Sex matters in life and in law.
It shouldn’t take courage to say so.

Make the Equality Act clear!

Our petition to the UK goverment has xx,xxx signatures.
Can you help us get it to 100,000? Find out more.

No legal changes are needed to allow women-only sports

Why are lawyers giving faulty advice about women-only sports?

The governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom, UK Athletics, has called for the government to amend the Equality Act in order to guarantee the legality of female-only sports. While Sex Matters agrees with UKA that female-only sports are essential...

Really, Charlie? over picture of Charlie Falconer gesticulating

Charlie Falconer’s testimony

The Women and Equalities Committee held an evidence session on 1st February on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill and the Equality Act. It featured Robin White, Barrister at Old Square Chambers; Naomi Cunningham, Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers (and Sex Matters’ Chair); Dr Michael...

What did we learn from the census?

Key points The questions In 2021 the census for England and Wales included a voluntary question on gender identity for those aged 16 years and over. There was also a mandatory sex question which sought to collect information on people’s sex, which was clarified...

Sex in the Equality Act

The government has provided an initial response to our petition. It is over six weeks late and answers a different question from the one that we are asking. Its response focuses on single-sex services. Under the Equality Act 2010, providers are already able to...

Freedom of belief matters

Sex Matters has submitted input to Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations’ Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He is compiling a report for the UN Human Rights Council on the right to freedom of religion...

The UK government is right to challenge the GRR Bill

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has made an order under Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to prevent the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from receiving Royal Assent, and Sex Matters welcomes this. We are particularly pleased that the government has recognised that...

Petition at 70,000. We write to the Minister again.

Our petition now has over 70,000 signatures, and those who have signed it will know that the Chair of the Petitions Committee has written to the Government calling for an initial response by Wednesday 18th January. We have also written to the Minister, Kemi...

What we want to see in the DFE's guidance

What guidance from the Department for Education needs to say

As a survey commissioned by Sex Matters and carried out by YouGov last year showed, there has been a huge increase in the number of school pupils identifying as trans or non-binary, alongside huge disagreement about how best to manage this. The one thing...

Clarify the Equality Act: sign the petition

The Equality Act 2010 protects everyone’s rights and covers everything from schools to hospitals, pubs to sports, and everybody’s workplace. It includes protection against sex-discrimination, and allows single-sex services. But on 13th December a judge in Scotland pronounced that Equality Act does not recognise...

People deserve respect, but ideas do not. We need to be able to speak the truth about sex to protect everybody's rights, and hold institutions to account.

Maya Forstater, Sex Matters Co-Founder

For rights to be respected in a democratic society it must be possible to debate them, exercise them and advocate for their implementation.

Rebecca Bull, Sex Matters Co-Founder

The law can't change the material reality of sex. Pretending it can causes real harms, and liabilities.

Naomi Cunningham, Sex Matters Co-Founder

The words male and female have a very clear biological meaning, not up for postmodern deconstruction. They do not refer to social categories, but to human anatomy.

Emma Hilton, Sex Matters Co-Founder

Clarity about sex is crucial for safeguarding everybody’s human rights.

We are campaigning to establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language and culture. We aim to:

1

Establish clarity on single sex services
2

Enable people to speak up
3

Make debate possible

What we do

We lobby for clarity on sex in law and institutions.
We publish research, guidance and analysis.
We support and mobilise people to speak up.
We hold organisations accountable.

Our principles

Reality

There are two sexes: female and male. People shouldn’t be afraid to say this.
Clarity

Organisations and governments should be clear about the sexes and where sex matters.
Human rights

Everybody’s human rights matter, including private life, freedom of beliefs and speech.
Democracy

A cohesive society depends on open debate and evidence-based policy making.

Latest updates

Why are lawyers giving faulty advice about women-only sports?

The governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom, UK Athletics, has called for the government...

3rd February 2023
Sex Matters at the Education for Women’s Liberation conference

UCL Women’s Liberation SIG and WPUK Saturday 4th February 9am to 10pm Institute of Education UCL, 20 Bedford Way, London,...

2nd February 2023
Charlie Falconer’s testimony

The Women and Equalities Committee held an evidence session on 1st February on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill and...

2nd February 2023
What did we learn from the census?

Key points The questions In 2021 the census for England and Wales included a voluntary question on gender identity...

31st January 2023