Nemo, the first nonbinary winner from Eurovision, decided enough was enough. They are challenging the recent UK Supreme Court judgement that allows transgender women to be excluded from women’s toilets, hospital wards and sports teams. The artist, who was little-known before winning the competition last year, found international fame. Today, they speak out to warn that the justices’ ruling is an “attack on trans+ rights” and will have long-term impact on the whole trans+ community.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision为反歧视目的定义女性 as a person born female, biologically speaking. This ruling permits transgender women who have a gender recognition certificate (GRC) to continue to be excluded from single-sex spaces. Nationally, activists and organizations like the National Employment Law Project have been quick to condemn this shift. This time, Nemo hit the social media trail to gather and maintain support. He mobilized his supporters, asking them to call their members of parliament, denouncing the decision and calling for more trans rights.
“It’s a very tough time like emotionally, as a trans person,” Nemo remarked, emphasizing the emotional toll the ruling takes on individuals within the trans community. They further explained, “It’s hard when there’s so much pushback on something and you’re just like, the only thing you wanna do is be able to live and be yourself.”
Even with all the obstacles that their ruling created, Nemo said she felt optimistic about what’s to come. Importantly, they accepted that trans rights may be in a period of retreat. Most importantly, they have the optimistic view that progress is a product of adversity. “I have so much hope that things are generally moving forward,” Nemo stated.
Dr. Victoria McCloud, former Judge of the High Court of England, has been vocal to share her concerns on what this ruling will mean. She described the experience of being “contained and segregated.” She intends to sue the UK government at the European Court of Human Rights in appeal against the ruling. The British Medical Association has similarly struck out against the ruling, calling it “biologically nonsensical” and “scientifically illiterate.”
Nemo shone a light on the far-reaching implications of this ruling for marginalized communities. They recognized that disabled people were not fully at the table in conversations around the decision. “The disabled were not represented, and now we’re seeing the Conservatives saying that trans people have got to use the disabled loos, which impacts the lives of disabled people,” they pointed out.
Through her advocacy, Nemo hopes to bridge her lived experiences with the complexities impacting LGBTQ+ communities. “A big thing for me is talking about my queer experience through my music but contextualizing it in that way, but then just standing up for what I believe in,” they commented. They encouraged others to “not be afraid to speak up and encourage others to speak up as well.”
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