Hundreds of feminists write to The Guardian rejecting argument that trans rights threaten women
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A group of lesbian campaigners show solidarity with the trans community at 2019’s Pride in London march. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty)
More than 200 feminists have written to British newspaper The Guardian rejecting the argument that transgender rights are a threat to women.
The letter was organised in response to Monday’s column by The Guardian writer Suzanne Moore: “Women must have the right to organise. We will not be silenced.”
A handful of Guardian staffers are among the letter’s signatories, the list of which is published below in full.
Nim Ralph, a community activist who signed the pro-trans letter, said: “The Guardian keep giving space to these ‘thought’ pieces amplifying a small subsection of the feminist movement who want to pit trans people against cis women, as an outside ‘other’ subhuman category.
“It needs to do better, it needs to recognise – as Suzanne Moore pointed out – that trans people (women, men and non-binary folks) are in the same fight for our lives with cis women against gender-based violence and the patriarchal construct that our bodies’ reproductive functions are what determines our social position.
“It would be great if there were more columns dedicated to talking about how we are fighting effectively on issues ranging from domestic violence to HIV to racial justice as represented in the signatories of this letter, instead of feeding the long fuelled fire of divide and rule.
“The world needs us shoulder to shoulder more than ever right now, I wish The Guardian would stop it’s campaign of dividing us. It’s boring and exhausting.”
British politicians including Sian Berry, co-leader of the Green Party; Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson; and Labour MPs Zarah Sultana and Nadia Whitome have all signed the letter.
“Moore’s column does not represent the views of the public, nor is it representative of the views of most women,” the letter says.
It is signed by leading women and non-binary people from a cross-section of British public life, including musician Beth Ditto; author Reni Eddo-Lodge; UK Black Pride founder Lady Phyll; editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Claire Hodgson; Jo Grady, the general secretary of the UCU; and Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK.
Letter to The Guardian.
“We reject the argument put forward in a column by Suzanne Moore for the G2 (03.03.2020) in which she implies that advocating for trans rights poses a threat to cisgender women. The British Social Attitudes Survey (2017) found that a majority of the British public were supportive of transgender people, with women more likely to be in favour of trans rights than men. Moore’s column does not represent the views of the public, nor is it representative of the views of most women.
“Both trans people and cisgender women are discriminated against because of their gender. This is why both groups experience harassment in the street, sexual violence, domestic abuse, and poverty at much higher rates than cisgender men. Trans people experience more difficulties accessing healthcare, higher rates of suicide, more frequent mental health issues, and are more likely to be victims of hate crimes.
“We stand together in opposition to such abuse and inequality. As believers in human rights and justice, it is our duty to support all marginalised communities as they fight for respect and equality. And as feminists, we believe that we need to keep fighting for gender-based services and resources together.”
Signatories.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, founder of UK Black Pride
Beth Ditto, musician
Carrie Lyell, editor-in-chief, DIVA magazine
Zing Tsjeng, Vice UK executive editor
Reni Eddo-Lodge, author
Zarah Sultana, MP
Nadia Whitome, MP
Sian Berry, co-leader of the Green Party
Amelia Womack, deputy leader of the Green Party
Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson
Claire Hodgson, editor-in-chief at Cosmopolitan
Tai Shani, Turner Prize co-winner 2019
Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK
Martha Spurrier, director of Liberty
Alison Camps, co-chair of Pride in London
Faiza Shaheen, director CLASS
Rachel Watters, NUS Women’s Officer
Nim Ralph, QTIPOC London cofounder and anti-oppression consultant
Ash Sarkar, Novara Media
Jo Grady, General Secretary of the UCU
Travis Alabanza, performer and writer
Journalists and people working in the media
Amanda Holpuch, national correspondent at Guardian US
Mona Chalabi, data editor at Guardian US
Hannah J Davies, editorial at The Guardian
Simran Hans, writer and film critic at The Observer
Nosheen Iqbal, reporter at The Observer
Emily Mackay, subeditor at The Guardian‘s Observer New Review
Kathryn Bromwich, acting deputy editor at The Guardian‘s The Guide
Laura Snapes, deputy music editor at The Guardian
Vic Parsons, gender and identities reporter at PinkNews
Lily Wakefield, news reporter at PinkNews
Emma Powys Maurice, news reporter at PinkNews
Amy Ashenden, senior production editor at PinkNews
Matilda Davies, brand partnerships manager at PinkNews
Scarlet Pestell, junior producer at PinkNews
Abi McIntosh, producer at PinkNews
Alex Goldsmith, junior producer at PinkNews
Ana Nanu, programme executive at PinkNews
Nina Lecourt, senior producer at PinkNews
Molly Tinneny, operations and events assistant at PinkNews
Sarah Watson, director of commerce at PinkNews
Georgina Baker, junior designer at PinkNews
Harriet Williamson, journalist
Jordan Erica Webber, writer and presenter
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, head of editorial at gal-dem
Micha Frazer-Caroll, first person and opinions editor at gal-dem
Leah Cowen, political editor at gal-dem
Tara Joshi, music editor at gal-dem
Mariel Richards, head of strategy and brand partnerships at gal-dem
Anna Cafolla, deputy editor at Dazed digital
Emily Wilson, editor of New Scientist
Aimee Meade, deputy online comment editor at the i
Dawn Foster, staff writer at Jacobin
Felicity Martin, editor of DummyMag
Lola Okolosie, writer and teacher
Sharan Dhaliwal, editor-in-chief of Burnt Roti Magazine
Mollie Goodfellow, writer
Rosy Edwards, Metro
Paisley Gilmour, sex and relationships editor at Cosmopolitan
Moya Lothian-McLean, acting politics editor gal-dem
Lauren O’Neill, Vice UK
Elena Cresci, journalist
Anna Gross, markets reporter at Financial Times
Alix Fox, writer, broadcaster and sex educator
Eve Hartley, journalist and filmmaker
Emma Garland, features editor at Vice UK
Catriona Innes, features director at Cosmopolitan
Rhalou Allerhand, editor at Netdoctor
Maya Goodfellow, author and writer
Josie Long, comedian
Ellie Mae O’Hagan, journalist
Aimee Cliff, journalist
Ellen E Jones, journalist
Josie Sparrow, editor at New Socialist
Hayley Minn, celebrity features editor for TI Media
Elle Hunt, journalist
Nicola Bitton, freelance broadcast TV editor
Stephanie Soh, journalist and editor
Juliet Jacques, writer, filmmaker and former Guardian contributor
Jasmine Andersson, staff writer at the i
Jess Austin, deputy communities editor at Metro
Ione Gamble, founding editor-in-chief of Polyester
Sophie Hemery, journalist and feminist activist
Nabeelah Shabbir, journalist
Erica Buist, journalist and author
Caitlin Benedict, presenter
Freya Watson, producer and director
Rose Stokes, freelance journalist
Alice Caldwell-Kelly, podcaster
Teju Adeleye, journalist
Sadhbh O’Sullivan, writer at Refinery29
Hannah Ewens, journalist at Vice
Political figures
Shaista Aziz, councillor and equalities campaigner
Sue Lukes, Labour councillor for Highbury East
Linda Woodings, councillor for Nottingham City Council
Osh Gantly, councillor for Highbury East
Anwen Muston, councillor
Women’s and LGBT+ groups
Pari Dhillon, UK Black Pride director
Leila Zadeh, UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group
Naima Khan, programmes manager at Inclusive Mosque Initiative
Halima Gosai Hussain, programmes manager at Inclusive Mosque Initiative
Hareem Ghani, member of the Khidr Collective and former NUS Women’s Officer
Lisa Power, lesbian feminist activist
Laura Hurley, programme advisor at Safe Abortion Action Fund
Anne McVicker, director at Women’s Resource and Development Agency
Rachel Powell, women’s sector lobbyist at Women’s Resource and Development Agency
Elaine Crory, good relations worker at Women’s Resource and Development Agency
Naomi Connor and Emma Campbell, co-convenors on behalf of Alliance for Choice Belfast
Alexa Moore, director of TransgenderNI
Lucia Blayke, director of London Trans+ Pride
Ashley Stephen, founder of Disabled Survivors Unite
Guppi Bola, co-founder of Working on our Power
Calu Lema, founder of Queer Newham
Hera Hussain, founder of CHAYN
Jane Brown, North London Sisters Uncut
Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir, co-director of My Genderation
Fox Fisher, co-director of My Genderation
Cara English, head of public engagement at Gendered Intelligence
Miss Sahhara, content producer at TransValid
Tabitha Benjamin, Butch Please
Campaigners and community groups
Clotilde Heinrich, ACRAN, feminist collective of the ENS Paris, who took part in the Césars action against Roman Polanski
Deborah Gold, chief executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust)
Silvia Petretti, CEO of Positively UK
Kristina Johansson, managing director of Solberga Foundation
Fran Boait, executive director of Positive Money
Nathalie McDermott, founder of On Road Media
Kerry Moscogiuri, director of supporter campaigning and communications of Amnesty International UK
Rachel Diamond-Hunter, head of campaigns of 38 Degrees
Alice Bell, author and campaigner
Minnie Rahman, joint council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Zoe Gardner, joint council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Sophie Neuburg, executive director of MedAct
Zrinka Bralo, migrants’ rights campaigner
Yva Alexandrova, migrant rights activist
Melissa Céspedes del Sur, The Edge Fund
Lucy Mason, co-director of Tripod: Training for Creative Social Action
Eleanor Lisney, co-founder of Sisters of Frida
Hannah Martin, co-founder of Green New Deal UK
Bryony Nicholson, community manager of Centre for Entrepreneurs
Minda Burgos-Lukes, social justice and change consultant
Authors and Artists
Emma Frankland, artist
Emily Reynolds, author
Bethany Rutter, author
Nathalie Olah, author and writer
Amrou Al-Kadhi, author and performer
Rudy Loewe, artist
Chiron Stamp, artist
Jeanie Finlay, filmmaker
Brydie Lee-Kennedy, BAFTA-nominated TV writer
Kajal Odedra, author and activist
Sophie Jung, artist
Rachael House, artist and gallery director
Chardine Taylor-Stone, writer, activist and educator
Amelia Abraham, author and journalist
Christine Berry, author
Ilona sagar, filmmaker and artist
Del LaGrace Volcano, artist, activist and educator
Rachel Weston, artist
Academics
Dr Arabella Stanger, University of Sussex
Dr Julia Downes, lecturer in criminology at The Open University
Marika Rose, senior lecturer in the department of theology, religion and philosophy at the University of Winchester
Leanne Taylor, lecturer in social work and lecturer in mental health law
Dr Melanie Richter-Montpetit, University of Sussex
Cleo Madeleine, doctoral researcher and trans-rights activist at UEA
Dr Tamara Tomic-Vajagic, University of Roehampton
Professor Emejulu Akwugo, University of Warwick
Violeta Ligraien Yañez, gender, migration and social justice at Lund University, Sweden
Professor Vanita Sundaram
Dr Jennifer Fraser, university director of student partnership at University of Westminster
Dr Clare Tebbutt, assistant professor in gender and women’s studies at Trinity College Dublin
Dr Kat Gupta, lecturer in English language and linguistics at University of Roehampton
Heather McKnight, University of Sussex
Dr Annie Goh, artist and academic
Moss Anna G Ramberg, doctoral tutor and researcher in lawat University of Sussex
Dr Marie Thompson
Natalia Cecire, senior lecturer at University of Sussex
Koshka Duff, assistant professor of philosophy at University of Nottingham
Tanya Serisier, senior lecturer in criminology at Birkbeck College
Dr Elizabeth Reed, academic and feminist
Rachel O’Connell, lecturerat University of Sussex
Dr Anne-Marie Angelo, senior lecturer in history, school of history, art history, and philosophy at University of Sussex
Dr Naaz Rashid, lecturer in media and cultural studies at University of Sussex
Dr Stephanie Davis, academic and black feminist at University of Brighton
Dr Tanya Kant, lecturer in media and cultural studies at University of Sussex
Natalie Fenton, professor of media and communications at Goldsmiths University of London
Dr Amy De’Ath, lecturer in contemporary literature and culture at King’s College London
Dr Grietje Baars, senior lecturer at The City Law School University of London
Professor Sally Hines, University of Sheffield
CN Lester, author, performer and feminist academic
Nadine El-Enany, senior lecturer in law at Birkbeck College
Dr Humaira Saeed
Ochi Reyes, lecturer at Westminster School of Arts
Sarah Lamble, reader in criminology at Birkbeck
Others
Charlotte Bayes, business owner
Sarah Woolley, writer and charity fundraiser
Dr Michal Nachmany, Grantham Research Institute, LSE
Holly Falconer, photographer
Jessica Glass, European finance director, Pembroke Real Estate
Sherry Elbe, artist management
Gillian Weaver
Roanne Bardsley, screenwriter
Clare Reddington, CEO at Watershed
Lola Oduba-Vine, chef and food stylist professional
Rosie Fletcher
Robyn Elton, senior account manager at CYOA Media
Anuka Ramischwili-Schaefer, F(r)ictions founder
Nazmia Jamal, teacher
Tom Rasmussen, journalist and performer
Lucy Caldicott, founder Change Out
Cj Smith, trans-affirmative psychotherapist
Lizzie Robinson
Rosie Wolfenden MBE, co-founder and managing director of Tatty Devine
Allegra Galvin