TransLucent Applies to the High Court to Intervene in the Hampstead Heath Ponds Case.

TransLucent Applies to the High Court to Intervene in the Hampstead Heath Ponds Case.

The Directors of TransLucent are pleased to confirm that we have applied to the High Court to intervene in the Hampstead Heath Ponds case – one that could prove pivotal for trans people in the future.

Join the Fight: Donate to the TransLucent Legal Fund

The anti-trans group Sex Matters is once again taking legal action in an attempt to exclude trans women from the Hampstead Heath Ladies’ Pond. Their challenge aims to force the City of London Corporation to abandon its inclusive policy, risking a harmful precedent for trans rights nationwide.

In April, we instructed our legal team at Leigh Day to prepare a formal intervention. Sex Matters bases its argument on a narrow reading of the For Women Scotland judgment, claiming the Equality Act 2010 defines “woman” solely by biological sex. We believe this stance is divisive and legally unsound. The City of London Corporation has affirmed that the Ladies’ Pond is not a “single-sex service” under the exceptions in the Equality Act that would permit exclusion.

The Corporation remains committed to maintaining trans-inclusive arrangements, including signage affirming that transgender women are welcome.

The Mandate for Inclusivity

This renewed legal action ignores overwhelming public support for inclusion. In a recent consultation of over 38,000 participants, 86% supported maintaining trans-inclusive access to the ponds. Additionally:

•  81% of pond users reported positive experiences under the current policy, describing trans swimmers as “unremarkable”.
• 90% of respondents rejected “compromise” models like separate changing rooms or timetabled sessions, labelling them as “segregation” and a safety risk to trans people.

Protecting Our Sanctuary

For decades, the Ladies’ Pond has provided a safe haven for women in all their diversity. As the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association (KLPA) affirms, trans women have swum there for many years “without incident,” and their presence is integral to the space’s unique spirit.

Efforts to exclude trans women result in harmful “gender policing,” targeting any woman—cis or trans—who does not conform to narrow definitions of femininity. We stand with all swimmers who believe trans women are women and deserve the right to swim in peace.

Solicitors Ellie Fawcett, Anna Dews and Partner Ricardo Gama of Leigh Day represent us, with Hannah Slarks from 11KBW and Crash Krylova (Wigley) from Landmark Chambers instructed as counsel.

Steph Richards, the Chair of TransLucent Directors, said:

“This case could have profound implications for the ability of organisations to provide services which are inclusive of trans people, and for the ability of trans people to use facilities like these in their day-to-day lives in accordance with the gender they live”.

Our application includes heartfelt testimony from trans people who use the single- gender bathing ponds regularly and find them to be a place of acceptance and tranquillity that clearly means a great deal to them. We are seeking permission to intervene to provide the court with this perspective directly from trans people, both as swimmers who use the ponds and as users of other public facilities where similar issues may arise”

Ellie Fawcett, solicitor at Leigh Day, said:

“Too often, issues impacting trans people are debated without hearing from the
people most affected. This application is about making sure those voices are before
the court. The evidence filed on behalf of TransLucent shows that the Hampstead
ponds are more than a place to swim; they are a place of community, belonging and
wellbeing.

“The outcome of this case could have implications far beyond the ponds, affecting
how trans people are able to access services and participate in public life across the
UK. We hope that by hearing directly from trans people, the Court will have the
fullest possible picture of what is at stake in this case.”

How You Can Support the Fight for Trans Rights. 

We must meet the determination of those who seek to exclude us – we know they are very well organised and are incredibly well funded.

Your support for our legal fund enables us to:

• Legal Defence: Enabling our team to monitor proceedings and build a strong counter-case.
• Public Awareness: Creating fact-based content to counter misinformation and share the lived experiences of trans women.
• Sustained Advocacy: Allowing us to continue working with MPs and human rights organisations to defend trans protections in the UK.

Trans people deserve dignity, safety, and equality. Our existence is not up for debate.

Join the Fight: Donate to the TransLucent Legal Fund

LINK: https://www.gofundme.com/f/working-for-the-trans-and-gender-diverse-community

TransLucent Applies to the High Court to Intervene in the Hampstead Heath Ponds Case.