So much has happened since our last update sent out just a month ago. The biggest and most exciting news is of course the decision of the UK Supreme Court which has
unanimously ruled that the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 is “biological sex” and not “certificated sex” (sex as allegedly modified by ownership of a Gender Recognition Certificate). Scottish Government Ministers had argued that “sex” meant “certificated sex” as a default interpretation. The group 'For Women Scotland' challenged this, and won.

Today the UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the terms woman and sex in the Equalities Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. 

The issue was whether trans women who have a gender recognition certificate, are women in the eyes of the law and therefore are entitled to women’s legal protections. 

For legal purposes under this ruling transwomen are not women. The terms women and sex in UK law must be interpreted as referring to biological sex.

Contrary to recent claims by Wellington Pride supporters, LAVA members have been defending our right, enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1993, to exclude men from our groups and spaces. This article is by Tighe, a LAVA founder and member, who protested with us at the Ministry for Women and Michael Fowler Centre in March 2021.

“Today, lesbians who stand up for lesbians are called bigots, trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), Nazis. What has caused this mass hatred of lesbians in a time when the rainbow flag can be seen in many places? Queer, trans, LGBTQ+ seem to have the ear of governments and corporations.”

Hilary Oxley, one of LAVA’s Human Rights Review Tribunal plaintiffs, delivered a speech at the German Embassy in Te Whanganui a Tara | Wellington on 1 November as part of a global protest against Sex Self ID, in solidarity with women in Germany.

Jan’s memoir rang bells for me in so many ways. We are almost the same age and like Jan I am a lesbian. Her descriptions of a 1960’s New Zealand childhood had such unexpected similarities to my own English version, but while my childhood was loud hers was almost silent. I have been on both sides of the mental health issue– my own struggles and in the role of attempting to care.

Read this excellent account by Garwhoungle at The Ministry Has Fallen on Substack, of the situation the LAVA lesbians found themselves in when their stall to display a lesbian herstory map at Pride was cancelled - because they exercised their freedom of political opinion, freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The editorial of the first edition of the CIRCLE magazine in December 1973 was written by Alison Laurie for the CIRCLE Magazine Collective and the Wellington branch of SHE.

The significance of Alison’s contribution to the development of lesbian-feminism, lesbian consciousness and community, and lesbian perspectives in Aotearoa/New Zealand is indisputable. Because she was unafraid to stand out as a proud lesbian, she inspired other women to do the same.

On 8 August, LAVA claimant Marg Curnow was interviewed by Paul Brennan for his Breakfast show on Reality Check Radio. Listen to them to discuss our case in the Human Rights Review Tribunal at the link in this article.

Andrew Doyle is comedian from Northern Ireland, who is part of the global resistance by lesbians and gay men to the queer and trans takeover of Pride.