CCR TT Week 3 2026 Motions

Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Diverse & Intersex Inclusion

Mandate to Reaffirm Support for Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Diverse and Intersex Rights and Oppose Regressive Legal Interpretations 

Proposal: 

Mandate to Reaffirm Support for Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Diverse and Intersex Rights and Oppose Regressive Legal Interpretations  

Policy Statement  

Oxford SU reaffirms its full commitment to the rights, safety, dignity, and health and wellbeing of trans, non-binary, gender diverse and intersex (TNBI+) students across the University.  

The recent Trans Lives 2025 report highlights serious concerns about the rights of TNBI+ people in the UK, their access to healthcare, and general safety. This report was informed by a survey of over 4,000 people, shortly before the Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act’s definition of ‘sex’ and prior to the EHRC’s proposed Code of Practice.  

Oxford SU continues to express deep concern about the ruling’s implications for TNBI+ inclusion, student welfare and institutional values. The ruling does not mandate the exclusion of TNBI+ people, nor does it require institutions to discriminate. If a university chooses to implement policies that restrict access to facilities based on sex assigned at birth, this is an active and discretionary decision - not currently a legal requirement. The University must take ownership of such choices and the harm they cause, rather than passively attributing them to legal constraint.  

Oxford SU is alarmed by the lack of clear statements from many UK universities which has illustrated a pattern of risk aversion over principled support for its own students and staff. As a globally influential institution, Oxford has a duty not only to lead the higher education sector in equity and student wellbeing, but also to uphold academic integrity by engaging critically with the legal and scientific claims underpinning this ruling.  

The British Medical Association (BMA) has already challenged the biological essentialism underpinning recent policy and legal discourse. The BMA has emphasised that biological sex is not a binary, immutable concept, and policies grounded in such assumptions lack both medical and scientific credibility. Oxford, as a centre of academic excellence, must reflect these realities in its institutional responses and policy frameworks.  

Furthermore, the ruling has direct consequences for the intersex community, who may not be easily categorised within binary sex classifications. Exclusionary interpretations based solely on sex assigned at birth risks reinforcing harmful practices such as sex assignment without consent and institutional erasure of intersex experiences. Oxford must resist any policies that rely on rigid sex definitions, which actively undermine the rights and dignity of intersex individuals.  

Policy Beliefs  

  • Trans, non-binary, gender diverse and intersex (TNBI+) students are at heightened risk of discrimination, mental health challenges, and institutional exclusion.  

  • The University must lead the sector in TNBI+ inclusive practices, not merely comply with legal minimums.  

  • Gendered spaces can have a significant impact on how individuals interact with the world, in ways unique to each individual. They deserve to have the knowledge available to make informed choices, which includes knowing whether toilets are gendered or gender neutral. Situations vary greatly across colleges and departments, and there is currently no practical way to find out in advance whether a given location has gender neutral toilets or not.  

  • TNBI+ students must continue to be able to safely access toilets, accommodation, and services aligned with their gender.  

  • The availability of gender-neutral toilets is a basic matter of dignity, accessibility, and inclusion.  

  • Gender-neutral facilities should be widely available as a default, not an afterthought, and we must critically reflect on how spatial design upholds or challenges normative gender boundaries.  

  • Oxford SU has a responsibility to challenge any structural change that undermines the rights and wellbeing of TNBI+ students.  

  • Oxford must be a leader in academic integrity and evidence-based policy, aligning with medical bodies, such as the BMA, in rejecting reductive and scientifically inaccurate definitions of sex. Policy Mandates 

Oxford SU and its Sabbatical Officers are mandated to:  

  • Campaign across central and college levels for the protection and expansion of TNBI+ -inclusive policies and practices.  

  • Work with the University to ensure that the Access Guide (https://www.accessguide.ox.ac.uk/), which already lists information about toilets, is updated to include details of gender-neutral toilet provision. While accessible toilets are gender-neutral, they are not one and the same. 

  • Engage Common Rooms, governing bodies, and senior leadership to:  

  • Ensure explicit protection of TNBI+ students' rights  

  • Expand and signpost gender-neutral toilets across the University  

  • Coordinate a University-wide campaign clarifying that Oxford will not adopt exclusionary interpretations of the Equality Act  

  • Provide an annual Gender Expression Fund of up to £1,000 to help reduce the financial barriers associated with gender affirmation and improve the wellbeing of our students. Funding will be awarded on a case-by-case basis. 

  • TNBI+ students should be able to apply for up to £50 per year, or up to £100 per year in exceptional circumstances. 

  • This grant can be used to purchase gender affirming products such as clothing, binders, packers, breast forms and beauty products.  

  • This grant can be used towards travel expenses associated with gender related medical or therapeutic appointments. 

  • This grant can be used towards, although will be unable to cover the full cost of, gender related medical appointments. This may include voice/speech coaching, counselling, and assessments, but cannot include medication/prescription or surgery costs. 

  • Support the LGBTQ+ Part-Time Officer in consulting student groups to better understand and advocate for the experiences of TNBI+ students. 

  • Work with sports clubs, student groups and the Sports Federation to highlight open and mixed sports where all students can participate and advocate for a culture of fairness, respect, and belonging, where TNBI+ students know they have a place in sport. 

  • Work with the Equality and Diversity Unit, LGBTQ+ Society, LGBT+ Advisory Board, and relevant University offices to:  

  • Strengthen policy frameworks  

  • Ensure guidance explicitly protects access to gender-appropriate and gender-neutral facilities  

  • Report regularly to the Conference of Common Rooms on mandate progress with timelines and deliverables  

  • Embed TNBI+ rights in all lobbying, policy work, and strategic planning  

  • Publicly and internally oppose any attempt by colleges or departments to regress on current protections  

  • Hold the University accountable for choices that compromise the safety, dignity, or inclusion of its students.