Plaid Cymru MS made the subject of a ‘Disinformation Alert’ in trans rights row
Martin Shipton
A gender critical women’s group has issued a “Disinformation Alert” after a Plaid Cymru MS posted a video in which she suggested that guidance from an equality watchdog would increase discrimination against people who identify as trans.
In the video Sarah Rees, who represents Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg, declares that she is a trans ally and a feminist. Sitting on a bench in a park with a rainbow backing and wearing multi-coloured trainers, she states: “Trans rights are human rights. That’s not up for debate. From the solidarity shown by the lesbians and gays during the miners’ strike to the way we celebrate Pride today, Wales has a proud history of standing together in solidarity.
“The EHRC [Equality and Human Rights Commission] Code has left LGBTQ+ people feeling singled out and targeted. It doesn’t just affect toilets or refuges, like the media would have you assume. It restricts access to housing, health care and social care.
“Together we can take a stand and stop our communities being pitted against each other. We can protect women’s safety and make sure that trans people have access to vital services. As a Plaid Cymru Senedd Member and a feminist, I will always stand up for LGBTQ+ communities. Because the rights of trans and non-binary people should always be non-negotiable.”
The Women’s Rights Network responded with a post on X beneath a headline reading “Disinformation Alert”, stating: “This is simply untrue and is scaremongering from Sarah Rees of Plaid Cymru.
🚨 DISINFORMATION ALERT 🚨
This 👇 is simply untrue and is scaremongering from Sarah Rees MS of @Plaid_Cymru.
The EHRC Code restricting opportunities to housing, healthcare and social care???
It’s just as well that Senedd Bill to make lying in office isn’t coming into play for… pic.twitter.com/KqwAYcGPnP— Wales-Women’s Rights Network 💜🤍💚🏴 (@WRNWales) June 7, 2026
“The EHRC Code restricting opportunities to housing, healthcare and social care??? It’s just as well that the Senedd Bill to make lying in office [an offence] isn’t coming into play for a few more years.
“And to help out Sarah Rees MS (such a ‘feminist’ that she advocates than women can’t have private spaces free of men), here’s the sections of the EHRC Code. Brush up, Plaid Cymru.”
The Code states: “Discrimination, harassment and victimisation in most areas of activity is unlawful under the Act, subject to certain exceptions. These areas of activity include: employment and other areas of work; education; housing; the provision of services; the exercise of public functions; membership of associations.”
Cathy Larkman of the Women’s Rights Network posted a further message which stated: “The sooner that Plaid Cymru and Rhun ap Iorwerth get expert input on the Supreme Court judgement [which defined women as biolgical women], the EHRC Code, the Equality Act and the Workplace Regs, the better. It’s toe curling watching their MSs make fools of themselves with their ignorance. Embarrassing for Wales.”
We sent Ms Rees a series of questions:
* How do you respond to what [the Women’s Rights Network are] saying?
* Do you accept that you went too far in claiming that the Code enables discrimination against trans people on the grounds of housing etc?
* What is your view of the Code itself?
* What’s your position on the view that only “biological women” should have the right to single sex women’s spaces and services?
*Do you think the Welsh Government should ignore last year’s Supreme Court judgement and be prepared to spend public money defending such a position in court, if sued for alleged non-compliance?
‘Trap’
She did not answer the questions directly, but responded with a statement that said: “We should not fall into the trap of pitting vulnerable groups against each other; we can and must protect women’s safety without denying trans people access to vital services or pushing them out of public life.
“I’m proud to be a feminist and a trans ally, as well as being an MS when our nation elected a Plaid Cymru Government with a manifesto committed to protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people and ensuring everyone can live free from prejudice, intolerance and hate.”
Ms Rees also tabled a Statement of Opinion at the Senedd which states: “This Senedd:
1. Notes the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s updated draft Code of Practice.
2. Expresses solidarity with trans people and rejects efforts to turn their identities into a divisive culture war.
3. Whilst not a devolved matter, believes there are shortcomings in the practical application of the Supreme Court’s judgment.
4. Recognises the Welsh Government’s legal obligations and lack of legislative competence over matters covered by the judgment.
5. Commits to working with providers on the implications of the judgment and supporting person-led community services.
6. Supports the Welsh Government’s commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ rights and ensuring everyone lives free from fear, prejudice, intolerance and hate.”
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I side with Sarah Rees. I am a trans ally too, despite being a cisgender male.
No surprises there – males supporting males to do whatever they want regardless of women’s rights.
Who are these women who have convinced themselves that all the misogyny they face from cishet men is the responsibility of trans people – and especially trans women – by proxy? Are they not holding the wrong people to account?
Not convinced themselves as such, more been radicalised by a well-funded and co-ordinated disinformation and lobbying campaign.
The people behind it want to roll back LGBTQ+ rights in general, and women’s rights in particular. Access to abortion is next, they won’t be satisfied with just persecuting trans people.
That’s the saddest part of all. They don’t realise their rights will be next in the firing line.
When they have finish removing these rights, which rights do you think will be next?
Which rights are being removed?
Spot. On.
I listen to people that have had rights removed or facing this assault on their lives. The anti abortion mob are heavy into reform, so guess what rights will be next. And probably already have more money into this arena.
Correct. Men have no ‘right’ to walk into women’s toilets and changing rooms, it’s breaking the law so no debate required.
Plaid Cymru is about Cymru and the independence required to represent our country. This strange issue is definitely the biggest vote loser, so they should be focussed on much more important issues that it does have responsibility for.
This individual has form for not representing this and coincidentally losing jobs, which could well be repeated when the public decides whether someone else will be doing her job after the next election.
It’s not breaking the law. Feel free to point me at the relevant legislation and sentencing guidelines if you believe I’m wrong.
As for being a vote loser, the hem-hem gender criticals are a very small number of people. Admittedly extremely noisy, litigious, wealthy and very VERY online people but there’s not many of them, the tiniest, most local trans solidarity events are packed, the opposing events have a couple of dozen people at them, max. Regardless of their clout they still only get one vote each.
Exactly what rights do you think have been removed?
Privacy, freedom form harassment, fair legal representation, freedom of association, EQUAL rights (as opposed to the reduced secondary rights they have now), equal GDPR protections, equal access to healthcare, (non humilisting) access to recreational sport, legal protections from dehumanising, isolating language. Fair access to employment, access to common human decency, the right to idenity
Well said WRN. Pure misinformation. Neither the SC judgement nor the subsequent EHRC guidance removed any rights from anyone. They merely reiterated that biological women and girls have the right to their own spaces, facilities, loos, changing rooms, hospital wards, sports etc away from biological men and boys. It really is that clear and simple, and it is the law.
Trans people always could be excluded if it was deemed a proportionate means towards a legitimate goal. No need at all for this blanket segregation.
Does anyone in Plaid Cymru realise what the law is? can we all pick and choose which laws we follow and which we break? And these “feminists” always support the men in dresses.
Referring to trans women as “men in dresses” is childish and ignorant
The implication being that trans men are what? women in trousers? If so there seems to be a lot more trans people than I realised.
These FEMINISTS support ALL women, including trans women.
The trans women I know rarely wear dresses and they certainly aren’t men
The kindest explanation here is that the MS Sarah Rees has not a tiny clue about either the law, or the purpose of the EHRC Code. As a political representative, if she is going to sound off about either, then she at least should take the trouble to read up and be accurate before she trots out her lines. She can’t complain when she gets schooled for her ignorance by women who clearly do understand the law very well and can explain it too. A less kind explanation would suggest a deliberate falsehood by the MS of course, just to… Read more »
The more likely explanation is that she is aware of the law and human dignity and that you are wrong
There are already reports of trans people not seeking medical attention for fear of being outed by being placed on an inappropriate single-sex ward so access to healthcare is already an issue, even if not explicitly restricted.
And I once again note that the government are being told to seek ‘expert input’ which is a very strange thing to need with all this clarity flying about the place. Guidance which needs expert interpretation barely counts as guidance.
No, sorry. Biological male patients should not be allowed on to the hospital wards of biological females. Look what happened in a Scottish female prison just a couple of weeks back.
By all means link these reports
The guidance is perfectly clear as was the Supreme Court ruling
The only people pretending they don’t understand it are misogynists
The guidance is chaotic and unclear and the ruling is wrong.
It is absurd to claim that disagreeing with gender critical people is misogyny.
It is like claiming that criticising the Israeli government’s warmongering is anti-Semitism.
I thought gender criticals believed in “free speech”. Is this not the case?
As a father of a teenage daughter, I am highly reassured by the women fighting for their rights btl. Keep going Terfs.
What rights do they not have that they are fighting for?
It’s worrying just how ignorant of the law Plaid Cymru MS are.
What laws are they not following?
There is zero disinformation in what Sarah said.
A gender critical group just disagreed with her.
I’m glad she represents my home constituency
No Agnes Nutter. The EHRC Code does not “restrict access to housing, social care and health care”. It is guidance to service providers on how to apply the law properly. The change some trans people object to was made by the Supreme Court in determining that Stonewall’s claim that “transwomen are women” is false in law. Sarah Rees is falsely targeting the EHRC guidance.
Indirectly yes it does. By denying transgender women access to a safe dignified space for treatment, hygeine and privacy (breaching their rights under EHRA and GRA) the yare indeed restricting access to healthcare in all meaningful ways. It restricts access to social care by denying them safe spaces that are free of men (who assault them at a higher rate than even cisgender women). The EHCR by FAR exceeds the cruel and frankly incompetent statement from the SC It was also not Stonewall’s claim. The original EA2010 was written intending that trans women were considered women and trans men were… Read more »