Christian groups have welcomed Wednesday’s UK Supreme Court ruling, which confirms that the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological women and biological sex.
The judgment means that gender recognition certificates (GRCs) do not legally alter a person’s sex under the Act.
The case was brought by campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS), which challenged Scottish legislation requiring 50 per cent female representation on public boards. At the heart of the dispute was whether individuals with GRCs should be treated as women under the law.
FWS argued that changing the definition of sex could undermine sex-based rights and protections, including access to single-sex spaces. The Scottish Government, however, maintained that a GRC legally changes a person’s sex.
On Wednesday, the UK’s highest court ruled unanimously in favour of FWS. Delivering the judgment, Lord Hodge stated: "The terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex."
The court found that including GRC holders in the definition of sex would “cut across” the meaning of the protected characteristic and create legal confusion. The justices wrote: “We can identify no good reason why the legislature should have intended that sex-based rights… should apply to these complex, heterogenous groupings, rather than to the distinct group of, biological, women and girls, or men and boys.”
However, they stressed that the ruling does not remove protections for transgender people under the Act, saying: “The interpretation… does not cause disadvantage to trans people, with or without a GRC.”
Speaking to Premier, Lois McLatchie, spokesperson for ADF International, described the ruling as “a landmark ruling for truth”.
"We can welcome this ruling as Christians. We can see it as a victory for a woman, but also a victory for truth. And the truth is helpful for everybody. The truth is helpful as we approach how to love and support people who are confused about their own gender and point them to a greater knowledge that they are loved and accepted in their own bodies, their own skin, and don't need to change gender to feel that affirmation," she said.
McLatchie went on to highlight the importance of truth in Christian love: "I think a critical part of love, as defined in Scripture, is truth. We're called to speak in love and in truth - for the good of our neighbours, our friends, and those around us. As we encounter people in our churches and throughout our lives who are wrestling with identity, sexuality, or other deep questions, we can - and should - respond with compassion. But we must also point them to a greater truth: that they are made in the image of God, made perfectly, not in the wrong body."
She added that affirmations offered by current cultural ideologies differ from God’s love: "The affirmation offered by followers of today’s ideologies is not the same as the deep, unwavering love God has for them. We've heard many stories from detransitioners - people who went through gender transitions only to later regret it. They speak of the serious physical and psychological harm they’ve suffered, and how deeply painful that journey was. Many now long to be loved and accepted as they are, not for who they once believed they needed to become. Listening to these voices can help us approach these conversations with both truth and grace, always pointing back to the love of God."
Scotland’s First Minister has said his Government “accepts” the ruling, adding that “protecting the rights of all” will inform its response.
LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said there is "deep concern at the widespread implications" of the court ruling, which it said is "incredibly worrying for the trans community".
The legal battle dates back to 2022, when FWS first challenged the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 for including trans women in the definition of “woman”. Although the Scottish Government later removed that definition, revised guidance still interpreted GRC holders as female under the Equality Act - leading to the most recent challenge and Wednesday’s landmark ruling.
