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Key Takeaways:
- TransActual UK and BBH London installed the “Third Toilet” to protest a U.K. court ruling affecting trans rights.
- It challenges the idea of a "third space" for trans people, confronting public exclusion with public art.
- The installation joins a trend of brand activations as tools for advocacy, driving visibility through bold physical statements.
A colorful toilet was purposefully installed outside the U.K. Supreme Court to make a statement.
TransActual UK’s latest campaign with BBH London serves as the organization's response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in April that defines "woman" under the Equality Act as a matter of biological sex.
Critics say the decision threatens trans people’s access to safe public spaces.
The group’s response? A standalone “Third Toilet” in front of the Court, demanding both clarity and dignity.
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The idea stems from a comment by Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who suggested trans people seek a “third space” instead of access to existing single-sex areas.
“We took it literally,” BBH London creative directors Camila Gurgel and Ieva Paulina told DesignRush.
“Installing a toilet outside the Supreme Court might seem absurd — but that was the point. It turns a dismissive comment into a bold public statement.
We reached out to TransActual, who helped shape the idea into something true to the community’s fight.
The Third Toilet reflects how exposed and excluded trans people feel. But it’s also a loud refusal to hide. They're here, and everyone will see."
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For TransActual UK, the point is painfully real.
“The Supreme Court claimed it brought clarity to an area of difficulty,” said Hafsa Qureshi, Director at TransActual UK.
“However, it did the exact opposite while also diminishing the rights or status of trans people in the UK.”
The group said the installation symbolizes what it means to be forced to exist “without safety, privacy, and rights, in full view of a society that refuses to see us.”
The campaign shows how creative agencies like BBH London find the most attention-grabbing ways to deliver a message.
A Toilet That Speaks Volumes
Placed deliberately in a high-traffic area outside the U.K.'s highest legal authority, the “Third Toilet” forces passersby to confront the literal and symbolic isolation trans people face.
There’s no wall and no shelter. Just a toilet in the open, capturing the exposure and vulnerability caused by policies that overlook or sideline trans people.
Photographed by Rhiannon Adam, known for documenting marginalized groups, the stark installation strips away any kind of metaphor.
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“We need to move the conversation on from ridiculous things like bathrooms and onto the things that matter.
And that is the safety of trans people everywhere," activist and Trans Legal Clinic Director Olivia Campbell Cavendish shared.
As part of a larger push, TransActual UK is calling on lawmakers to reconsider the legal frameworks shaping access to basic rights, from education and employment to healthcare.
In their words, it’s about “legal clarity, human dignity, and real, lived safety.”
Our Take: Is This How Visibility Becomes Action?
As someone who’s tracked hundreds of campaigns, I’ve seen how a brand activation can be more than just a marketing stunt.
When the message is clear and the timing is right, it can hit harder than any press release.
And sometimes, it can be a means to publicly demand justice. Not just talk, but action you can’t scroll past or walk around.
When done right, creative advocacy can turn sidewalks into stages for societal change.
It forces people to stop, look, and think right where it counts. And this is where taking action starts.
In other news, Spotify recently launched a global activation shining the spotlight on its platform's most iconic artists.
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