The chief executive of Barclays Bank, CS Venkatakrishnan, has confirmed to news outlets that Barclays branches will ban trans women from women's toilet facilities, claiming that they have made this decision to 'comply with the law'.
This decision comes in the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling that woman is limited to 'biological woman' only, when it comes to the Equality Act 2010, and that sex means sex assigned at birth. The Supreme Court made this ruling without receiving any evidence or consultation from trans people or trans groups, but allowed evidence to be given by openly transphobic organisations. They have also failed to define what 'biological sex' actually is; something that is impossible to do as people exist on a spectrum of sex, and trying to define sex would lead to massive exclusion for people who do not fit a narrow, incorrect definition.
Following the Supreme Court decision the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) rushed out interim guidance in the middle of the night that said trans people should not only be excluded from the single sex spaces that match their gender expression, as they have been doing forever, but that they should also be excluded from the spaces that match their assigned birth sex. This guidance effectively segregates trans people into a third space, or excludes them entirely.
Neither the EHRC interim guidance, nor the Supreme Court ruling call for the exclusion of trans people from these spaces under law, but simply allow businesses to be able to do so if they so choose. As such Venkatakrishnan's claim that Barclays are barring trans women from women's spaces is to comply with law is blatantly false, as this is not law. Barclays have instead made an active, willing choice to make the lives of trans women harder, and to further marginalise them.
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| CS Venkatakrishnan, a man who talks about inclusivity whilst harming his staff. |
Venkatakrishnan told reporters 'Following the Supreme Court ruling… we believe that we have to comply with that by not allowing trans women to use female bathrooms.' He went on to add 'We strive in every way to make the appropriate facilities available in a comfortable way for people to use and to provide equality of opportunities and development.'
In perhaps the most tone deaf and insulting moment Venkatakrishnan claimed that Barclays was 'committed' to equality and equal opportunities for all of its staff, a statement completely undercut by his actions.
'There should be an inclusive working environment where everybody should be comfortable and have the best form of personal expression.' He said, after announcing that that will not apply to trans women. Perhaps his ideal workplace where everyone is comfortable is a workspace that doesn't have trans people in them, something that his new toilet policy would be pushing for.
Barclays is a bank that is not safe for trans people. It's not safe to be there as a member of staff, and it will not be safe to bank with them. Their bosses spout buzzwords about inclusion, yet will introduce policies designed to segregate, humiliate, and harm a vulnerable minority group. I urge all those who bank with Barclays and believe in trans freedom and trans rights to move their accounts to another bank, and show these disgusting wankers (not, that's not a typo of bankers) that we will not approve of their bigotry.
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