Barclays prohibits the use of women’s bathrooms for transgender women: it is the effect of the judgment of the British Supreme Court

The British International Bank Barclays is among the first large companies of the united kingdom to implement the Effects of the controversial sentence of the British Supreme Court on gender identity in public places. The banking group announced that it will no longer allow transgender women to use female bathrooms within your own offices. The decision, the leaders explain, was born from the desire to adapt to the new laws.

“Following the sentence of the Supreme Court (…) we believe we must conform to it not by allowing trans women to use women’s bathrooms,” said the CEO Coimbatore Sundarajan Venkatakrishnan during a press conference, as reported by the Guardian. “We try in every way to make adequate structures available in a comfortable way and to guarantee equal opportunities And development ».

The sentence of the Supreme Court and the new guidelines

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom established, in early April, thatand the terms “woman” and “sex”, as reported in the Equility Act, must be understood in their biological meaning. The decision had an immediate impact on companies and institutions, now obliged to review its policies in order not to incur regulatory violations.

Following the sentence, the commission for equality and human rights (Ehrc) also published provisional guidelines that “trans women should not be authorized to use female structures” in the workplace and in the services open to the public, such as shops and hospitals. However, the same commission specified that No trans person should remain without access to toilets, and is working on a more detailed code of conduct which will be presented to the government by June.

Barclays’ change of course comes in a delicate moment. Victoria McCloud, the first transgender judge of Great Britain, has already announced that it will appeal to the European Court of Human Rightsclaiming that the British sentence violates article 6 of the European Convention, which guarantees the right to a fair process.

In the meantime, the bank has ended up in the spotlight also for another step back in the subject of inclusion: In recent weeks he has eliminated the internal objectives of gender diversity and ethnic groups for US staff, aligning itself with the growing anti-diversity trend fueled by the American political context, in particular by the influence of President Donald Trump.

According to internal sources, the managers of the USA division of Barclays will no longer be required to evaluate the impact of hiring and promotions on the professional development of women and ethnic minorities, which have been less and less represented in the banking sector. The decision came downstream of an internal revision of the policies of diversity, equity & inclusion, started at the end of 2024.

Despite the disputed choices, the CEO reiterated the commitment of the Institute for a fair work environment. “There must be an inclusive work environment,” said Venkatakrishnan, “in which everyone feels at ease and express their individuality at best”.