The media

 You expect The Daily Mail, The Telegraph or The Daily Express to be horrendously reactionary. But I’m not sure why the Times newspaper is so anti trans. It is publishing opinion pieces suggesting that the implications of the recent High Court ruling are much more far reaching than they actually are. And they are presenting trans rights activists purely as crazed anarchists destroying property and threatening violence against their opponents. They have headlines like “unhinged trans activists show true colours”. 


By the way, the same article suggested that trans activists are misinterpreting the judgement, when actually most trans deniers are doing exactly that by saying that the ruling means that trans men have to use the ladies and trans women have to use the gents. Let’s be crystal clear. It means no such thing. 


And although many threats have been made by trans activists, they are just threats made in anger. I don’t believe any of such threats have been carried out. By contrast it is trans people themselves who are the true victims of violence. In 2023 some 2% of self identified trans people suffered a violent assault.  


There are many threads to The Time’s propaganda. They published a reader’s letter suggesting that gay rights campaigners won their argument by prolonged and reasoned pressure, not by the sort of angry protest and “cancel culture against sceptics” of which some trans activists are guilty. According to the Times’ correspondent we have achieved nothing in reality in terms of public acceptance, whereas the quiet reason of the gay rights movement has essentially achieved all its aims. 


In reality there was aggressive protest as well as political and cultural pressure throughout the campaign for gay rights. Remember the “stonewall riots” for which the UK pressure group was named? The more extreme trans activists are doing the same. I disapprove but the parallel between the gay rights movement and trans rights movement is undeniable. 


As for the assertion that trans rights activists have made no progress n changing people’s perception? 


Despite the anti trans propaganda from retain sections of the media, a small majority of people are happy to allow trans women into single gender spaces. In 2022 it was 61%. That majority has been eroded, largely as a result of the vocal campaigns pushing back against trans rights. But a huge majority recognises that trans people face significant discrimination. 


As one would expect young people are much more accepting and supportive.  A YouGov survey found that 61% of 18 to 24-year-olds support gender identity-based rights, compared to 36% of those over 65 . 


There’s also legal progress, such as the Gender Recognition Act, which, despite the recent high court ruling recognises the ability to change gender for most legal purposes. 


Compare that with the situation when transitioning was novel, when April Ashley was vilified and “cancelled”. 


We have made a lot of progress. The High Court’s judgement has given the laughably named Commission on Equality and Human Rights a hook on which to hang their legal campaign against trans rights. But it is only a setback. As the demographics of the population changes and it gradually dawns on people that trans people are not so different from their cis fellows the landscape will change. 


Trans activists should ignore the right wing media, protest peacefully and put forward logical arguments. Then progress will continue its march forward. 

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