Robert Jackman

Mumsnet and the British media aren’t ‘transphobic’

Is the British media transphobic? Yes, according to a writer in the Outline, a US publication, who accuses the Times and the Guardian of rampant bigotry in the row about gender. Several prominent British feminists are also singled out for alleged ‘hate-peddling’. The logic here is muddled but is worth unpicking. The author appears to claim that the views of British feminists like Helen Lewis (who has urged caution over the Government’s proposal to reform the Gender Recognition Act) are somehow comparable to the Trump administration, which is – according to the New York Times – seeking to remove legal protections for transgender individuals. This is a complete misunderstanding of both debates.

Right now, the UK and the US have a similar position for the recognition of transgender individuals: both, ultimately, require a person to provide evidence of living within their chosen gender in order to receive legal recognition.

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