The Welcome List

Belper is a town rooted in community and welcome. So, in response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman in April 2025, a decision that has left many Trans and non-binary people feeling hurt, anxious and excluded, Pride in Belper is choosing to respond with visibility, kindness and action.

We’ve created the Pride in Belper Welcome List.

And already, over 50 local businesses and organisations have signed up to be part of it.

What is the Welcome List?

The Pride in Belper Welcome List is a growing network of local businesses and organisations committed to creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, safe and respected.

The list highlights shops, cafés, pubs, salons, venues and organisations across Belper and the surrounding area where Trans and non-binary people are actively welcomed and valued. If there’s a customer toilet, it’s a toilet for everyone.

Every business that joins the Welcome List receives:

• A Pride in Belper Welcome List vinyl window sticker
• A Welcome List pledge to display publicly
• A Welcome List support booklet containing practical guidance, de-escalation tips and useful support contacts

The Welcome List is about community, kindness and making it clear that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

More Than a Sticker

This isn’t about performative allyship or ticking a box. It’s about giving businesses the confidence and tools to actively create welcoming, respectful spaces.

It’s about helping people know where they can walk through the door and simply be safe.

And it’s about showing visibly, proudly and publicly that Belper believes everybody deserves respect and belonging.

What Does the Ruling Say?

In April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that, within the Equality Act 2010, the legal definition of “woman” refers to biological sex.

The ruling focused on how the Equality Act should be interpreted in certain legal situations and single sex spaces. While the judgement is legal in nature, many people are concerned about how it may now be used in practice, particularly around access to services, inclusion, safety and dignity for Trans people.

For many Trans and non-binary people, the public conversation surrounding the ruling has felt painful, hostile and deeply personal.

Has the Law Changed?

The Equality Act 2010 still protects people from discrimination based on all nine protected characteristics:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

Importantly, the Equality Act 2010 itself has not changed and trans people continue to have legal protections under it. What changed following the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling was the legal interpretation of the terms “sex”, “man” and “woman” within certain parts of the Act.

But, organisations, businesses and communities can still choose to be inclusive, welcoming and respectful to everyone, and that is exactly what Belper is choosing to do.

Why Now?

While the ruling is legal in nature, its impact is deeply personal. Across the country, many people are feeling uncertain, excluded and anxious about what it means for their everyday lives.

At times like this, silence can feel loud.

So instead, Belper is choosing visibility, compassion and community.

The Welcome List is a simple but powerful way for businesses to say:

“You are safe here. You belong here.”

Why Belper?

Pride in Belper has always been more than a celebration. It is a declaration that everybody deserves dignity, visibility and belonging.

Last year, over 11,000 people came together in solidarity at Pride in Belper. The Welcome List is simply the next step in turning those values into everyday action.

It says:

In Belper, we choose welcome.
We choose community.
We choose courage.

There Is Room for Us All

This initiative does not take anything away from cis women or diminish their experiences. In fact, many cis women have always been at the heart of community care, activism and solidarity movements.

True inclusion is not a competition.

By standing alongside Trans and non-binary people, we are creating a kinder, safer and more welcoming community for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity or disability.

There is room for all of us in Belper.

The Power of Community

The Welcome List is about more than one group of people. It’s about the kind of community we want Belper to be.

A community where everyone matters.
A community where people look out for one another.
A community where businesses lead with compassion.
A community where everyone feels safe.

Allyship is not passive. It means showing up, speaking up and creating spaces where everyone can feel safe and valued.

We are incredibly proud that Pride in Belper is now recognised by Belper Town Council as a trailblazer for accessible and inclusive events.

We would also love to continue recognising the businesses and organisations that support us. Businesses can remain featured on the Pride in Belper website for a further 12 months through a donation, helping support our ongoing community work and future fundraising efforts.

Get Involved

If you run a business or organisation and would like to join the Pride in Belper Welcome List, we’d love to hear from you.

info@prideinbelper.co.uk

Together, we are building a Belper where everyone is welcome.