Brianna Ghey: Trans girl’s killing must lead to end of ‘merciless war’ on trans community
Brianna Ghey’s classmates marked what would have been her 17th birthday this week. (GoFundMe)
The killing of Brianna Ghey, a trans teenage girl from Warrington, comes amid a “wider atmosphere of hostility towards trans people, perpetuated through apathy and malice”.
Brianna Ghey was stabbed dead on 11 February, and a boy and a girl, both aged 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police are exploring all lines of enquiry, including it being transphobic hate crime.
The facts surrounding the case are still being established as the investigation continues, but what’s clear is that urgent action is necessary to protect trans youth.
Ghey’s killing has taken place in a country where politicians and the media have courted anti-trans talking points for years, contributing to a moral panic that has infected society.
The government has worked actively against reforms to trans rights law, blocking gender recognition reforms that would have helped young trans people like Ghey, and has failed to address the crisis of trans healthcare that’s left vulnerable young people languishing on years-long waiting lists. The opposition’s stance is barely different.
Alex Charilaou, trans officer at Labour Students, says Ghey’s death shows “just how at risk the trans community really is”.
“It’s absolutely terrifying to be trans in Britain right now, which in 2023 is an incredibly damning statement,” Alex tells PinkNews.
“Hate crimes are up, anti-trans violence at its highest in a decade. What we need is for politicians and the government to stop being irresponsible in their public positions on trans rights. Stop demonising trans people in the media, listen to trans people when formulating policy, stop pandering to a bigoted minority.
“At the moment, they’re part of the problem, not part of the solution.”
Trans young people are being failed on every front
Many have noted that Brianna Ghey will be misgendered on her death certificate, because trans under-18s have no path to legal gender recognition in the UK.
The trans youth charity Mermaids says the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) must be reformed so gender recognition is “available and accessible to all”.
“It’s important that young people under the age of 18 can feel affirmed in their gender and part of this process involves acquiring a gender certificate that reflects this,” a spokesperson told PinkNews.
They added: “The government needs to ensure young people who need support with their gender identity, including those who need access to healthcare, are able to do so without being subjected to the uncertainty of a GP who may or may not refer them to GIDS.”
GIDS, the Gender Identity Development Service, is currently the only youth gender clinic in England and Wales. The most recently published data, in May 2022, showed that wait times for a first appointment at the clinic are upwards of four years.
GIDS is due to be replaced with regional services this spring, however a recent Vice report revealed that “no locations, no staff, and no services” are in place.
Mermaids also wants to see more support for young trans people in settings like schools and sports clubs.
“We want to see inclusive measures put in place to ensure that young people taking part in sports at school, or at their local club, feel welcomed and supported instead of being forced to choose between being who they are or playing the sport they love.”
According to Trans Safety Network, trans youth right across the country are contending with hostility and aggression at school. They’re urging the government to undertake an urgent review in safeguarding gaps for trans and other LGBTQ+ youth.
“We have been made aware of cases where children are having to leave school at lunchtime, just so that they can use the toilet, due to their lack of support and the extreme hostility of school environments,” a Trans Safety Network spokesperson said.
“In particular, we are deeply concerned about the influence of hate groups on educational policies. This has a significant impact on the safety of young trans people within the environments in they form most of their social and interpersonal relationships outside of the home.
“This is part of a wider atmosphere of hostility towards trans people, perpetuated through apathy and malice, by significant members of the media and the political establishment.
“It is vital that the government takes immediate action to guarantee the safety of all trans youth.”
Media must change after Brianna Ghey killing
Those PinkNews spoke to agree that politicians, the media and wider society has much work to do to stamp out harmful debates about trans people that contribute to a culture of hate.
This point was perhaps best summarised by Labour Students, the party’s national student group, which levied blame at the Conservatives, Labour and the media for stoking the flames of anti-trans hostility.
“The Tory Party, the media and other elements have come together to create a culture of hate and violent aggression towards trans people,” it tweeted, adding that Labour’s failure to defend trans rights “is a source of deep sadness for us”.
Alex is imploring the media – which has deadnamed and disrespected Brianna Ghey since her death – to look look inward.
“Instead of empowering the far-right to attack migrants and children’s story times, and engaging in a merciless war against already marginalised trans people, the media should focus attention on the corrupt and incompetent Tory government,” Alex says.
Mermaids called on wider society to do everything in its power to make life better for trans youth. Small actions like correcting a colleague in the workplace who deadnames or misgenders a trans person can go a long way.
“Consider the privilege and position you hold in your own life, and how you can use that to platform – and make space for – the voices and experiences of trans young people.”
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