For too long, certain organisations and activists have presented themselves as defenders of “women’s rights” or “sex-based rights” — while consistently ignoring or opposing actual human rights protections for women, trans people, and other marginalised communities. It is time we name them for what they are: anti-rights actors.
These groups have shown repeatedly that their campaigns are not grounded in a principled defence of women’s rights, but in a narrow agenda that centres almost exclusively on attacking trans people. That agenda is increasingly aligned with broader movements targeting migrants, racial and religious minorities, and reproductive rights.
What’s more, many of these so-called “women’s rights” organisations have close links to hardline evangelical groups like the Christian Legal Centre and Christian Concern — organisations that oppose same-sex marriage, seek to restrict abortion rights, and actively push for a return to traditional gender roles.
A recent example makes this especially clear. During the debate on the NC1 amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill — which sought to end the criminalisation of women seeking abortions in England and Wales — organisations claiming to represent “sex-based rights” said nothing. These same groups flood the media and public consultations whenever trans people are mentioned, but when women face criminal charges for accessing healthcare, they fall silent.
This silence is not incidental. It reflects the core reality of their work: they are not here to protect women and girls — they are here to fight a manufactured ‘gender ideology’ war, no matter the cost to real women’s lives.
In fact, the policies these groups promote, and the institutional shifts they’ve influenced — including the recent Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC’s widely criticised guidance — will harm far more cis women than trans people. From exclusionary definitions of womanhood in healthcare and law, to attacks on inclusive safeguarding practices in prisons, schools, and shelters, the long-term effect of this anti-trans lobbying is to strip away legal recognition and practical support for all women.
At the same time, we are witnessing a clear pattern of overlap between these groups and other regressive political movements. Some of the same organisations pushing anti-trans narratives are now also campaigning against immigration, opposing multicultural education, and attacking religious customs and traditions. This is no longer just a trans issue — it is part of a broader backlash against inclusion, equality, and pluralism in the UK.
These groups also claim to “Let Women Speak” — but in practice, this only applies to women who agree with them. Countless women, including survivors, social workers, feminists, and academics, have been shouted down, excluded, and vilified for supporting trans inclusion. Lesbians, in particular, have been misrepresented. Despite the claims that “gender critical” groups speak for all lesbians, polling consistently shows that lesbian women are among the strongest supporters of trans rights in the UK.
In light of this, TACC will no longer describe these organisations as simply anti-trans, or use their framing of “women’s rights” or “sex-based rights” groups. We will name them accurately: anti-rights campaigners. Their work does not uphold human rights — it seeks to undermine them.
We urge journalists, policymakers, regulators, and other civil society organisations to do the same. Stop legitimising this rhetoric as a valid feminist position. Start recognising the coordinated, regressive agenda for what it is.
This is not about disagreement. It is about fundamental rights. And we will continue to defend those rights for all, in the face of these growing threats.