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman constitutes “attempted genocide” against transgender people.
Delegates are expected to debate the issue today (31 March) at the union’s annual conference in Brighton.
According to the Daily Mail, Britain’s largest teaching union may hear arguments that the judgment amounts to an “attempted erasure of a group from public life”, with criticism potentially directed at both the judiciary and the government.
“Attempted erasure of a group from public life” – the National Education Union is set to debate the 2025 Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court previously ruled that, under the Equality Act, the definition of a woman is based on biological sex, a decision that has prompted ongoing debate about the operation of single-sex spaces and the inclusion of trans people.
Recent developments following the ruling include changes announced by Girlguiding, which said trans girls will be required to leave the organisation by 6 September.
Today’s debate follows a motion submitted to conference which describes the ruling as a “step towards an attempt to erase that group’s existence”.
“The goal of which is to completely erase transgender people” – Lemkin Institute on trans rights in the US
The discussion comes amid similar warnings internationally. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security has issued multiple Red Flag Alerts in response to anti-trans policies in the United States.
The organisation said 2025 marked the “sixth consecutive record-breaking year” for the number of anti-trans bills considered across the country.
It stated: “The Lemkin Institute believes that the United States is squarely within the early to middle stages of a genocidal process against trans people, the goal of which is to completely erase transgender people not only from public life but also from existence in the US and globally.”
“Genocide against trans people takes on patterns that set it apart from the mass murder genocides that people commonly associate with the crime, such as the Holocaust,” the organisation added.
How does the update to Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance affect trans pupils?
The NEU debate also comes after the UK government updated its Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance last year, setting out how schools should approach teaching LGBTQ+ identities. The changes are due to come into effect in September 2026.
The updated guidance instructs schools to be “mindful” that gender identity is the subject of “significant debate”, and advises against teaching that “all people have a gender identity” as fact.
On Sunday (30 March), delegates passed “Motion 14”, which focuses on ensuring schools remain safe and inclusive environments for all pupils, including those who are LGBTQ+.
“It is important that our schools remain safe and inclusive spaces for all students” – NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in UK schools
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said in a news release: “In the face of far-right rhetoric and hostility towards LGBT+ people, it is important that our schools remain safe and inclusive spaces for all students.
“The levels of prejudice and scapegoating in the public debate have an immediate impact on students and what they see and view online.
“Our trade union will continue to support members to make the curriculum LGBT+ inclusive and anti-racist, which is beneficial for all students.”