Staff at JD Wetherspoon’s Edinburgh pub declined to serve members of the gender-critical group For Women Scotland as they celebrated a significant ruling by the Supreme Court on December 29, 2025. The decision confirmed that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, a matter that has stirred considerable debate and controversy in recent years.
Incident at Edinburgh Pub
The incident involved co-leaders of For Women Scotland, Susan Smith and Marion Calder, who were recognized by several employees upon entering the pub. After the staff refused to serve them, Ms. Calder, who works for the NHS, contacted a local journalist to report the situation, stating, “you’ll never guess what’s happened here at Spoons.” The journalist subsequently reached out to JD Wetherspoon’s communications manager, who then contacted the manager of the pub.
According to Ms. Calder, the staff member who initially refused service eventually left their post, allowing the campaigners to continue their celebration. “We got more drinks in,” she recounted. The pair had traveled to the pub to toast the Supreme Court’s decision, which they viewed as a victory for their cause.
Reactions to the Ruling
The founder and chairman of Wetherspoon, Sir Tim Martin, characterized the incident as an “initial hiccup.” He expressed support for the right to celebrate a Supreme Court victory in a pub setting, stating, “If you win a court case, especially a Supreme Court case, you would expect to be allowed to celebrate in a pub.”
Simultaneously, the ruling has implications beyond the immediate incident at Wetherspoon. Labour Minister Bridget Phillipson has delayed the publication of new guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on women-only spaces, which has raised concerns among women’s rights advocates. The guidance, drafted after the Supreme Court ruling in April, is intended to clarify the protection of single-sex spaces such as women’s restrooms and changing rooms.
Ms. Phillipson has labeled the draft guidance as “trans-exclusive,” arguing that it could lead to unintended consequences, such as restricting women from taking their infant sons into changing rooms. She contends that the Supreme Court ruling primarily addresses maternity protections rather than imposing blanket bans on access to women-only facilities.
As the draft guidance remains unsigned three months after submission, businesses and public entities are left without clear directives on how to enact the Supreme Court ruling. This lack of clarity has raised concerns among various stakeholders about the application of the ruling in practice.
Earlier in December, Ms. Calder expressed her frustration with Labour leadership, urging Sir Keir Starmer to demonstrate stronger leadership on women’s rights. This call for action follows a recent tribunal ruling that appeared to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision, asserting it lawful for a biological male to use a female changing room. The ruling has been met with criticism from women’s rights groups, who argue it conflicts with the Supreme Court’s precedent.
In light of these developments, Ms. Calder has emphasized the importance of leadership in addressing the ongoing challenges that women face regarding their rights and protections. She noted that the ongoing legal battles are burdensome both emotionally and financially, urging political leaders to take decisive action to safeguard women’s rights.
The situation at the Wetherspoon pub reflects broader societal tensions surrounding gender identity and women’s rights, as the discourse continues to evolve in the wake of significant legal rulings and public reactions.
