You may have noticed, whether or not you are interested in transgender issues, a fascination with them in the press that borders on the obsessional. Newspapers deliberate which toilets trans people might use, whether a man can have a cervix or woman a penis, whether free speech extends to calling a transgender woman “he.” You may have got the impression, because much of the writing asserts or implies this, that trans people are a threat to women, want to abolish lesbianism, send disgusting messages and make ridiculous demands, and that dangerous ideologues are rushing young girls into operating theatres if they show an interest in things traditionally considered male.
There are, to be sure, issues of genuine public interest and legitimate viewpoints in the torrent of stories and comments. The problem is with the unbalanced, often misleading and relentless nature of the coverage.