Peggie, accompanied by her husband Darren and barrister Naomi Cunningham, told the tribunal that a union representative, Stuart Fraser, had dismissed her concerns, making her feel she was being disciplined for “doing something wrong”.
The case follows a high‑profile dispute with NHS Fife that began in December 2023 when Peggie objected to sharing a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. That earlier tribunal in December 2023 upheld her harassment claim against the health board but rejected allegations of discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation.
Peggie alleges that the RCN failed to advise her in January 2024 that she had a legal claim against NHS Fife, refused her request for legal support in January 2025, and did not advocate for her demand that changing facilities be single‑sex. She is seeking a finding that the union discriminated against her because of her gender‑critical and “sex realist” beliefs.
The RCN has denied all of Peggie’s allegations, stating that it acted appropriately and provided the support it could under its rules.
Peggie’s case has attracted attention from gender‑critical advocacy groups and public figures such as author J.K. Rowling, turning the dispute into a flashpoint in the wider debate over transgender rights and single‑sex spaces in the UK.
The tribunal, presided over by employment judge Melanie Sangster, is ongoing. A ruling in Peggie’s favour could have implications for how trade unions handle members’ gender‑critical views and their duty to provide legal assistance in employment disputes.