GLASGOW, In a significant move, Glasgow Pride has announced that no political parties will be allowed to participate in its 2025 event, citing insufficient support for transgender rights following a recent UK Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling, issued in April 2025, defined “woman” and “sex” under the Equality Act 2010 as referring exclusively to biological sex, excluding transgender women with gender recognition certificates. This decision has been met with criticism from LGBTQIA+ advocates and human rights groups, who argue that it undermines transgender rights and access to gender-specific services.
Pride organizers expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of immediate political response and emphasized that only individual elected officials and activists, not official party representatives, are welcome. They called for political parties to show a tangible commitment to trans rights, including backing self-identification legislation and ensuring access to gender-affirming healthcare.
Prominent politicians, such as Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens, acknowledged the disappointment but respected Pride’s decision, highlighting the erosion of community trust.
Meanwhile, gender-critical activists have welcomed the ruling, leading some public institutions to reconsider policies allowing transgender women into female-only spaces. The controversy underscores the ongoing cultural and political clash over transgender rights in the UK, which now ranks among Europe’s lowest in terms of gender recognition according to the latest Rainbow Map.
