Caroline Flint, Labour MP for Don Valley, has spoken out against the transgender community on the Transgender Day of Remembrance in an interview with Evening Standard.
In an interview that begins with Ms Flint discussing being sexually assaulted on the London Underground, before she moves on to discuss transgender rights, and her fears that 'women are getting left behind in the trans debate'.
Ms Flint voiced her concerns that allowing transgender people to access women only spaces could endanger women and girls, 'Young women have told me that they have been in gender-neutral toilets and men have come in, not trans men or women but men, and been abusive and intimidating. These are everyday things, like Topshop making its changing rooms gender-neutral.' She said.
'With the best will in the world, in a changing room there are young girls wandering around in bras because it's seen as safe. Having men in there would change that. I don't know why debate around this has become adversarial. We need to think through how to support those from the trans community but not in such a way that compromises women's and girl's rights.'
Ms Flint then went on to say that she feels that transgender women should be excluded from domestic violence shelters, 'It's important that women feel safe there. It's difficult to judge if someone says they define themselves as a trans woman but for all intents and purposes look and sound like a man.'
The article continues on to include Ms Flint's fears that trans people are trying to impose transgenderism on children when they choose to dress in a way that doesn't match their assigned gender.
She states that she feels 'that a wider group of voices wasn't heard on the women and equalities committee.' The inquiry that she referrs to published a report in 2016 that called the government to make improvements to the Gender Recognition Act, chiefly to reduce the number of hurdles that trans people are required to go through in order to legally change gender.
Despite claiming that she 'absolutely supports trans rights' this is not the first time that she has spoken out against the trans community, having previously intervened in a debate in parliament claiming that gender-neutral toilets put cisgender women at risk of sexual assault.
At the time she cited evidence that cisgender women would be put at risk in gender-neutral toilets from a case where a student at the University of East Anglia placed cameras in gender-neutral toilet. After it was pointed out to Ms Lucas that the case in question was a cisgender man placing cameras in a female only toilet facility she still refused to retract her comments, even going on to complain about gender-neutral facilities because men 'urinate in the sink'.
Go to Amy's Blog
Wrong Caroline
ReplyDeleteOh dear. obviously swayed and in the wrong direction. Perhaps supporting the wrong party too.
ReplyDeleteI take it she would have the same view of 'women posing as men' in male spaces too ? Look around you Caroline - how many women wear trousers/jeans and nobody bats an eyelid. We moved into the 21st century almost 18 years ago...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTerrible, hateful, outdated views. Trans women are women and Trans men are men, and it really is that simple. These TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) politics have no place in our modern society. Stop giving a voice to hateful people like this.
ReplyDelete