Transgender rights and women’s rights have become two of the most fiercely debated issues in the UK and United States, sparking passionate activism, legal battles, and personal tragedies. Over the past several years, both countries have seen seismic developments—ranging from landmark court rulings and government crackdowns to high-profile deaths and public outcry—leaving many to wonder: where do we go from here?
On December 5, 2025, activists and allies across the US marked Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a solemn occasion originally created to honor Rita Hester, a Black trans woman killed after being stabbed 20 times by an unknown attacker. According to the original organizers, TDOR has grown into a national holiday for the LGBTQ community and those in solidarity with the struggle for trans liberation. But this year’s remembrance came amid what many describe as the most severe wave of anti-trans hostility in decades.
As reported by Snap.as, the Trump administration has unleashed a "vicious assault on transgender people," targeting not only trans individuals but the broader LGBTQ+ community. Among the administration’s controversial moves: the official recognition of only two sexes, the targeting and removal of gender-affirming care for youth (often by threatening federal funding), and the brutal treatment of trans immigrants in work camps run by ICE. Trans women have been pushed into men’s prisons, with their social transitioning restricted, and many Democrats have either agreed with or failed to seriously fight these attacks. The result, activists argue, is that “transgender people are under greater attack within the United States and around the world than they’ve been in decades.”
The consequences have been devastating. The Snap.as article details the torture and death of Sam Nordquist, a trans man, over a period of more than a month. It also recounts the suicide of Lia Smith, a transwoman swimmer, who faced relentless harassment following a smear campaign led by Riley Gaines, a former swimmer turned political activist. The article insists, “None of these deaths should be seen as accidental, as isolated instances outside of human control.” Instead, it lays blame at the feet of the US ruling class, arguing that political attacks on trans people reinforce traditional gender roles and facilitate the economic exploitation of all LGBTQ people and women.
Remembrance, the article argues, is not enough. “The only way to win trans liberation and end the constant attacks from the rightwing reactionaries and the Trump administration is to fight back.” The call to action is clear: attend rallies, unite organizations, and organize opposition to anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation. “Solidarity with LGBTQ and trans people in particular is solidarity with an oppressed minority who have a vested interest in opposing the reactionary rule of the United States,” the article declares, emphasizing the need for an anti-imperialist stance and systemic change.
Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom faces its own storm. Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who served as chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) until the week before December 6, 2025, has been at the epicenter of Britain’s toxic debate over women’s rights and trans rights. As reported by The Times, Falkner describes her five-year tenure as a “white-knuckle ride,” marked by relentless abuse from trans activists, personal threats that forced her off social media, and even changes to her daily commute out of fear for her safety. “You’re afraid that somebody will flip and attack you, knife you, do whatever,” Falkner recalled.
Her professional challenges were compounded by personal ones. In August 2024, Falkner was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. She underwent surgery to remove several organs and endured two rounds of chemotherapy, all while continuing her work at the EHRC. Now cancer-free, she describes each day as a “bonus in life,” but says her work remains unfinished.
One of her final acts as chair was to submit statutory guidance on how public bodies should interpret a landmark Supreme Court ruling from April 16, 2025. The ruling clarified that under the Equality Act 2010, the terms “women” and “sex” refer to biological sex, not acquired gender. However, as of December 2025, the guidance remains unpublished, languishing in the Department for Education. “We’ve had external counsel, internal counsel, everybody’s looked at it. I mean, I’m so certain of the lawfulness of our code that I don’t think I’ve ever been so certain about anything before,” Falkner insisted, expressing frustration at government delays. She attributes the holdup to political fear—“they’re terrified of their MPs who would wish for trans self-identification or trans inclusion to prevail across all areas of society.”
Falkner is critical of both major parties. She accuses the Labour Party of having “completely abandoned women’s rights,” lamenting that “the traditional party of rights, in my 40 years in this country, was the Labour Party. The party of feminism. And I think they’ve lost it.” She also faults the Conservative Party for failing to act on EHRC advice and change the law, suggesting that political parties “dropped it and it’s taken a while for them to wake up from it.”
The delay in publishing the EHRC guidance, Falkner argues, leaves both women and trans people in a “grey zone.” Public bodies, councils, and NHS trusts continue to allow trans women to use single-sex spaces, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling. “The danger in not publishing it is that people are left in the grey zone,” she said. “Women are still having to go to court to assert their rights. My greatest concern is that it’s very distressing for trans people. Some organisations are implementing it in one way, others are not.” She emphasizes that rights are balanced, and that “in some areas, such as discrimination law, the rights of biological people hold.”
Falkner’s broader critique extends to public institutions, which she accuses of lacking professionalism and impartiality. “You see a general disdain in the ‘lanyard class’, for a respect for fairness and impartiality. ‘My truth has got to be the only truth that matters, and because I’m passionate about X or Y or Z that passion replaces the need for professionalism.’” She laments that employers no longer demand workers “leave your politics at the door,” and that the social contract is eroding.
Her concerns with Labour go beyond trans rights, highlighting failures such as the delay in a national inquiry into grooming gangs and the government’s plans to redefine Islamophobia, which she fears could chill law enforcement. Despite her criticisms, Falkner praises current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, calling her “terrific” and “prepared to do what is necessary for her job, for her party and for her country.”
As the debate rages on both sides of the Atlantic, the stories of activists, public servants, and ordinary people caught in the crossfire reveal the complexity and human cost of these cultural battles. Whether it’s the memory of Rita Hester, the activism of Baroness Falkner, or the tragedies of Sam Nordquist and Lia Smith, the struggle for dignity, safety, and clarity continues—one hard-fought day at a time.
