Over 2,200 UK writers have signed an open letter condemning the recent UK Supreme Court ruling that has been used to ostracise trans people, and has sparked changes in policies and guidelines across multiple organisations and businesses that have effectively barred trans people from safe spaces. The letter expressly supports the trans community and calls for others to do the same.
The letter says 'As outlined by the Good Law Project, this Supreme Court hearing took place on shaky legal ground and without the involvement of any trans voices; they also noted that had any trans organisations been involved, they would likely have been faced with harassment and threats.
'The UK has become an increasingly hostile place for trans and non-binary people, with a 186% increase in hate crimes against trans people in the last five years. We are deeply concerned that this ruling will embolden a bigoted but powerful minority in their harassment of trans and non-binary people and attempts to hound gender non-conforming people out of public spaces. This will have consequences not just for trans people but for anyone who deviates from gender norms, making society less safe for everyone.
'This Supreme Court ruling contributes to the erosion of the rights of marginalised LGBTQ+ communities globally. This has been seen recently in Uganda, Hungary and the US, to name only a few examples. Transparency International UK, which aims to fight corruption worldwide, warned two months ago about the impact of private donors’ influence in British politics, “with the US showing what could happen here if money in politics is left unchecked”.'
Signatories of the letter include high profile names such as Russell T Davies, Sara Pascoe, Billy Bragg, James Acaster, Aisling Bea, Kat Ellis, Una McCormack, Lewis Hancox, Jay Hulme, and others.
The open letter can be found here.
This letter is one of many that have been created over the last week from various groups, including UK writers, sportspeople, and historians.
No comments:
Post a Comment