King’s College, Cambridge, has faced criticism after using “cubicles” and “cubicles/urinals” instead of male and female signs on toilets near its main bar. Critics say the arrangement may make women feel excluded or unable to find female-only facilities, while the dispute has renewed debate over the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling that sex in equality law refers to biological sex.

The signs were introduced several years ago following recommendations linked to an LGBT+ campus group and a 2018 guide arguing that transgender students should be able to use binary toilets. The controversy follows new Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance warning that mixed-sex facilities could amount to discrimination or harassment, alongside wider political disagreements over the guidance and reports of similar disputes within the NHS.