BEERG Newsletter - UK: Unfair dismissal over gender critical beliefs

A woman who said that people cannot change their biological sex was discriminated against by her employers, a UK employment tribunal has ruled. Tax expert Maya Forstater did not have her contract at the Washington, D.C. and London based think tank Centre for Global Development (CGD) renewed after posting a series of tweets about gender and sex. 

In 2019, a tribunal judge decided such views were not "worthy of respect in a democratic society." But in a 2021 appeal, another judge ruled "gender-critical" views were protected under the UK's Equality Act 2010. The judge ordered a fresh tribunal, whereupon employment judge Andrew Glennie found the decision not to offer Ms Forstater an employment contract nor renew her unpaid visiting fellowship role at the CGD in March 2019 was direct discrimination related to her "gender-critical" beliefs.