Make-up-wearing lawyer Oscar Davies – the UK’s first publicly recognised non-binary barrister – has hit out at Britain’s “toilet wars”.
Oscar, who claims some judges don’t take them seriously in court, claimed that ‘extreme examples’ involving trans people are often used to tar an entire community.
It comes after Paula Stanton, 62, a transgender woman of Severn Avenue, Barry, was jailed after masturbating in full public view in a hospital waiting room.
“People often put an extreme example as an average on trans people,” Oscar exclusively told the Daily Star. “But if that was used for anything else, there would be uproar.”
Oscar, who works in discrimination law with a focus on trans rights, said they’ve seen a sharp rise in trans-related cases – and that the real-world impact is people feeling they can’t safely take part in ordinary life. “In the last year, I would say it’s probably gone up by like 150% in terms of the trans cases that have come to me,” they said.
One recurring issue, Oscar explained, is trans people being blocked from using toilets aligned with their gender – and instead being told to use a “third space”, which in practice can mean an accessible loo that’s far away, locked, or broken. The UK Supreme Court ruled on April 16, 2025, that “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 means biological sex at birth – so single‑sex rules apply by birth sex, even with a gender recognition certificate.
Oscar gave an example of the ruling’s consequences: “[Oscar’s client would say] My employer has said that I have to use the men’s toilets or the third space, but the third space is an accessible toilet which is 200m across from the office, and it’s out of order, and it’s locked. So then this trans person is not drinking any water because they’re too scared.”
And they insisted the central demand is simple: “Let trans people pee in peace. That’s that’s all they want to do.”
Oscar warned the panic could end up targeting far more than trans people – including masculine-looking cis women, because “there’s no way to prove your sex” in a public loo.
In court, Oscar added their identity can sometimes be a barrier.
They said: “I’ve had some judges who don’t take me seriously… so yeah, it can be harder to convince judges.” Even the traditional courtroom uniform, they joked, can feel like a costume from another era.
After showing their wig tin, Oscar laughed: “It’s kind of draggy to be honest.”
But Oscar is determined to use their platform to cut through misinformation. They said: “Trans people are not a danger to your kids. They’re just trying to live their lives simply.”
They continued: “People are kind of hypnotised by this toilets issue. This is not about toilets. It’s about whether trans people can participate in ordinary life.
“This is what happens when law is made through panic rather than principle. The law should protect people from humiliation, not provide a script for it.”
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