On April 23, 2025, Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin addressed the issue on ITV’s Peston show, calling it “complex” and stating he was unsure about installing toilets for trans people in his 800 pubs. No further public statements from Wetherspoons have been made since Martin’s ITV appearance, despite the circulating email and social media backlash. The Workplace Regulations Act 1992 also requires single-sex facilities in workplaces, adding legal pressure on Wetherspoons to align with the Supreme Court ruling.
As Wetherspoons are not on any social media platforms – I have emailed them to clarify their position – please feel free to adapt or use my email as a template:
Email to: news@eddiegershon.com
Good afternoon,
You may or may not be aware but there is a post doing the rounds on social media that states your company is not willing to comply with the Supreme Court Ruling or Equality Duty law. Please can you clarify your position on this, as many women and men are feeling very let down, if the statement is true.
I have attached an image of the post that has been circulating.
I would also like to point out that the The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released an interim update on 25 April 2025 to outline the practical consequences of the judgment. https://equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/interim-update-practical-implications-uk-supreme-court-judgment…
Key information
The Supreme Court ruled that in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), ‘sex’ means biological sex.
This means that, under the Act:
- A ‘woman’ is a biological woman or girl (a person born female)
- A ‘man’ is a biological man or boy (a person born male)
- If somebody identifies as trans, they do not change sex for the purposes of the Act, even if they have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).
- A trans woman is a biological man
- A trans man is a biological woman
This judgment has implications for many organisations, including: workplaces services that are open to the public, such as hospitals, shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, refuges and counselling services sporting bodies schools associations (groups or clubs of more than 25 people which have rules of membership)
In workplaces, it is compulsory to provide sufficient single-sex toilets, as well as sufficient single-sex changing and washing facilities where these facilities are needed.
I would appreciate clarity on this issue – it can be a public post, or direct to myself. If this situation is not clarified and resolved, so your company is following the Equality duty and law, it is likely to impact your business both legally and financially.
Kind Regards
Jennifer
References:
Wetherspoons, owned by Tim Martin, is facing backlash and a complex situation regarding transgender people’s access to toilets in its pubs after the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is someone born biologically female. This ruling excludes transgender people from using women-only facilities, including toilets. The Independent reports that Martin has acknowledged the complexity of the issue but is unsure how to best address it. https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/wetherspoons-tim-martin-gender-neutral-toilets-trans-supreme-court-b2739288.html