You Have the Power

Fighting fear with truth, building unity with action.

You are a human being first. Your identity matters — your gender is part of you, but it does not define your entire worth. No law, no ruling, and no prejudice can be allowed that takes away your right to exist proudly and fully. ALL your human rights must remain.

When we say ‘trans people’ throughout this article, we mean everyone under the trans umbrella including non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, and all gender-diverse identities. Every one of you deserves protection, dignity, and the full respect of your human rights.

Trans positivity was our theme for April. It’s hard to be positive when it feels like you are being attacked on all fronts. However, on reflection I see that this has generated a lot of energy within the community that has the opportunity to create a lot of positivity. People, usually silent have come out in force. Rightly incensed by the recent ruling. There has been a call for unity of all trans groups. That is a very positive thing. You have that power to make that happen. You have the ability to spread the word and you have the ability to tell smaller trans organisations about this move to come together and to ask them to make themselves known to us (details at the bottom). And when a plan of action is created by the community together, and you are called, you have the power to take action that will cement positive change for you and for generations to come. That is a lot of power.

So what can we realistically do?

To truly make positive change it is paramount that we understand the argument from both sides. I know you all have good reason to hate them. However fuelling a hate fight never ends well.

So, why did these women do this? They started this legal battle for a reason and that wasn’t because they had nothing better to do on the weekend. I see two reasons. One, they have been taught to hate transgender people and two, they genuinely are afraid that trans women will attack them.

All of us in the community know the truth of this, however they don’t. The entire anti-trans movement are making all kinds of hate fuelled comments, but not once has any of them actually given any evidence that what they are saying is true. Every time Jess puts out a video on social media, hundreds of nasty comments come through. Yet again, not one of them able to justify their comment. When challenged on this, they fall silent. This is how you silence the lies being spread about us.

We are trained to hate what we do not understand. Fear has been used to cause separation for hundreds of years. So if you challenge and educate those who oppose you and show them that in fact their reasons for hate and fear are non-existent, then the hate and the fear disappears. From that point, both groups start to support each other or at least leave each other alone.

When I say educate “them,” I mean all cis women, not just the vocal minority spreading fear. This ruling sends a message to all women that trans women are somehow a threat. I know this because supportive cis women have told me things like, “I support trans people but I still want to feel safe in female spaces.” That fear is understandable, but it has been taught, not born.

If we change the hearts and minds of the wider cis population, this issue collapses. Fear vanishes when truth shines through. It might seem like an impossible task, but it isn’t. With unity, organisation, and persistence, it can be achieved quickly. And I have a plan…

We are a firm believer in challenging and educating the people around us. While it is not our official job, it kind of is. Otherwise people will believe the nonsense they are fed. No one should have to prove their right to exist or be safe. However, because misinformation is rampant, we want to equip you with facts to counter the false narratives.

We would like to make several points and give you some tools you can use. You don’t need to wait for an organised plan, though that is coming too:

This ruling does not erase your rights under UK law, but it does show that discrimination can and does happen even under the pretence of “clarification”. We must challenge it, and we must fight back with the full truth.

It is not actually possible for any court to determine who or what a person is. Only the individual knows that. That cannot be ruled and it cannot be decided for you by someone else. Any ruling attempting to do so shows a complete lack of understanding of how humans function. It is nonsense that we accept such a rule.

Further, existing law already protects your rights. These include the Human Rights Act 1998 (Article 8 – Right to Private and Family Life) which protects your private life, your body, your image, and your communications. The Equality Act 2010 includes gender reassignment as a protected characteristic. If you are excluded from any single-sex spaces you can pursue a discrimination case. Aggression towards you can also be criminally prosecuted. Take action and stand up for your rights. Do not allow anyone to erode your basic human rights. Stand firm.

The vast majority of trans people understand the concerns of cis women, either because they are AFAB themselves or because they have faced similar societal challenges after transitioning. We fight for women’s rights and believe everyone should be safe at all times, particularly in sensitive spaces. This ruling, however, makes women’s lives harder, not safer. 

It forces trans men (biologically female), most of whom physically present as male, to use female spaces, thus creating confusion and potential safety risks. Worse still, it allows any cisgender man to claim trans identity to exploit these vulnerabilities, as they may potentially enter female only spaces. We therefore have the potential to be blamed for crimes committed by cis men. This ruling makes women less safe, not more.

Together, let’s show this reality to all women and encourage them to support the removal of this. Parliament has the ability to overrule the Supreme court and we must ensure that happens. This is part of my plan….

The reality is trans women undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) experience profound physiological changes. Studies, including research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2015), show that within 12 months of starting oestrogen therapy, trans women experience a 40% reduction in muscle mass and a significant decrease in upper body strength. Testosterone levels, which are linked to physical aggression, are also reduced to levels typical for cisgender women. Multiple studies confirm that after a year or more on HRT, trans women no longer retain any athletic or strength advantage. Rather than posing a threat, many trans women report living in daily fear of harassment or violence simply for accessing basic public spaces like bathrooms.

According to a 2013 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, 70% of transgender and gender non-conforming people have been denied access, verbally harassed, or physically assaulted in public bathrooms.

Take action and inform people of the real, verifiable facts: trans women are not the threat.

This narrative also wrongly vilifies men. Some women campaigning for exclusions imply that any man is a threat, which is simply untrue. Yes, there are men who have committed terrible acts, but the overwhelming majority of men are respectful and would never harm a woman.

In the USA, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey reports that approximately 3% of American men (1 in 33) have attempted or completed rape. That means 97% of men are not sexually assaulting women. We must stand up for the good men too and reject narratives that paint all men as potential predators. We trans men, many of us coming from an AFAB background, understand first-hand what women fear. We’ve been there.

Tell people these facts, do not allow people to blindly believe lies that have no basis in reality.

What Positive Action You Can Take:

Support trans-inclusive charities and organisations. Do not sit on the sidelines expecting others to fight for your rights. These organisations have worked tirelessly for the rights you already have. Help them defend them: Many of you have reported to me that you have no idea what organisations exist. So…

Leading UK Trans Rights Organisations: (There are more of course, but these are the big ones).

1. Stonewall (https://www.stonewall.org.uk)
2. Mermaids (https://mermaidsuk.org.uk)
3. Gendered Intelligence (https://genderedintelligence.co.uk)
4. TransActual UK (https://www.transactual.org.uk)
5. TransLucent (https://translucent.org.uk)
6. Scottish Trans Alliance (https://www.scottishtrans.org)
7. Consortium (LGBT+ Consortium) (https://www.consortium.lgbt)
8. Trans Media Watch (https://www.transmediawatch.org)
9. Action for Trans Health (https://actionfortranshealth.org.uk)
10. Trans Safety Network (https://transsafety.network)
11. Trans in the City (https://transinthecity.co.uk)
12. TransMatters (https://transmatters.co)
13. Anne Health (https://anne.health)

Additional Notable Organisations:

• All About Trans (https://allabouttrans.org.uk)
• Trans Pride Brighton (https://www.transpridebrighton.org)
• London Trans+ Pride (https://www.londontranspride.org.uk)
• TransgenderNI (https://transgenderni.org.uk)
• QueerCare (https://queercare.network)

Legal Organisations Fighting for Trans Rights in the UK:

• Good Law Project (https://goodlawproject.org)
• Trans Legal Project (https://translegalproject.org)
• Liberty – (https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk)

Challenge media misinformation. Comment. Write letters to media. Push back. Demand evidence and call out sensationalism.

Push back on discriminatory workplace policies. Start small, stay strong. Courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s simply asking:

• “Is this really fair to everyone?”
• “Can you explain how this policy supports our inclusion values?”
• “What steps are being taken to protect all equality commitments?”
  Change happens when we refuse to look away. Your voice matters. Even one small action can spark bigger change.

Use your voting power. Hold your MPs accountable, hold your councils responsible. Write to them. Make it clear that stripping away human rights is not acceptable. Tell every candidate. Every party. Every office. – Here is a letter we have written for you, it even shows you how to find your local MP’s.

Remember:

Three women took that case to the Supreme Court. Only three.
We are 700,000 strong in the UK and if everyone changes the mind of just 5 people. That’s 3,500,000 people on our side. That will force parliament to overwrite this ruling.

Talking about it isn’t enough. Take action is what is required. You can do it! Together, we can create a tidal wave they cannot ignore.