Kellie Maloney warns of danger to transgender community after court ruling by 'old farts'

Former boxing promoter Kellie Maloney says life will become ‘very dangerous’ for trans people after this week’s historic court ruling.

Kellie, 72, who completed her transition from tough-talking Frank almost 11 years ago, said the decision had been made by ‘old farts with no grip on reality’. A Supreme Court decision on Wednesday means that every organisation in Britain will have to revisit its equality policies, after the court ruled that trans women were not legally women.

“This ruling has put a lot of fear in a lot of people,” said Kellie, speaking from her second home in Portugal. Five judges ruled having a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) does not change a person’s sex in law.

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Almost 8,500 GRCs - issued to people with gender dysphoria who have lived in their new gender for two years and intend to for the rest of their life - have been issued since 2004.

Kellie, who managed Lennox Lewis to heavyweight glory in the 1990s as Frank, said she agreed that attaining a GRC was far too easy but said for those who have fully transitioned, the ruling could have grave consequences.

“If I ever commit a crime I’d end up in a male prison now, it seems. How on earth would that be safe for me? I would get beaten and raped. I have fully transitioned, as have many, so how am I a danger to females in a woman’s toilet? I cannot go to a man’s toilet - I cannot stand up to pee anymore.

“I think this ruling will embolden anti-trans people. I’m a recognisable trans person and I will feel less safe. Many of us will. I think it’s made it very dangerous for trans people. I accept you cannot change your sex, I agree trans women should not participate in female sport, but my gender is female.

“Me and many of my friends refer to ourselves as transsexuals because we have changed our gender through a medical intervention and we are now as near as you can be to being a female via those means. We believe that to be the case when you have fully transitioned or if you’re going through the long process of transitioning. If you are in that group then you cannot be a threat to women anywhere.”

She said it was partly the government’s fault it had reached this point and partly the trans community’s. The GRC’s were introduced in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act under ’s Labour.

“The 2004 act made it too easy to say you’re now a male or female, while some in the trans community have been trying to push the boundaries for too long and the trans umbrella has become too big too quickly. I don’t think the government - or the judges who made this decision - understand transsexuals. Have they ever spent time with people from the trans community?

“I’m not someone who has ever felt worried as Kellie but I will certainly be more careful when I’m back in England.”

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner said Wednesday’s ruling was “enormously consequential” and brought clarity, as she vowed to pursue organisations which do not update their policies But teachers are “concerned” about the implications for their pupils following the ruling, a union leader has said.

Meanwhile, gender critical author JK Rowling celebrated the court’s decision by smoking a cigar on her luxury yacht. She posted a picture on social media, along with the caption: “I love it when a plan comes together.”

But Baroness Falkner said organisations should be “taking care” to look at the “very readable judgment” to “understand that it does bring clarity, helps them decide what they should do”.

Asked if it was now simple that trans women cannot take part in women’s sport, she told Radio 4’s Today programme: “Yes, it is.”

On changing rooms and toilets, Baroness Falkner said: “Single-sex services like changing rooms must be based on biological sex. If a male person is allowed to use a women-only service or facility, it isn’t any longer single-sex, then it becomes a mixed-sex space.

“But I have to say, there’s no law that forces organisations, service providers, to provide a single-sex space, and there is no law against them providing a third space, an additional space, such as unisex toilets for example, or changing rooms.”

She suggested trans rights organisations “should be using their powers of advocacy to ask for those third spaces”. Education unions are calling on the Government to provide clear guidance to schools and colleges on how to interpret the law in regard to children questioning their gender.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: “Following the Supreme Court judgment, the NASUWT has been contacted by teachers concerned about the implications for them and for the pupils they teach.

“The implications of the legal judgment will need to be considered carefully, and it is vital that the Government provides clarity and guidance to schools and colleges as quickly as possible.”

He added: “Trans rights are human rights and we urge the Government to consider what further measures are needed to protect those rights in law and in practice.”