A Statement from Northern Parasol.

A Statement from Northern Parasol regarding the recent UK Supreme Court Ruling regarding the legal definition of Gender.

Northern Parasol would like to make it clear that we are concerned and troubled by the recent unanimous ruling by the UK Supreme Court, that the definition of a woman in the Equality Act should be solely based on biological sex.

No one is questioning the need for the sanctuary of ‘single-sex’ spaces and the fervent need to respect women’s rights. This ruling however would appear to be a legal and unprovoked attack on the rights, lives and protections of trans people across the country, and creating a scapegoat, that in our minds is horrendous.

Transgender rights in this country appear to be being systemically eroded and trans people are being attacked by the instruments of the State that should be there to protect us all. It’s not a stretch to say this is not dissimilar to anti-immigration sentiment, for example, that is often stirred up when those that hold the strings of power, need a scapegoat for the consequences of economic and social policies enacted by them, that only benefit those at the top.

This is the same. Trans people should be entitled to the same legal protections afforded to cis-gender people, and should not be used as a scapegoat when we worry about the safety and protection of women. Instead as a society, we should be addressing the roots of violence against women. This could be in education and/or the societal conditions that people are raised in. With this ruling, the Supreme Court would appear to be attacking a group of people and blaming them for the risks that women face, often at the hands of men. Trans people already face enough legal barriers and cultural stigmas, just to be able to identify as the person they are.

Northern Parasol stands in solidarity with the trans community, along with the wider LGBTQIA+ community. 

We encourage all the venues and artists that we work with to continue to be inclusive toward trans people, along with cis-gender people. Anyone that attends a Northern Parasol event with the intent of scapegoating people based on their gender identity would be in breach of our Stop The Set policy. 

This statement represents the official viewpoint of Northern Parasol Ltd and the two co-founders of the company; Aaron Chislett and Tom Pritchard.

If you would to, please sign this petition to allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701159