Today is the annual Trans Day of Visibility, a day for celebrating the achievements of trans people.
LGBT+LIb Dems looked at 7 trans politicians from the UK and across the world. If you were at Spring Conference you will have seen Charley Hasted make some incredibly powerful speeches, on issues like NHS pay, describing the horrors they and their colleagues went through as ambulance call handlers.
They also spoke about their life as a carer, describing how they had not been able to do anything with their sibling for 23 years as one of them has to look after their mum.
They showed why they are needed in elected office:
Today is #TransDayOfVisibility. I'm proud to be the first openly Non-Binary person to run for the Greater London Authority.
It's vital trans people are able take our place in public life- Politics, Journalism, the Civil Service nowhere should be closed off to us.
— Charley Hasted (they/them) (@CharleyHasted) March 31, 2021
Luisa Porritt, our London mayoral candidate, tweeted her support.
Happy #TransDayOfVisibility to everyone in the trans community!
I will always be a strong ally and will do everything I can to make sure your rights are respected and protected in London. 🏳️⚧️ pic.twitter.com/WgbwpqO7Vy
— Luisa Porritt (@LuisaPorritt) March 31, 2021
As did Alex Cole-Hamilton
You are seen and we stand with you. #TransDayOfVisibility https://t.co/7msduxAwuw
— Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP🔶🇺🇦 (@agcolehamilton) March 31, 2021
Christine Jardine encouraged us to show support:
Today is important. its Trans Day of Visibility. Show your support #TransDayOfVisibility
— Christine Jardine 🔶 (@cajardineMP) March 31, 2021
Last week, Jamie Stone took an anti trans group to task:
Let me make this very clear @ALLIANCELGB following your email to me today.
I am a trans rights activist. My party is categorically a supporter #LGBTQI rights.
I will not be effectively lobbied into denying people their basic human rights.#TransRightsAreHumanRights END OF. pic.twitter.com/fz3vipSQlu
— Jamie Stone MP (@Jamie4North) March 25, 2021
Today he tweeted:
I’m privileged to have a voice and a position of power.
Glad to be fighting the fight on #TDOV https://t.co/8f199wA9xa
— Jamie Stone MP (@Jamie4North) March 31, 2021
Caroline Pidgeon recommended this great piece from Stonewall:
Everyone should be able to live their lives authentically with dignity & respect. Today the message to trans people in #London & beyond is – you are both valid & valued. #TransDayOfVisibility 🏳️⚧️
A great piece from @stonewalluk, written by trans people 👇https://t.co/k7RaTJRsQu
— Caroline Pidgeon AM🔶 🇺🇦 (@CarolinePidgeon) March 31, 2021
It’s great to see such positivity at a time when trans people are under attack in the media. It’s worth remembering the words of Liz Barker in a speech last month in the House of Lords:
Because powerful campaigns have common characteristics and patterns. A classic campaign identifies a minority group – preferably one about which the majority population knows little – ascribes to it characteristics and motivations which make it a threat and repeats those assertions, preferably with the backing of a neutral body or experts, over and over until they become received wisdom…
There is no evidence, and no evidence has yet been offered, that trans people are a systemic and significant threat to women…
As a lesbian who lived through Section 28 , I know what it is like to be portrayed as a member of a group that constitutes a threat to women, children and families – it was unsafe to let us into changing rooms, because we could pose a threat… That was an experience of classic homophobia, often expressed in exactly the same arguments and phrases as we hear today.”
* Newsmoggie – bringing you comment from a different perspective



3 Comments
We need to be clear what it is that requires to be covered by any ban on ‘conversion therapy’. Adults who voluntarily seek counselling or prayer to help them affirm their biological sex have as much right to have their needs met as someone who seeks help due to having a different gender identity than their biological sex.
@ Brad I suggest you read the twitter thread from Jamie Stone from the above tweet, there he point out that the current plans allow for the neutral therapy in your message.
@Owen
The way I read it was that the ‘neutral therapy’ was specifically about young people. In any case, banning things is something I instinctively worry about because once something gets banned the scope of the ban tends to get extended.