Transphobia in the media needs to stop.

This morning I listened to Justin Webb interview Jo Swinson about her stance on transgender rights and her proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act. I work for an inclusive, comprehensive and feminist sex and relationships education organisation (School of Sexuality Education) as a researcher and teacher and was appalled to hear Justin's line of questioning (more like attack) on trans rights. The language he used contributes to a media representation of trans people as deviant and dangerous - this needs to be recognised and addressed.

Further to this, he positioned one question by suggesting that feminists are against trans women accessing refuge and support because it puts cisgender women at risk. In my experience, the vast majority of feminists do not support this view and would deem it transphobic. All women experience an increased and gendered risk of sexual violence and trans women, in fact, experience a heightened risk based on Stonewall research. The safety of trans women and cis women should not be a zero-sum game and to suggest that it is misses the point of feminism entirely. All women are women and all deserve protection and respect.

I'm honestly stunned that this kind of offensive and dehumanising rhetoric is being used by a BBC interviewer and feel strongly that Justin Webb owes trans and feminist communities a sincere apology. Words have consequences.

Written by a School of Sexuality Education facilitator to the BBC on 09 December 2019.

Illustrations by Evie Karkera, unless otherwise credited.

Our book ‘Sex Ed: An Inclusive Teenage Guide to Sex and Relationships’  is out now.