Supporting Trans Colleagues in Uncertain Times

In April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex, not gender identity. The legal debates continue. The headlines keep coming. And in the middle of all this noise, trans people are going to work every day, wondering if they're still welcome.

Let me be clear: protection against discrimination for gender reassignment remains in place. Trans people have the same legal protections they've always had under the Equality Act. But legal protection and psychological safety aren't the same thing.

When a colleague's fundamental rights are being debated in public, when their existence becomes a topic for opinion columns and dinner table arguments, just showing up to work takes courage. And that's where the rest of us come in.

How to support trans colleagues when the world feels hostile

Supporting trans colleagues isn't about grand gestures or perfect words. It's about consistent, visible allyship.

• Reaffirm your workplace's commitment to inclusion. Don't wait for someone to ask. Make it clear that your team, your department, your organisation stands by its trans employees. Put it in writing. Say it out loud. Make sure people know where you stand.
• Challenge transphobic comments, even "casual" ones. When someone makes a joke, uses the wrong pronouns deliberately, or shares their "concerns" in a way that dehumanises trans people, step in. A simple "that's not okay" or "we don't talk about colleagues like that here" is enough. Because the alternative, silence, gives permission.
• Check in, but don't intrude. A simple "how are you doing?" can mean everything. But don't force someone to process their feelings publicly or perform resilience for your benefit. Follow their lead.
• Remember this isn't theoretical. For trans people, this isn't a debate. It's their lives, their safety, their dignity. Treat it with the seriousness it deserves.