The Darlington nurses are fighting for safe, single-sex spaces for all women

In Darlington, a group of brave nurses have taken a stand that should never have been necessary. Their case, now before an employment tribunal, is not just about workplace dignity, it is about truth. It is about the biblical truth that we are created male and female, in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). It is about the rights of women to live and work in safety and dignity without ideological coercion.

Bethany Hutchison, the lead claimant and president of the newly formed Darlington Nursing Union, speaks for many when she says: “We are nurses who love our jobs and our patients and only want to be afforded the dignity of getting dressed and undressed for work without a man present.”

This simple, reasonable request has led to extraordinary pressure, emotional strain and public scrutiny. Why? Because Darlington NHS Trust has sided with an ideology that denies biological reality and undermines the rights of women. The nurses’ refusal to accept a man in their changing room - a space that is meant to be private and safe - has been met not with support, but silence and hostility from major unions and institutional powers.

Speaking out

The nurses have chosen to speak out, not just for themselves, but for all women and girls. Their courage is a beacon in a culture increasingly hostile to the truth.

Most are shocked that their case has come this far – particularly after the Supreme Court ruling in April. The judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers was clear that the Equality Act requires single-sex services to be provided based on biological sex.

The law affirms what scripture teaches - and what every society has understood for millennia

These are legal safeguards rooted in biological reality and common sense. The law affirms what scripture teaches - and what every society has understood for millennia. Men and women are different, and these differences matter, especially in intimate and vulnerable settings.

Yet NHS trusts across the country remain wedded to an ideology that denies this truth. Despite the clear message from the Supreme Court, they simply seem unwilling, or unable, to row back on the policies and extreme ideology that have brought us to this point. They are sacrificing the safety and dignity of women to appease activist agendas. This is not compassion, it is coercion. It is not inclusion, it is injustice.

Watershed moment

The Darlington nurses’ case marks a watershed moment. It is a test of whether our public institutions will uphold the law or continue to bend to ideological pressure. It is a test of whether Christians and others who hold to biological and biblical truth will be allowed to live and work without fear.

NHS trusts across the country remain wedded to an ideology that denies the truth

As Christians, we are called to contend for truth, not just in our churches, but in the public square. We are called to speak up for the vulnerable, to defend the oppressed, and to stand firm when truth is under attack. These nurses are doing just that. They are not activists. They are down-to-earth professionals who love their work and their patients. They are women who simply want to change in peace.

The Christian Legal Centre and Christian Concern is standing with them and will continue to support them every step of the way.