'Overwhelming' time for transgender community in Teesside after ruling
It's been just over a month since the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman
A Teesside transgender woman says it has been an anxious time for many since the supreme court ruling on the definition of a woman.
It has been just over month since the court said that "women" are defined by biological sex.
Ellie Lowther is from Stockton, she runs the 'Free to Be Me' project, and she said: "I'm fearful of the future if I'm absolutely honest with you. We've made massive progress over time and I feel that the politics, policies, and discussions right now seem to be taking us backwards.
"It's been quite overwhelming. I regularly get around three new calls through a week for support. In the weeks following the supreme court ruling I was getting around 20. I think it's had such a profound effect on the community.
"I've now got on my keyring a RADAR key to use disabled toilets and I know quite a few people who have sourced one, because the thought of going in and being challenged when you're just going about your daily business, it's horrendous.
"The other day I needed to go into the motorway service station to use the toilets. I was stood outside and there were two doors there. It was quite a busy place and I thought 'there's no way I could go in the gents' but I still felt this anxiety for going into the ladies. I did go into the ladies and everything was absolutely fine.
"It's tough times right now. Please know that there is a community out there. Please know that there's been times that have been much worse than they are today and in the future times will be better. I believe the tide goes both ways."