It’s not how I look, but the way that I feel that makes me different from you. Do not deny me for looking this way It’s just that I’m different from you. And do deny me for feeling this way Because I am different to you.

So, please do not judge me for what I am Because I am different to you It’s the way that I feel, deep down inside That makes me different to you

For I mean you no harm Nor to cause you upset As you may mean it to me Its because we are different You hate us so much And hate makes us blind Do you see?

For I do not hate you, as you would hate me My sisters and brothers too And I would not kill you, as you may kill me That’s the difference between me and you You killed my sisters and brothers too.

Copyright Teraina Eugenie Hird October 2011.

http://on.fb.me/rjzsDU

I think that’s a sound approach, as it deals with the inevitable attack that numbers and details are made up, and that the problem is overstated.

Also, numbers for recent years cannot simply be extrapolated backwards in a linear fashion without evidence to support that assumption. Trans people’s visibility and apparent numbers have both increased markedly in recent years. It may be that violence figures track that. The fact is we simply don’t know how many deaths of this kind went undocumented in the years before people started shining a light on the phenomenon.

Whether it’s 600 or 6000 isn’t the issue though. All these deaths are conspicuously violent hate crimes. One would be too many.

Thanks for your thoughts Dru

Please consider spreading the word about this film either on or through your website. Please feel free to also email me back with questions, and would also like to know if you decide to use it so we can send it out through our network for cross promotion. 

Thank you for your time, Harrison

I do fear GP’s being given the NHS funding responsibility, given there was a survey of GP’s just a few years back when 87% or thereabouts of GP’s who answered the survey said they believed gender reassignment treatment and surgery should not be funded by the NHS. Yet now we have a conservative government giving these very same people the right to decide how NHS money should be spent, its like giving Dracula access to NHS blood banks, pure madness.

I have had my op, though it was a long drawn out affair of manoevering the obstacles put there by the NHS, doing as I was told like a good little girl, eg. if I hadn’t dressed in a skirt, and lived full time, then I would not have had the surgery. This led to abuse, assaults and being terrorised by locals.

NHS professsionals still do not know how to deal with transsexual people in my experience, there is no LGBT group within the NHS to train and educate NHS staff from doctor’s surgeries to A&E, inc. mental health to dentist service providers, there is an LGB group, but no T representatives, and until there is, we are going to continue to experience the crass stupidity of NHS staff making errors (be they deliberate or accidental).

I have applied many many times for work within my local NHS, as a transsexual awareness campaigner I thought my skills and knowledge would be welcomed, but I was wrong, I never even got to the interview stage, despite having life experiences, education qualifications to match anyone, now what with cuts in services as part of Cameron’s austerity measures, my chances of working within the NHS have dwindled further.

I wish all NHS regional boards would watch this video Christine has done, and maybe, just maybe, things will change.

I had already commenced my full time transition prior to my first appointment there, and the only reasons there was any delay in me receiving surgery were a) the time it took for funding to be agreed, and b) the length , at the time (approx 12 months) of the waiting list for surgery.

I cannot commend the clinic highly enough, and having had dealings with it since, through the patient support group I represent, and other NHS committees I sit on, I con only say thatthe ONLY reasons they will NOT refer for surgery are either because they believe the patient is not ready (physically and mentally) yet OR because somebody has another health problem which may possibly endanger their lhealth further should they have this surgery.

The Clinic is there NOT to stop people having surgery, but to help people make the right lifetime and lifetsyle decisons which will make them a better and happier person.

Sometimes that may mean that the minimum 2 year RLE requirement may be extended.

People need to ask themselves WHY they have been refused surgery, they need to take a deeper look at themselves, and their own behaviour when attending the clinic, and remember the clinicians there work under extreme pressures due to a shortage of resources, and do their very best to help their patients come to terms with themselves.

time have changed since the Days of Randall, Prof Green and Dr Montgommery, all of who had their own personal (rather than professional) stereotypical views of what women should act like and dress, None of the current clinicians practising there now hold similar views to them. Far from it they are probably far more accommodating to the many different expressions of gender variance than many other so called professional gender identity specialist.

Post Op, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that you and Jane B enjoyed my 4Thought. I have been getting a lot of criticism lately from people in the trans community and it is really nice to see positive comments like yours.

But what’s this all about?

“If only I looked as good as Paris, then maybe my life would be better than it is.”

Though I am very grateful that I have been given the gift of passing privalege, please don’t think that my life is so great. I went through some truly ghastly experiences several years ago, and it was down to these traumas that I chose to become a trans activist. I can assure you that I feel all the thinsg that every other trans person feels from time to time, somtimes I don’t want to leave the house, sometimes I feel ugly and sometimes I feel like the whole world is against me. The funny thing is, I think that a lot of the criticism I have been getting from trans people recently is precisely becaue of my looks, and also the fact that I am progressing in my career. People see these little snippets of me, 1 and a half minutes on TV, a good photo which I use for online profiles, and they make the mistake of thinking that my life is much more glamoorous and carefree than it is. Ultimately, I’m a person struggling to make a dent in the media. Altough I am very happy and proud to write for DIVA, I’m only a contributor, not a full time member of staff.

I didn’t want to go out the house the day I filmed for that 4Thought - as it had been three months since I came off my homrones, due to health reasons. (I’m back on them now.) That’s why I wore the hat, to take away attention from my face. I doubt people would think that, they’d probably just think I’m really confident and wear whatever I like. Which I am, to a certain extent, but the point is I worry about my appearance just as much as anyone.

I went out though because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to speak out on these issues! I honestly only did 4Thought for the good of trans people - I can assure you that going on telly was the very LAST thing I wanted to do the way I was feeling at that moment in time. By the way, I am not fishing for compliments. I know I look Ok in the clip because I see it and other people have told me, but I ceratinly don’t look my best - and my mum even commented on that, so I’m not imagining it. I suspect a few people feel jealous of me having seen me on TV. I wish they knew what the experience, and my motives, were truly like.

I want you to feel good. I won’t lie to you - when I started taking hormones, my life did become easier. Partly because my body felt more female, but partly because I looked more feminine. Looking ‘passable’ can have quite a profound effect on how your life feels on a day to day basis. But it is wrong for things to be this way. That is why I am not stealth, and want so much for society to be better for all people like us. Because - and this is no joke - what if all my hair dropped out one day? What if I went blind? Or what if I just get old and lose my feminine looks? Will my life become much harder again?

It probably would, and that’s wrong. I hope we can make things better for everyone. Please try and stay positive and don’t compare yourself to people who you perceive to be more attractive than you because it will only make you unhappy. I used to to with celebrities all the time and it’s just depressing. Just count yourself lucky that you are a kind intelligent person and that there are other good people like you out there. Best wishes,

Paris x

There’s also a very active Facebook group (just search for the full name) and they are on Twitter as @transmediawatch

I hope that helps.

HALLELUJAH! What a wonderful event - devastated I wasn’t there to enjoy such a positive vibe.

As the FTM Co Chair of SWTEN/South West Transgender Equality Network, supported by Equality South West and Founder/Facilitator of CTSAR/Cornwall Transgender Support and Resource, raising Transgender Awareness is my ‘Life’s Work.’

I would very much like to be involved in Trans Media’s campaign - I think as an ‘out and proud’ Transman, it would be simply RUDE not to be.

I look forward to hearing from you ‘The ‘T’ Team’ very soon.

Mr Kazimierz (Kaz) Hawthorne Neumann

Then theres my employment issues , no one will give me a job, and I can’t deal with working amongst deeply ignorant people in a very low paid job sporting a dress , wig and beard,until my “real life test” is over in what might be years and years down the road….

I also get abuse everyday as a local trans woman outed me , so now I’m being harrased by the local lesbian mafia who hate me, several of whom live around me.

Its ironic, you would think people would be happy that out lives are shit to begin with , let alone makeing them worse at every turn .

I loved to points Paris made on 4Thought , and I think theres a serious issue of ownership going on with cis gendered people . They feel they have the right to not only control our lives , but to know every personal detail about us , ask any question they like , and do what they want to us . I guess theres no respect for Trans people like us , not even on the most basic level.

Lets hope things get better.

Transphobia is not just in the church, its also in employment, and with the current economic climate, that is just going to get worse, Cameron called the unemployed lazy scroungers, yet the organisations tasked to help those out of work get into work are not fully equipped to deal with transphobia, places like A4E, Shaw Trust and other pathways to work programmes etc where I have attended to get work, I have suffered abuse and harrassment and the centres have not been able to deal with it appropriately, now Cameron wants to take our homes off us, what a lovely next 4 years we face under the ConDem’ed

Whilst I’ve personally led on things like chairing the first transgender work stream at the Department of Health, working on regional commissioning policies and publishing the reference material which can support change, and others such as GIRES have done a lot of work too, I think it’s an area which needs an approach akin TMW’s to really bring focus.

The new health and social care landscape will be transforming Local Involvement Networks (LINks) into something called local ‘Health Watch’.

The localism strategy threatens to rob us of the ability to influence the NHS from a national level in favour of these groups which don’t appear to have much track record, capacity or capability in terms of diverse health needs .. let alone trans knowledge.

This will be a challenge faced by other protected groups besides trans, but it will be felt most acutely in the smaller communities, with limited capacity, who can’t get round to upwards of 500 local organisations to attempt to use what little local levers there will be.

The starting point will have to be an attempt to bring attention to the generic issues, and to map them nationally .. just as TMW has documented examples of poor practice in the media.

Perhaps it should be called “Trans Health Watch”. Now, which enterprising young’ish trans people want to start it?

Well done everybody you have come a long way.

http://lastofthecleanbohemians.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/for-the-love-of-channel-4/

There’s so many people I’d like to thank but above all this event could not have happened without Stuart Cosgrove. He has given us something very precious on which to build … and that is what we intend to do.

There is that problem@Karen. People only see what they see. They don’t see another side that’s invisible to them.

On Julie Bindel, you may like to listen to my Oct 2008 interview with her. See ‘Past Episodes’ on the right and click on that month.

Christine

Do you think that the problem with role models for transsexual people is that those who are most successful (at least in terms of appearance) will just not want to make their status public? The only one that strikes me as breaking this sort of taboo was Dana International, whose Eurovision contest victory was a pleasant surprise (although it also brought some of the trans-haters out of the closet too).

I have to say that what saddens me the most is the sort of comments from people such as Julie Bindel in her 2004 Guardian article. While not typical of the LGB community as a whole, it is still disappointing to see such naked hatred given free reign in a national newspaper. At least with the Daily Mail I would expect it!

Happy a happy christmas Christine, I doubt I will have one as my family ditched me some years ago

But, on fading and talking over Carly Simon I’m afraid that you HAVE got me banged to rights. It’s what we broadcasting types do, I’m afraid. Rest assured, however, that I was just as sad that Andrew had to fade out Thunderclap Newman just as I prepared to switch from Air Piano to Air Guitar

But, BUT, beyond that … You interrupted Carly Simon in full Flight !! Oh the Horror!

What a nice guy Andrew Edwards sounds.

Happy Christmas xoxo

Vickie (Sobbing and wiping away the tears.)

Nadia, you really are an amazing woman, I absolutely adore you and I wish you all the best of luck with Ya Mutto, Eurovision and everything in life. **big hugs** Stay fabulicious, babe!

ALL OF THESE IDIOTS DURING UBB CLAIMING YOU HAVE CHANGED WERE CHATTING BULLSHIT ! YOU HAVNT CAHNGED AT ALL YOU ARE ALWAYS YOURSELF AND YOU ARE ONE HECK OF A HUMAN BEIGN ! LOVE YOU X

Great interview, Christine.

That idea that some people would LIKE to be able to tell up-front that someone is trans is a really insidious one. I’m sure you’ll appreciate where it can lead.

To use an analogy, it would be handy for women to be able to tell which men are abusers before going near them. Some abusers pass as ordinary men and this bears the unfortunate risk that we might get into a relationships with one of them without realising it. On finding out, we might even feel we were deceived. However, I don’t think it would be thought acceptable to expect such men to have easily discernable markings, no matter how strong our personal feelings might be that we are being deceived.

All of us have things which we don’t reveal up front to strangers. Do any of us perform full disclosure to every stranger we encounter? Which things ought to be on the required list?

Most relationships are a process of gradually getting to know more about each other, in a process involving increasing levels of trust. It requires an exceptional level of trust for trans people to reveal their background to strangers. The evidence indicates that people can’t behave responsibly with the information.

Thought provoking. Thank you.

It is good to have somewhere that can help us to feel empowered instead of just a nice place to drink coffee, Well done to all involved xx

Best wishes

Christine

Christine

Lucy

http://maternitymotherhood.net

If you’re a card carrying Humanist, however, then it’s worth saying that I know Hanne Stinson quite well, and I know that she and her British Humanist Association are entirely supportive of the kinds of diversity issues which we showcase here on Just Plain Sense.

You speak a lot about Whingers and Whiners and yet I suspect that you’ve not actually listened to the programmes here in any depth. If you had then you’d know that that isn’t the approach of any of the people I’ve featured in the 62 episodes that I’ve produced so far.

On the contrary, the guests here are all very positive people, engaged in ensuring that they do not become losers in this world. I’ve never heard any of them ask for special dispensation. If they did I would challenge them on that. Instead, they are seeking the same treatment or rights as everyone else, on the basis (with public services) that they’ve paid the same as the next person.

You dub the NTPA as “strident” but I’d urge you to listen to what they have to say. I hear no stridency in the educated and measured way in which they explain what they have set up, and why it is important for effective policing that represents the WHOLE community.

Lastly, congratulations on your bus pass. I too can’t wait to get mine in a couple more years — and I hope that the concession isn’t taken away through over use by people who take whatever’s on offer whether they need it or not. If you were under 65 when you got your pass, however, then it’s worth remembering that men only finally achieved the right to have bus passes from 60 (like women) because one man used the machinery of human rights and equality law that people talk about here. You see, it’s not just for “other people”. Human Rights are there for everyone. I just hope you’re never in the position where you learn at first hand just how essential they are. The privileges don’t go on forever in this dog-eat-dog world.

I know people from ethnic minorities, disabled and from sink council estates who have done pretty well for themselves. Why? Because they were self-motivated, strong-willed, had skills, guts and determination and went out and got what they wanted. I have little time for failures who always want to blame others for their own failings.

I see no reason whatsoever for strident pressure groups like the Trans Police Association, or even the Black Police Association, to exist. I don’t believe in quotas or positive discrimination, any more than I believe in the negative variety. People should stand up for themselves, be strong and take responsibility for their own lives, rather than expecting others to do it all for them. What on earth is wrong with that as a lifestyle?

Oh, and by, the way, I have a bus pass! My generation believes in self sufficiency and not being dependant on others.

Best wishes.

As for political correctness, do you not think it is appropriate to act correctly in politics?

I have to assume you are part of that 20% of the population who are male, white, British, able-bodied, straight, Christian and under 45 - who harbour the conceit that they are ‘normal’ and that the world revolves around them.

The reality is that, in Britain these days, about 10% of the population have a black or ethnic background, 20% have a disability, about 8% are LGBT, and large numbers aren’t Christian. By 2020, over 42% of the population will be over 50 too.

What all those people have in common is the experience of being treated negatively at some time by people with the complacency to think they are in some way more superior or naturally deserving by accident of their birth.

But we ALL pay for public services Glen, and although you may think of it as “political correctness” the rest of us believe that everyone is entitled to the same quality of care.

Lastly, transgender people do not have psychological problems, as you assert. That’s official. In fact, the absence of mental health problems is one of the requirements for treatment. However, some trans people do suffer from depression or anxiety as a result of ignorant behaviour directed towards them by others.

Kindest regards Christine Burns Producer, Just Plain Sense

Why don’t some of you folks simply accept that you are as you are, stop whingeing and whining and wallowing in your perceived victimhood and just get on with your lives? Leave the rest of us - and we are the vast majority, I might remind you - alone to get on with ours and stop banging on and on about how unfair the world is! The world IS unfair, always has been and always will be, so get used to it. It’s called human nature, my dears!

So far as the police are concerned, are we not entitled to ask whether someone with “gender identity” issues, and therefore probably with psychological problems, really ought to be in such a high-pressure and important job at all? This is a profession that demands not only a high level of physical fitness but also the ability to think quickly, sometimes in a split second, and to make decisions that just might affect life and death. Is someone who is confused about their sexuality really the right kind of person to make such decisions? I suggest not.

You will not, of course, publish this comment since the one thing you people seem not to recognise is the principle of free speech, which means you will probably never permit anything to be published expressing an opinion which is at variance with yours.

I was a patient at Charing Cross until 2007 when i successfully had my surgery and must state that I had a positive experience there.

There were some excellent questions and it was good to hear about the myth of women having to wear skirts to appointments being gone. I never wore a skirt to an appointment and, during many sessions with Dr Penny Lenihan, never saw her wear anything other than trousers.

The clinicians do a good job under difficult circumstances and they have to have some guidelines to work under. The real life experience is necessary and I agree with the guideline that this should include a year in employment/full time education/voluntary work. Sitting on one’s derriere does not help one through this momentous change.

I found that the clinicians I saw were excellent and Dr James Barrett was both knowledgeable on his speciality and a fount of information on a wide range of topics within general life away from medicine (including a detailed knowledge of typography - I used to work as a typesetter for my local paper). He also treated me with the utmost courtesy and respect as a human being.

This is not a glamarous branch of medicine but the results when the surgery is complete (I was lucky enough to have excellent surgical results by Mr Bellringer) dramatically improve one’s life.

I have been able to successfully integrate into general society as the woman I am, and I have Charing Cross to thank for making this possible.

Peter Tatchell, like anyone who is willing to rock the boat, often gets criticised unfairly. He is unrivalled as a human and civil rights campaigner. He does not just campaign for people who are gay, like him, but for any and all people who are marginalised, abused, discriminated against, or worse. He is a selfless campaigner, often putting his own safety at risk.

I find this podcast inspiring!

Let’s hope the conversation you two have started here tempts a few other people to share their experiences and show that neither of you are unusual. TwoMoms .. you bring the total cases I know about to five already. (Two cases of trans women; three of trans men)

Let’s not forget as well that in talking about trans people as suitable adopters people can also maybe add to the understanding that trans birth parents are no less good or bad than any other parents.

Christine

The other trans people I have assisted through the process are finding this to be their experience too. I truly believe this is borne out of ignorance and lack of knowledge, rather than inherent discrimination or prejudice.

Panel can be a rather daunting experience but ours went remarkably smoothly. Is it approval panel or matching panel in September?

Good luck and best wishes to you both and please keep us up to date on your progress!

We’re going though the approval process at the moment and have found our experiences to be completely different to that of our “Nick”.

Our social worker there has been fantastic. We came out to her at the start of the process in the interest of being frank, open and honest. I would advise anyone wanting to adopt to be completely honest from the start. Don’t make an issue of it and in our experience social workers shouldn’t!

The team at the adoption service were fantastic and never batted an eyelid. In fact, our social worker, prior to conducting our first home visit, held a trans awareness and training day to make sure that everyone on the adoption panel and everyone who would be dealing with us would be aware of the issues surrounding gender dysphoria, surgery and the fact that it would make no difference to our abilities to be loving, caring parents! She was adamant that our trip to panel didn’t end up being the first time that the panel had dealt with trans issues. She felt it unfair to both sides to do this. So far it’s worked just great. We’ve focused on all levels of our life - including our past in a frank, honest and down-to-earth way. We have had to deal with some trans issues - but it in no means has our time focused on this; they’re treated just like every other issue we discuss. Unlike “nick” I think we’ve had a brilliant experience so far and our social worker is very clued up - before meeting us though she’d not got much information about the issues - she went away and researched them like crazy!

We’ve also agreed to come out (slowly) to some of our close friends and family who don’t know about our past. So far it’s all be great and no issues have been experienced. Our medical reports too have been filled out in a very understanding way. At no point did our social worker make us feel uneasy, marginalised or put out. If we’re successful at panel and are approved to adopt we will end up telling our new family. I’m working on a book to help explain that to younger children and older children.

We are members of a support network called NewFamilySocial, an LGBT adoption group. They can be found at www.newfamilysocial.co.uk.

We go to panel in September. Hopefully everything will go well!

TwoMoms…

Whilst those within Charing Cross continue to lament their “inherited reputation”, the fact is those that have the power to actually change things for the better, and actually place trans people first and foremost over internal commissioning and politics would rather just continue their favourite game of ‘gatekeeping’

Dr Stuart Lorimer and Charing Cross GIC were instrumental in declining my referral for genital surgery despite the fact that I had completed more than 5 years RLT and complied with the HBSOC and all clinic protocols. I saw Dr Lorimer in the hope to facilitate a GRS referral. Both Dr James Barrett and Dr Lorimer clearly refused a referral. Since leaving Charing Cross GIC in early 2007 I have now seen another psychiatrist at another Hospital who gave me a referral at the the first appointment.

I also appreciated your questioning, that cut through to some key points - in other words, you were asking some of the questions I’d have wanted you to ask.

I think it’s sad and disappointing that someone sincere and clearly experienced in this field feels that some of the greatest difficulties come from GPs and PCTs. And the whole issue of the postcode lottery by which one PCT may sanction funding and another may not is particularly concerning - and sort of worrying because an issue like transsexualism has the potential to tempt decision-makers within PCTs to make decisions that may be influenced by religious dogma, and therefore there is a greater danger of prejudice and discrimination over the funding of transsexual patients than over, say, the funding of cancer patients - where the illness does not seem to cut across religious beliefs in the same way.

Stuart Lorimer is a decent, direct and down-to-earth practitioner who treats patients/clients with kindness and respect.

In my experience there are other practitioners at Charing Cross GIC who are also sensitive and supportive. I think this integrity came across in the interview. Thank you for making it happen.

I work in the game’s industry and have been working in Europe for the past few years. In Denmark I worked with women programmers and I’m currently working with a Swedish company where women are at every stage of the development process - designers, coders, artists and project managers.

I’ve come back to the UK and talked about this and my male workmates are horrified. “Surely women are just a distraction in the office?” Is the standard response.

I saw the film ‘Soldier’s Girl’ for the first time last night and what a brilliant film it is too but of course it is also sad because of how it plays out.

As a gay man I struggle to understand how another human being could be so tormented and fearful of my sexuality that murder becomes an option to free themselves from what is in fact their own internal struggle and self-loathing.

Barry Winchell was a courageous young man for following his heart. Calpernia Addams is a courageous woman for being a visible and active voice for trans people.

Happy New year.

To-day I listened to the Podcast. Sounds good.

Thank you.

I liked the Idea of turning the subject on its head “so to Speak”.

I love the poem ” very Deep” but fun.

Vikki Marie Gaynor

I’m a woman with a trans history, and whilst I do not agree with many of Bindels views, this is one which I do agree with her. Why does it have to be about the transwomen Kate P? In a rape counselling situation, the most important woman is the one who has been raped, surely??. Is this not just typical male privilege to make it ‘all about teh transwoman’??? In such a sensitive situation, how will she feel about a transwoman trying to counsel her, especially if that transwoman does not even pass, or has no experience of being raped, being born and raised as a female.

— Helen G said ——————————— Trans people have been ejected from the LGB movement, from feminism, from almost any mainstream movement and organisation for social change and inclusion you care to mention, for years on end. —————————————————–

What utter nonsense Helen G! Both LGB(T) and Feminism movements are broad, you don’t really expect them to always be agreeable of inclusive of trans surely? I’ve met a lot of transpeople over the years that are equally homophobic and some are mysogynist - so I don’t get the point here? And, Feminism is a movement that women have had to create themselves, to break down the patriarchy and the abuse that has been laid to them by men, yet, transpeople think they can just storm right in and force Feminists and women to just accept them and not challenge how trans issues affect them?? Sounds like male privilege again as its mostly vocal transwomen doing this!

Jane

I just want to say that in many ways the problem with Bindel, and certainly not those who feel hostile towards her, is Bindel’s fatalism and apparent double standards. She says that she is trying to undermine the “Gender binary” but at the same time says transsexual folk should not have surgery but “Remain the sex they were born into”. That is, regardless of what is said in this debate, a glaring contradiction.

Another glaring contradiction would be her stance on the medical profession, she is clearly opposed to adults seeking surgery, and paying for that surgery, and she then blames the Medical profession for “Brainwashing” such adults into obtaining surgery. And yet she says absolutely nothing about the non consented to, non sought (in fact imposed) surgery on intersex kids, which is unquestionably motivated by heteronormative stupidity, and not somthing sought by the individual concerned.

Her silence on this implies her agreement with it. Now there are two logical points (Among many I could mention) which cause me to believe that Julie Bindel simply does not understand or does not want to understand the issues being discussed. And yes those transsexual folks who see all this are going to veer towards the opinion that rather than being someone who stands for self determination, she is a heteronormative bigot.

I mean do you not think it would be better if Julie Bindel was confronted with real questions rather than all this cucumber sandwiches and tea on the lawn routine that in truth addresses nothing.

I am writing this here in the hope that you do not ignore these two fundmental points of contention but approach her with them, I think it will make a lot more sense if she answers questions about those things that really concern her critics (I am sure they have a lot of valid questions as well).

The message I get from Stonewall is a simple one, they are all about breaking down “Social gender roles” but are incredibly fatalistic about anatomy etc. That is an untenable posiion to hold and Stonewall know that.

Please consider this Christine, it may prove more helpful than the way things are happening now.

Really? It comes down to “accept awarding transphobes, because by golly they’ve done so damn much for the community” or “you transpeople will be put in the corner all by yourselves, and have only yourselves to blame”?

How does this not equate to “I’m X, so discrimination against Y people doesn’t bother me?” Moreover, how is this *not* victim blaming? Julie Bindel has been an outspoken transphobe — why is it not okay to request that, y’know, she *not get an award for it*, exactly?

Seriously, why is it not okay?

You do not represent me in any way I am no victim.

Abi

It’s moved well past Julie herself now. People know who she is, and what she stands for. Having had the opportunity to talk to pople and change, she’s proved immovable. Julie just IS… the debate has moved on to supporting her transphobia by nominating her for an award.