An independent cinema has acquired the iconic trans ‘third-space’ toilet installation as part of its protest against transphobia in the UK.

The “Third Toilet” installation was temporarily placed outside the Supreme Court in May as part of a “direct response” against a ruling that deemed the 2010 Equality Act’s definition of sex referred to ‘biological sex.’

The widely controversial ruling, issued in April, was used by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) as justification for interim guidance which recommended trans people be banned from facilities relating to their gender identity and, in some cases, their birth sex.

Constructed by creative agency BBH London for TransActual UK, the “Third Toilet” piece features a generic toilet adorned with the trans Pride flag colours.

It was placed in front of the Supreme Court building in Parliament Square, London, in direct response to comments made by EHRC chair, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, who said trans rights groups should be demanding a “third space” for trans people.

It has since found a temporary home at the Watershed cinema in Bristol – an independent artist cinema and creative venue funded by Arts Council England.

Cinema officials announced the exhibit had been placed in the venue’s cafe and bar as of Tuesday (1 July) and would remain there until 10 July.

In a Facebook post, a spokesperson said the “bold pop-up installation” was “already making a big splash” and was available for customers to take photos with.

The installation’s stay at the Bristol cinema will reportedly conclude with a Safe Space Bristol Summer Drinks Party on 10 July at 5pm, with free welcome drinks for trans and non-binary guests.

In a statement, Watershed’s CEO, Clare Reddington, said inclusion is “built into the walls” of the independent cinema, adding that the installation is an “ongoing commitment” to the company’s pledge of inclusivity, acceptance, and support.

“The Trans Loo is both a symbol and statement of defiance,” Reddington said. “Toilets are about more than function, they represent who feels safe, welcome and seen in public space.

“When the Supreme Court ruling came out, we heard very quickly from Baroness Falkner … First, she seemed to believe the ruling gave organisations carte blanche to begin toilet segregation. And second, in the face of such discrimination, she declared that trans organisations should use their ‘powers of advocacy’ to create trans-friendly facilities.

“We took her up on the second – and The Trans Loo is the result of that.” she added.

Speaking on the significance of the trans toilet installation in May, TransActual UK co-director, Hafsa Qureshi, told PinkNews that the campaign is a “powerful statement” on trans people being “forced to exist without safety, privacy, and rights.”

“The Supreme Court claimed it brought clarity to an area of difficulty. However, it did the exact opposite, while diminishing the rights or status of trans people. The impact on teht trans community has been devastating.”

The installation was also a “demand for legal clarity, human dignity, and real safety” for trans people in the UK, designed to “put pressure on public-polcy-makers to ensure they are answering questions and, ultimately, are held to account.”

Recently, retired high court judge, Dr Victoria McCloud, the UK’s only out trans judge, called for an independent review into the UK’s “systemic oppression” of trans people by multinational genocide prevention groups.

Responding, The Lemkin Institute issued a ‘red flag‘ warning over the UK’s treatment of trans people, arguing that “judicial and governmental” moves “fit neatly into the [ninth] Pattern of Genocide: ‘Denial and/or Prevention of Identity’.”

“Genocide does not only manifest in the killing of an entire group. In the case of trans and intersex people, genocide is often perpetrated by making it impossible for individuals to exist as their true selves,” a spokesperson wrote.

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