Full Breakdown
FOI Survey Finds Minimal Complaints About Trans Women in Female-Only Public Facilities
6/2/2026, 11:00:38 AM
Legal and Policy Background
The April 2025 UK Supreme Court decision in *For Women Scotland* clarified the meaning of “biological sex” under the Equality Act 2010. The ruling has been cited in debates over transgender women’s access to single-sex spaces. The Equality Act 2010 protects gender reassignment as a characteristic, and the judgment clarified that the Act does not require separate facilities for trans women, a point that has been central to subsequent policy discussions.
Survey Methodology and Coverage
In March 2026, FOI requests were sent to all 62 English unitary authorities covering 1 Jan 2025–31 Dec 2025. The request asked for any recorded incidents where a transgender woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate used female-only toilets, staff/visitor toilets, or changing rooms. Sixty councils replied, a 96 % response rate, representing about 17 million residents (?25 % of England). The sample therefore represents roughly 25 % of England’s 60 million residents, providing a substantial basis for assessing complaint trends.
Findings: Complaints Data
Across the 60 responding authorities, 35 reported zero complaints, ten had no relevant data, four claimed a Section 12 exemption, one (York) logged a single concern, and two (Southampton and Derby) did not reply. These responses translate to 58 % zero-complaint councils, 17 % with no data, 7 % exemptions, 1.7 % with a complaint, and 3 % non-responses. Overall, only one formal complaint was recorded among an estimated 17 million people.
Official Statements & Responses
The report notes the solitary complaint “does not indicate a trend of increased friction.” York’s response clarified that the services are run by third-party operators and only one issue was raised.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Ten authorities lacked data and four claimed exemptions; two councils did not respond, limiting nationwide conclusions.
Why It Matters
The data show that, despite the *For Women Scotland* ruling and public debate, formal grievances about trans women in female-only facilities remain extremely rare, challenging expectations of increased complaints.
What’s Next
The authors plan continued monitoring and broader future surveys to track longer-term trends.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Councils were asked to supply the following data under the Freedom of Information Act: The FOI Request Read: “Please supply the number of recorded incidents or formal complaints where a transgender woman (with a Gender Recognition Certificate or the protected characteristic of gender reassignment under the Equality Act) entered or used female-only services and facilities, specifically: a.” — FOI request text
- “Sixty of the sixty-two Unitary Authorities responded to our FOI request – Only ONE complaint was found.” — Translucent report
