Over 2,100 parkrunners and supporters rally against anti-trans legal threat
Spearheaded by the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, the counter-campaign is calling on the Labour Party government to defend inclusive organisations such as Parkrun
By Aaron Sugg
Over 2,100 parkrunners and supporters have written to their MPs urging for action against a legal threat by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) regarding trans participation in community events.
In letters issued to 10 organisations, the ADF contends that organisations such as Parkrun are in breach of the law, claiming they are failing to protect women and girls by permitting trans inclusion at their events.
Spearheaded by the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, the counter-campaign is calling on the Labour Party government to defend inclusive organisations like Parkrun and clarify legal protections following the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling on trans rights.
“We are actively working to ensure that the rights of women and girls in sport are protected” – Alliance Defending Freedom campaigning against trans inclusion in Parkrun
ADF is an anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy group that has campaigned against abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and anti-discrimination legislation since 1994. It is also known for its role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court in 2022.
In a statement, ADF wrote: “We are actively working to ensure that the rights of women and girls in sport are protected in accordance with UK law and, in particular, the Supreme Court Decision in For Women Scotland.”
“The integrity of the female category – rooted in biological reality and upheld by the essential requirements of safeguarding and fairness – is a matter of fundamental importance, not a matter for political or ideological ping-pong,” continued the anti-LGBTQ+ body.
“We will not hesitate to pursue all legal remedies” – ADF threatening legal action if Parkrun does not comply with their anti-trans policy
“Should Parkrun continue to disregard its legal obligations, we will not hesitate to pursue all legal remedies to ensure compliance,” ADF concluded.
Trans+ Solidarity Alliance countered the threats in its campaign: “They think we will let it happen,” said the trans rights non-profit. “Anti-rights movements won’t stop with trans people, and we must hold back the tide.”
Amid a growing global backlash against trans rights, the ADF’s intervention is widely seen as part of a broader attempt to roll back trans-inclusive spaces.
“Will you stand against importing this kind of Trump-style politics?” – Trans+ Solidarity Alliance calling for action against ADF
In a customisable template for parkrunners and supporters to write to their MPs, Trans+ Solidarity Alliance criticises President Donald Trump‘s politics during his second term in office.
“Will you stand against importing this kind of Trump-style politics, and keep organisations like the ADF out of parkrun?” writes the letter.
Following his return to the White House in 2025, Trump signed an executive order preventing transgender women from competing in female sports, Executive Order 14201, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, following Executive Order 14168, which states the US only recognises two sexes, male and female.
Is Parkrun trans inclusive?
Parkrun states that its “events are open to all” and encourages people from “all walks of life” to participate. Its policy records one’s gender rather than sex, welcoming trans runners.
To support the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance’s campaign responding to the ADF’s legal threats, please visit their official sign-up page.