TRANS IS HOT RIGHT NOW. Sadly, so is transphobia. In fact, the trans community seems to be fighting the same old battles gay people have already been fighting for years. The reaction to the government’s Transgender Equality report – a wide-ranging look at the state of life for trans people in modern Britain, published earlier this year – has been a prime example. Maria Miller, who delivered the report, told the Independent: “The only negative reaction that I’ve seen has been by individuals purporting to be feminists.” She has been accused of exposing women to “violent men hiding behind the mask of transgender”. As the Independent notes, she’s been told that trans women are “not real women” and are often “violent offenders or sex offenders” and that she was failing in her duty to protect women. I’ve seen several so-called ‘feminists’ repeat similar claims over the past few months. I’ve nothing to say to these bigots other than this: if you have evidence that trans women are a threat to other women, show us.
The constantly horrendous Melanie Phillips provided a prime example of this fear mongering in an article for The Spectator. She disagrees that trans and gender issues should be taught in schools because, as she puts it, “young minds can be so easily manipulated”. Her comments echo Jeremy Clarkson’s ignorant rant in the Sunday Times. He described being “horrified” when a transgender girl arrived at his daughter’s birthday party, branding the parents “lunatics’ who mustn’t “be allowed to poison the mind of a child”. Both of them are talking shit. Like me, the overwhelming majority of trans people have had to fight to be accepted by their families. Nearly half of young trans people – 48% – in Britain have attempted suicide, and studies show that depression and suicidal thoughts are linked to family rejection. It’s not rocket science. All children need the full love, acceptance and support of their parents. Trans kids are no exception.