Your Weekly Wrap Up | 14-20 Apr 💦
From a major trans rights ruling to book bans, therapy cuts, and beauty ad crackdowns — here’s what you need to know this week.
Self-care note: This newsletter talks about suicide and violence against women, among other things. If you find this distressing or triggering, remember to take it at your own pace. You may prefer to read small sections, wait until you feel ready to read it all, or choose not to read it at all.
Hi folks,
It’s Easter Sunday, and I’ve been stuck in bed with the flu for days, which feels like a fitting end to what’s been a difficult week.
The UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definition of sex under the Equality Act has raised serious concerns around trans rights and protections. It’s the kind of decision that will have real, lasting impact, and it leads this week’s wrap-up.
If you celebrate Easter, I hope you’re getting some rest and maybe a bit too much chocolate. And if you don’t celebrate — honestly, I still hope you are too.
Here’s what else has been happening.
Supreme Court rules trans women aren’t women under Equality Act 🚨
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the word “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 must be defined as “biological sex”, i.e. sex assigned at birth. The judgment explicitly excludes trans people, even those with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), from legal recognition under the Act.
The ruling comes from the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, and reshapes how trans people are protected under the law. It means trans women can now be excluded from single-sex spaces without justification, lose access to equal pay protections, and face new barriers in employment, healthcare, and public life.
The Court relied heavily on submissions from anti-trans groups like Sex Matters and the LGB Alliance — not a single trans person was permitted to speak. The judgment even defines what a lesbian “must” be: someone assigned female at birth and exclusively attracted to others assigned female.
Trans campaigners say the ruling forces trans people into legal limbo and goes directly against human rights decisions from the European Court of Human Rights. While the Court claims the ruling doesn't remove protections, in practice, it strips away vital rights for many trans people in the UK.
In response, thousands of protesters gathered across the UK on Saturday—including in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Brighton—to oppose the ruling and defend trans rights. Demonstrators carried signs reading “trans women are women” and “trans rights are human rights,” expressing fears that the decision could lead to further exclusion and discrimination.
UK bans ads for risky liquid BBLs 🍑
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a wave of liquid Brazilian butt lift (BBL) ads from six UK clinics, saying they exploited women’s insecurities, pressured consumers, and downplayed serious health risks.
The procedure, which involves injecting fillers into the buttocks, is unregulated in the UK and has left hundreds of women with infections, sepsis, or lasting damage. Despite this, social media ads pushed “Black Friday” discounts and taglines like “get that perfect peachy look!” without properly warning of the risks.
Only half of the clinics responded to the ASA’s enquiries. Advocacy groups like Save Face have been calling for a full ban since 2023, following multiple hospitalisations and even one death.
The ASA says these rulings send a clear message: this kind of advertising isn’t just misleading, it’s dangerous.
Source: The Guardian
Charities slam cuts to adoption therapy fund 💔
Charities have criticised the UK government for slashing funding for adopted children's therapy by 40 per cent, a move they say will have devastating consequences for already vulnerable families.
Last year, eligible families in England could access up to £5,000 per child for therapy. That cap is now £3,000, and funding for specialist assessments has been scrapped entirely.
Adoption UK called the decision “distressing” and “short-sighted,” warning it would directly impact children who’ve had “a very tough start in life.” Families who rely on the fund say they’re in disbelief, with some forced to stop treatment mid-therapy due to funding delays.
The government claims the cut was necessary to make the fund more “sustainable” amid rising demand. But campaigners say it’s a blow that risks pushing more families into crisis.
Source: BBC News
Calls to ban LGBTQ+ books in UK libraries are rising 📚
Librarians across the UK are facing growing calls to remove LGBTQ+ books from shelves and some are being trolled or even losing their jobs for pushing back.
According to new research shared with The Independent, the vast majority of censorship attempts in UK school libraries have targeted queer content. Titles like Heartstopper and Billy’s Bravery have faced removal requests, sometimes based on a single complaint.
While the wave of book bans in the US is often linked to far-right pressure groups, UK censorship is mostly driven by individuals or small groups. Still, researchers and industry leaders say the influence is spreading and the “chilling effect” is already here.
Librarians report vandalised books, homophobic slurs scribbled on covers, and anonymous threats. Some say they’ve found propaganda from US-based groups left on their desks.
LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall said: “It’s vital that schools ensure that all young people have access to inclusive educational materials and books that represent the world we live in and the communities everyone is a part of.”
Source: The Independent
One week and £180 to go until our blister-filled adventure!
Harvard rejects Trump demands, loses $2.3B (£1.73B) in funding 🏛️
On Monday, Harvard University rejected a list of demands from the Trump administration, calling them “an attempt to control the Harvard community,” and saying that “the University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Sent a few days earlier, the government’s list of demands included shutting down all DEI programmes; reforming the recruitment and admission process for foreign students “to prevent admitting students hostile to the American values,” and commissioning an external party to investigate programmes and departments that “most fuel antisemitic harassment or reflect ideological capture.”
In response to Harvard’s refusal to implement those demands, the Trump administration has suspended $2.3 billion (£1.73 billion) in federal funding to the school and threatened the university would lose its ability to admit foreign students if the university does not follow the government's requests.
Harvard is the first university to reject Trump's demands.
Source: Reuters
Cancer treatment’s effects on sexual and reproductive health need more attention, researchers say 🧬
More awareness and knowledge are needed to address the negative effects of cancer treatment on sexual and reproductive health, researchers say.
In fact, this topic remains under-discussed in clinical settings despite its growing importance as more young people are diagnosed.
Yet many clinicians avoid the topic, often due to discomfort and lack of knowledge. Experts say better education on how to talk about it is crucial.
Source: Oncology News Central
Sexual wellness market grows in India, as stigma and taboos fade 🇮🇳
The sexual wellness market in Gujarat, a western Indian state, has grown by 22%, according to recent data.
This surge is part of a five-year trend driven by increased awareness, reduced stigma, and easier access to products.
“People are more open to discussing and addressing sexual health,” an expert noted, adding that young consumers often purchase these products even when not strictly necessary.
Source: Times of India
That’s all for this week’s wrap up, but plenty is happening beyond the headlines. From workshops to book clubs, here’s what’s coming up across Scotland.
Join our Sex Positive Reading Group!
📌Glasgow Zine Library 📆 29 April 💸 Free! ⏰7-8.30pm
The Sex Positive Reading Group is for anyone interested in learning more about sex education, sexual health, how we relate to the people around us, and how society impacts that. We welcome people of all genders, sexualities and ages in a non-pressured, non-academic setting.
This month, we'll be discussing chapter one and the epilogue of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, which you can access here.
If you have accessibility requests or other queries, send us an email at events@pillowtalk.scot.
Other spicy (and cuddly) events happening soon🌶️
The History of Witchcraft and Feminism. 22 April, Glasgow.
Book Launch of Solemates: A History of Our Fetish With Feet. 25 April, Glasgow.
Book launch of Teaching Gender. 25 April, Glasgow.
Intimate Lives: The History of Sex and Desire in Edinburgh's Old Town (16+). 26 April, Edinburgh.
Sex Positive Reading Group (18+). 29 April, Glasgow.
Pleasure Club: Self-Pleasure Edition. 16 May, Edinburgh.
Nathan H. Lents: The Sexual Evolution. Book launch. 3 June, Edinburgh.