Piet Hoebeke is a well-known Belgian Urologist at the Ghent Universitary Hospital and Dean at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the Ghent University. He is actively involved in multidisciplinary teams addressing sexual development disorders and gender dysphoria.
After some hesitation, Prof. Hoebeke decided to respond to the verdict of the British High Court regarding the position and rights of trans women in the United Kingdom. As you might remember, the court ruled that the definition of “sex” in the Equality Act refers to “biological sex” only, i.e. the gender as recorded at the time of birth of an individual. This means that the (changed) gender of the people commonly referred to as “trans people” is not respected, despite them holding a Gender Recognition Certificate and having had their new gender legally recognized. According to the British Court, trans women can therefore not claim access to spaces or activities that are ‘women only’.
Prof. Hoebeke shared his viewpoint on this ruling in an article published by Belgian newspaper De Morgen on 22 April 2025, in the print edition of the newspaper as well as the online edition.
Continue reading “Trans women are women. Not a different species, not a threat, just…women.” (says Prof. Piet Hoebeke)
