Letters: The overlap between racism and transphobia on display

Trans+ pride marches have been growing in London since they began, showing the widespread and increasing support for trans+ rights (Picture: Guy Smallman)

Transphobia and racism go hand in hand.

The “gender critical” transphobic movement likes to boast that press coverage shows “sunlight” on their movement.

Well the latest revelations in the Sandie Peggie tribunal against NHS Fife have certainly shone a light on what some of their supporters actually think.

Peggie was suspended after she objected to having to share a women’s changing-room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy in 2023.

Peggie’s supporters have presented the case as solely about ‘women’s rights’ while constantly vilifying Dr Upton.

Peggie, however, rather than being a women’s rights campaigner, was revealed to promote racism and transphobia.

A series of WhatsApp messages were presented to the tribunal where Peggie called Dr. Upton “weird” and referred to her as “it”.

Her supporters justify calling the doctor “weird”, just for existing. They argued that using the “P” word and “joking” about posting bacon through a mosque door was just due to her upbringing—because she is “working class”.

Peggie claimed that such terms did not cause offence in the area she lived in, which has residents with Chinese and Pakistani backgrounds. She tried to defend her comments as simply “dark humour”.

Well she should know that the working class is overwhelmingly anti-racist and does not tolerate transphobia.

We are black, white, Muslim, Jew, gay—and we’re trans+. And we’re proud to be so.

The trans+ movement is not only a space for trans+ people, but a space for all those united in the fight against oppression and the system. Unity against all forms of oppression is integral to the fight for liberation.

We will not let the racists and bigots divide us. Solidarity to Dr Beth Upton.

Kate Mayer, Leeds

Left party democracy

The new Corbyn-Sultana party is of course going to be a reformist one, but it’s important that revolutionaries seek to shape it.

An argument needs to be won for a democratic organisation led by an annual conference of delegates elected from constituency branches.

This needs to be won against a position of the entire membership taking votes on issues. The latter approach would lead to the domination by the established leadership, who would be obeyed unquestioningly by the relatively inactive bulk of the membership.

MPs should be subordinate to conference, and the executive must be selected by conference and not a general vote.

If dual power is allowed to exist within the organisation, it will be resolved in favour of its right-wing, bureaucratic, electoralist wing. They’ll be a relatively compact group with their hands on the levers of power.

In making these arguments we would be cutting with the large numbers of Corbyn-supporters who were bullied out of Labour.

If we succeed in winning this form of democracy then there is a chance for our struggle-oriented approach to win out. If we do not win this position then the new party can only be a marsh.

Liam Condron-Farnos, Plymouth

What I have learned from the British state

Now that Palestine Action has been proscribed, we can all sleep more peacefully. Protesters calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza are no longer free to do so.

We’re blessed to have an enlightened government that can see the harm in protests while funding the war in Ukraine and backing Israel.

One day, a protester holding a placard reading, “Israel is committing genocide”, the next day, God knows what.

I always used to believe that shooting Palestinian children in the head and luring Palestinians to food aid stations and killing them in cold blood was terrorism.

But how wrong I was. I don’t really know what I was thinking back then.

I think I was brainwashed by all these human rights organisations and charities working in these impoverished regions of the world, and the literature they published, rather than believing the word of the Israeli Government when they said, as the Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, said: “We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.”

Or Starmer, who when asked about the cutting off of power and water to the people of Gaza, reiterated Israel’s right to do so.

We must learn to love the British Government. Obedience is not enough.

Louis Shawcross, Northern Ireland

Where’s yer Tommy…

Gone. once again, Nazi Tommy Robinson has run off to evade arrest for knocking a man out cold.

Footage this week showed a very agitated Robinson shouting, “You saw him, he came at me.”

The man in question lay unresponsive and bleeding on the floor of London St Pancras station.

Robinson’s now bolted for Tenerife. And I’m glad to see the back of him.

He’s a thug who inspires violence and hatred.

When he does crawl his way back, let’s make sure we send him packing again.

Jennifer, by email