Last year, UWE made vicious and unnecessary changes to their ‘Trans and Non-Binary Policy’ and ‘Trans Staff Guidance’, making it impossible for trans staff and students to live with dignity at UWE. To add to the insult, UWE claims to have made this decision empathetically, and in consultation with trans* staff and students. It’s evident that this consultation was not adequate, and that the decision had already been made. UWE has claimed their hands were tied because of legal constraints.
UWE management often cites the legal constraints from a letter received from the EHRC, which was based on their “Interim Guidance”. The guidance itself was based on a deeply flawed interpretation of the For Women Scotland Supreme Court Ruling. Following a legal challenge from the Good Law Project, the EHRC have dropped their Interim Guidance, it was removed from their website, and it is being totally reworked. As such, the guidance upon which the UWE policy was based no longer stands. We believe there is an opportunity for UWE to create new guidance that is genuinely inclusive, without introducing perceived “legal, operational and safeguarding risks” which have prevented them from withdrawing the policy so far.
Furthermore, other Universities (such as Buckinghamshire New University) have instituted genuinely inclusive trans policies while remaining legally compliant. Additionally, UNISON have successfully campaigned for The Students’ Union at UWE to adopt our model trans inclusivity policy, in consultation with trans staff. Now, Pride have dropped UWE as a sponsor, making the organisation a national embarrassment.
To resolve this situation, UWE UNISON is calling for:
1) The university to enter genuine consultation with UNISON about adopting our legally compliant model trans inclusivity policy
2) Ensure that trans people are involved in the decisions made about them at work, and ACAS guidance on conducting consultations is accurately followed.
3) LGBT+ staff receive a public apology from the university for the distress this has caused
You can support the campaign by:
- Attending the next UWE UNISON members’ meeting on 29th July, 12:00-13:00
- Promoting the union in your workplace and recruiting new members. The more of us there are, the harder we are to ignore.
- Sharing your thoughts or how the Trans policy changes have affected you or by contacting your Rep or emailing unison@uwe.ac.uk.
We support student-staff solidarity and are delighted to support the student groups who have led this campaign. If you are a student, you can support us by:
- Engaging with the Students’ Union: let your Presidents, student reps and LSRs know your opposition to UWE’s policy, or create a Student Idea to shape SU policy and encourage the SU to adopt an official lobbying position.
- Emailing us at unison@uwe.ac.uk and asking how we can work together.
Additional information:
UNISON WIN – Model Trans Inclusion Policy passed at The Students’ Union at UWE
UNISON guidance on Trans workers’ rights – updated February 2026
Buckinghamshire New University’s genuinely inclusive Trans and Gender-Diverse Inclusion Policy (March 2026)
Good Law Project’s FAQ: Trans inclusion after the High Court decision on the EHRC’s interim guidance