It's no secret that the transgender community has received more and more scorn and criticism over the last few years for the simple crime of daring to exist. Whilst it has been generally accepted that it's wrong to target minorities, and steps to make racism, sexism, and homophobia a thing of the past have been slow but steady, one community that remains a constant target is trans people.
Think pieces about how awful trans people are, how they're all secretly sexual predators, or that they're somehow coming to turn your children trans are an almost daily occurrence. Celebrities such as Graham Linehan and J.K. Rowling share anti-transgender rhetoric on their social media platforms. And organisations such as The LGB Alliance petition government to remove rights and protections from the trans community.
One of the latest people to wade into this argument of who does and doesn't deserve to be treated like human beings is Conservative member of the House of Lords Baroness Emma Nicholson. Nicholson was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Torridge and West Devon in 1987, and was selected to sit on the Conservative bench of the House of Lords in 2016.
Over the past few days Baroness Nicholson seems to have turned her sights on the trans community.
On 19th May the Baroness released the contents of a letter that she sent to the chairman of Marks & Spencers, where she informed them that she believed that they were in breach of the Equalities Act 2010 in their decision to allow trans people to use the changing rooms that fit their gender identity.
It's worth pointing out that this is, in fact, incorrect. Gender Identity is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, and that it goes against this legislation to try to ban trans people from accessing the correct spaces. This is why groups like the LGB Alliance and other anti-trans campaigners are trying to have legislation change, as there is currently no legal way to exclude trans people from these spaces.
Despite claiming to understand the legislation Baroness Nicholson Tweeted out these false facts, and continued to stick to her position when members of the public pointed out that she was incorrect. She has responded to any criticism on her stance as a threat to women and children, claiming it to be companies chasing money over people's safety, or militant trans activists lying.
Since this initial tweet the Baroness' timeline on Twitter has devolved into a slew of transphobic comments and statements, as well as her retweeting comments from a number of anti-trans activist. Her tweets have claimed that trans rights have never existed and are simply stolen from women, claimed that she is performing a public service, said that places allowing access to trans people have been misbriefed, and even tried to claim that trans people are upsetting to the rest of the LGBTQ+ community.
One of the worst things she has done, however, is to have branded a trans child, and by extension all trans children, and I assume in her eyes trans adults, of being a sexual predator.
When the parent of a trans child tweeted that she was having to have 'a lot of grown up conversations' with her daughter regarding the open hostility towards trans people by political figures such as Barnoess Nicholson and Liz Truss, she received a response from the Baroness.
The Baroness replied with, 'Not up to me of course but the main point for me is the easy shift from male, so obviously would-be assailant to lady right up beside you shows that all is not what it might seem. Granny as the Wolf story?' Baroness Nicholson publicly called a child a sexual predator.
When Emma asked the Baroness if she really meant that, she responded with 'sadly yes'.
This blatant, open attack against trans people, and trans children in particular is sadly only the latest in a long, long line of abuse that the trans community has to face on a daily basis. Transphobic activists such as Baroness Nicholson keep falling back on the claim that trans people are a danger to women and children, that we're somehow sexual predators just waiting to attack and rape people.
Facts such as trans people being massively more likely to be the victims of sexual assault and violence than perpetrators of it seems to fall on deaf ears. These people seem to feel that if even a single trans person is ever found to be a sexual predator the whole community must be treated as such.
In my time as an openly trans person I've received abuse. I've been fired from my job for daring to transition whilst working. I've been mocked openly on the street. I've been threatened with rape and physical assault. I've been spat on. But I'm still relatively lucky. I know trans people who have been assaulted, who've been beaten and put in hospital. I know trans people who've been raped. I know trans people who can't find a job because people refuse to employ a trans person. I know trans people who have been pushed away by friends and family, who have lost their homes. I'm one of the lucky ones, but when most people hear about the abuse I've had they find it appalling; but I've seen so much worse.
I don't care is you find the idea of trans people existing to be 'weird', or if you don't understand it. At the end of the day, we're just people. We just want to live our lives and be treated fairly. We're not coming to rape and abuse anyone. We're not trying to take anything away from women. We're not going to turn your children. We just want to live.
I'm sick and tired of seeing constant attacks against the trans community in print. I hate that people I've never met claim I'm a paedophile rapist. I hate that the few rights I have as a trans person are currently up in the air and might be taken away from me when Liz Truss reveals the changes the government is making to the Gender Recognition Act. Most of all I'm just sick and tired of being treated like a monster for just being who I was born.
I can't imagine how hard it is for some other members of the trans community, and my heart bleeds for the children that are being publicly branded sexual predators by members of government for no reason.
Like I said, I'm lucky. But a lot of trans people aren't. These kind of attacks cost our community. They cost lives. And they have to stop.
I would encourage anyone who wishes to to complain to the House of Lords in writing so that this matter can be looked into, and any appropriate measures can be taken against Baroness Nicholson. Complain Here.
This woman should be ashamed! in fact she should be SHAMED! Baroness, it's time to get more education and a heart!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if this Baroness or any of the other people saying and making trans phobic comments and judgements have ever met or spoken in depth to a trans gendered person. I would personally like to have a meeting with both the baroness and ms Truss face to face to see what there reaction would be. Yes i have been subject to some abuse and also know a couple of young trans folk who have had the same. She is a nasty person.
ReplyDeleteComments like the good lady makes are totally without foundation. When someone uses a change room it is to change cloths. When someone uses a public toilet it is in my understanding to relieve their bodies of waste metabolic products in a hygienic fashion. I don’t know what the good lady is doing in there but that is what I am doing. If the person identifies as female use the female facility if male use the men’s. We do not have separate toilets for goths and punks. If someone betrays the social contract by all means they should be felt with by the law.
ReplyDeleteHow sad it is that we are still here witch hunting at this day and age. This woman probably goes to Church also
ReplyDeleteI think she should be thrown out of Government and I would seriously take her to court if I was Emma.
Keep up the good work A. Xxxx