Maya Forstater is a tax researcher and anti-trans activist who founded Sex Matters. Her 2021 Employment Appeal Tribunal case established gender-critical beliefs as a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010 — the foundational legal precedent for UK anti-trans litigation. [1]
Forstater's contract with the Centre for Global Development (CGD) was not renewed after she posted tweets stating that trans women are men. [1:1] She brought an employment tribunal claim arguing this was discrimination based on her philosophical beliefs.
The original tribunal ruled her beliefs were "not worthy of respect in a democratic society" and therefore not protected. [1:2]
On appeal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal reversed the decision, ruling that gender-critical beliefs ARE protected under the Equality Act 2010. [1:3]
The case was handled by Peter Daly as instructing solicitor, with Ben Cooper QC and Anya Palmer as counsel. [1:4]
The EHRC intervened in the case on Forstater's side. [2] Per leaked emails obtained via FOI, Alasdair Henderson (EHRC commissioner) had actively sought this case for EHRC intervention in September 2020. [2:1]
Following her tribunal victory, Forstater founded Sex Matters, one of the most prominent anti-trans organisations in the UK. [3] The group campaigns against trans rights under the framing of "sex-based rights."
FOI documents revealed Forstater emailed EHRC Chair Kishwar Falkner directly with advice. [4] The email mentioned Sex Matters "took advice from" someone before sending to Falkner. [4:1]
The Forstater judgment has been cited in numerous subsequent cases and used to legitimise anti-trans discrimination: