A UK Supreme Court decision is leaving students feeling disheartened

   UMKC students are feeling the effects from across the pond after new anti-trans legislation was passed in the UK. 

   On April 15th, a UK Supreme Court decision ruled that trans women are not legally considered women. The decision comes amongst debates on trans women participating in sports.    

   “It’s a really horrific piece of legislation,” said sophomore music major Ariana Holmberg.

   The legislation itself only specifically targets trans women stating that only women who have female on their birth certificate meet the requirements of being a woman.

   The ruling, originally starting in a Scottish court, was backed by For Women Scotland (FWS) an anti trans group who believes a person’s sex is not their choice. 

    “Any law that’s passed that invalidates someone’s identity is of course going to impact them in a negative way,” said graduate clinical psychology student Anum Khalid.

   With the DEI office closing in October and the current political landscape, many students are fearful for their rights and the rights of their peers. 

   Students are also feeling the impact of the legislation only targeting trans women to solidify a misogynistic viewpoint. 

   “We live in a patriarchal and misogynistic type of culture. But also there’s sort of a weird almost fetishistic emphasis on trans women in specifically conservative men,” said Holmberg. 

   In the U.S., there have been numerous anti-trans bills nationally and multiple among the state level. These cover various areas including sports, healthcare, bathrooms and education. 

   “As an American, I sometimes hoped that it was just us having awful stuff going on, it is unfortunate to see that this is more global,” said graduate creative writing student Daniela Barzallo.

   On campus students reported feeling safe for the most part, however outside of the Kansas City area felt the opposite. 

   The consensus from students was regardless of gender identification, everyone is affected when one group is discriminated against.

   “Students in any political landscape, all students, all people, should always do their own research and get as educated as they can on topics themselves,” said Khalid. 

  The debate on transgender rights is far from over with legislation still being put in place on both ends of the spectrum. 

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