This policy was agreed in September 2025 - based on usage at Friends House - to take account of the UK Supreme Court ruling that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, the terms "woman" and "sex" refer to biological sex, meaning a person's sex assigned at birth, and interim Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance.
In most cases, LMs will not need to take any action, but this advice may help if there is need for change.
Minute 31, YM 2021
‘We seek to provide places of worship and community that are welcoming and supportive to trans and non-binary people who want to be among us’.
Minute 31 of YM2021 is the overarching text governing our decisions. In addition, our testimonies of Equality, Truth and Integrity must guide the arrangements we make. Quakers have made a commitment to inclusion, affirmation and welcome for trans and non-binary Friends.
LQPT and premises committees cannot monitor use of facilities so cannot designate any shared facilities for the exclusive use of any group. It is for individual users to determine which facilities they use.
- Long-term, LQPT will move towards all toilet facilities being self-contained[1]. This will take a number of years. Consideration of toilet facilities will be included in every PPM, and work will be prioritised for i) meeting houses that are used extensively by Quakers and hirers, and ii) meeting houses that do not have any self-contained toilets or that have only one self-contained toilet that is used both by people with disabilities and by those who wish to use a single sex space[2]. We want to ensure that people with disabilities are not disadvantaged.
- All LQPT public facilities are trans inclusive. This means that toilets labelled with a 'female/women' sign are intended for cis[3] women, trans women, and non-binary and intersex people for whom this facility is the best aligned with how they live their lives. Toilets labelled with a ‘male/men’ sign are intended for cis men, trans men, and non-binary and intersex people for whom this facility is the best aligned with how they live their lives.
- No trans, non-binary or intersex Friend should be asked to make any disclosure or prove their status in a way that is not asked of cis Friends. We must respect the dignity of each person.
- Where possible, at least one self-contained toilet in each meeting house should be labelled and available for people of any sex even when also labelled as accessible and/or offering baby change facilities.
- Another option is to label facilities according to what is inside e.g. urinals & basins/self-contained cubicles/cubicles & communal basins.
- LQPT and AM trustees will take robust steps to ensure everyone’s freedom from harassment or inappropriate behaviour. We have no evidence of any harm having come to women using our facilities from trans women or anybody else. We will investigate inappropriate behaviour (especially sexual or other harassment and hate speech or discrimination) and will follow up on this, including with the police if appropriate.
[1] A “self-contained” toilet facility is one which has a toilet and handwashing facilities behind a full-height lockable door.
[2] A self-contained facility is single sex (even though anyone may use it) because when you have one person in it, it is provision for the sex of the person who is in it. So, a cubicle with toilet & basin is single sex.
[3] Cisgender refers to people whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender refers to people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Nonbinary describes individuals whose gender identity falls outside the traditional man/woman binary. Intersex refers to people born with sex characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy) that don't fit typical binary notions of male or female.