Southampton-based groups supporting transgender people have hit out at a court ruling on biological sex.

The UK Supreme Court handed out a ruling yesterday on the definition of a woman in equality law.

The court’s unanimous ruling concluded that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.

Campaigners who supported the legal challenge branded the judgment a “victory for biology, for common sense, for reality”.

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This means, as the equalities watchdog stated, a gender recognition certificate (GRC) does not change a person’s legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act.

However, groups representing transgender people have expressed concern over the ruling.

Beyond Reflections is a Southampton-based charity supporting transgender, non-binary and questioning people and their close friends.

Its chief executive, Gillian Russell, says that organisations like hers have been "snowed under" with calls from concerned transgender people following this ruling.

She said: "I don't agree with it (the ruling).

"It brings to an end a long-running debate and rewards a small group of people who have an issue with what transgender people are and their right to exist.

"In the real world, it means that hate crime is going to rise, and make things more difficult for transgender people.

"As a charity, we look after transgender people and help with their support, and this is going to massively affect people.

"All I want to do is live my life. Being transgender is the least interesting thing about me. I have fewer rights today than I did yesterday."

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Mabel Wellman, the director of Trans Pride Southampton, said: "We fully affirm that trans women are women, and trans men are men, regardless of any ruling. 

"The exact impact the recent ruling has on trans people is not fully known at this stage. However, we will continue to fight for transgender people’s rights to access bathrooms, changing rooms and hospital wards of the gender they identify as. 

"We are most disappointed in not only the ruling but the fact that transphobic groups, masquerading as 'women's rights groups', were the only organisations listened to rather than any transgender groups, when it is our lives that are directly at stake and now distressed by this ruling."

The Government said the unanimous decision by five judges brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers.

NHS officials have confirmed they will consider the ruling as they update guidance on same-sex hospital wards.