Trans campaign group warns Labour risks ‘bathroom ban legacy’ at Liverpool conference as LGBTQ+ support collapses
The Trans+ Solidarity Alliance is urging Labour to listen to the voices of trans people and their allies
By Callum Wells
The Trans+ Solidarity Alliance has delivered a stark message to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, warning politicians risk leaving a devastating “bathroom ban legacy” on LGBTQ+ rights unless urgent action is taken.
Attendees at this year’s conference were greeted by a branded van carrying messages from members of the trans community and inclusive businesses. The stunt follows more than 650 UK companies and non-profits, including Ben & Jerry’s, Lush Cosmetics and Lucy & Yak, signing an open letter urging the government to block proposals from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
The EHRC’s proposed changes to the Code of Practice on single-sex services, triggered by a Supreme Court ruling defining ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 as a biological female, could bar trans people from gendered spaces such as toilets and changing rooms.
“Labour isn’t working for the LGBT+ community” – Jude Guaitamacchi, founder of Trans+ Solidarity Alliance
Interim guidance already suggests trans women should not use women’s facilities, stoking fears of a formal “bathroom ban” if approved by Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson. Businesses warn enforcing the rules would turn staff into “gender police,” forcing intrusive questions about birth sex and potentially breaching Article 8 of the Human Rights Act.
Labour’s share of lesbian, gay and bisexual voters has fallen sharply from 42% to 25% between July 2024 and May 2025, while trust among the trans community has collapsed entirely. Campaigners say the government must move quickly to repair the damage and commit to protecting LGBTQ+ rights.
Jude Guaitamacchi, founder of Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, said: “Labour isn’t working for the LGBT+ community, with their vote share plummeting and a terrifying and unworkable bathroom ban on the horizon. We have come to their conference this year to share the stories of the real impact of the EHRC’s proposals to mandate trans exclusion.
“They must act now to defend trans people’s human rights” – Guaitamacchi urging Labour to listen to trans people
“The EHRC wants to ban trans people from gendered spaces and services, even when the provider and service users all want to remain inclusive. If Bridget Phillipson approves this, it would devastate trans people’s everyday lives, cause real economic damage and be totally unworkable for all of us – including the businesses and service providers told to implement it.
“It would be Labour’s legacy on LGBT+ rights for a generation, but they can still stop it. They must act now to defend trans people’s human rights – standing up for Labour values and against those who seek to demonise minority groups for political ends.”
In addition to their conference presence, the Alliance recently led a mass lobby of Parliament, where hundreds of activists met MPs to push for blocking the EHRC’s proposals, which campaigners describe as a “human rights crisis” that could force trans people into second-class citizenship.