A vigil in February after the killing of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey (Picture: Guy Smallman)
Rishi Sunak this week jumped to defend academic Kathleen Stock, who has expressed transphobic views.
Sunak decided that a student protest against a speech by Stock at Oxford university was important enough for him to rush out his views to the media.
Sunak wading into a debate about who can demonstrate is part of the Tories’ scapegoating agenda. It’s not about “free speech” it’s about ramping up divisions.
Government ministers know they are desperately unpopular, and trailing in the opinion polls. So they search around for issues where they can set people against one another.
Often that’s a war on migrants and refugees. Sometimes they demonise climate campaigners or strikers.
Sometimes it’s trans people who the Tories attack, as they did by outlawing the Scottish government’s attempt to extend trans rights.
It’s more important than ever to unite against the Tories. Their bigotry has real consequences. Last year hate crimes reported to the police against trans people rose by 56 percent.
While Kathleen Stock denies she is transphobic, she has said, “Many trans women are still males with male genitalia.”
It’s right to protest against Stock. And in the face of state‑sanctioned attacks, it’s crucial to say trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary identities are valid.
Fight every attempt to exclude, isolate and attack trans+ people
The far right are stoking up fear and hatred of Muslims
Defiant march says ‘trans joy is here to stay’
