SCORES of protestors took to the streets of Reading on Saturday, May 17, in opposition to the Supreme Court ruling over gender definitions issued last month.
They gathered on the concourse outside Reading Town Hall, where a number of speakers addressed the crowd, led by Andrea Brookes, Vice Chair and trustee at Newbury Pride.
During her address, she explained that the UK had dropped a further six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, which ranks countries in Europe based on their legal and policy practises in fostering safety for LGBTQIA+ people.
It now ranks 22nd.
She explained that the ruling will mean that birth certificates will become the basis for gender determination, which is not only problematic for trans people, but also for those who are intersex, have conditions such as Turner Syndrome, Swyer Syndrome, Klinefelter Syndrome,Androgen-insensitivity, or other differences in sex development.
“Have we really returned to beauty politics– this ruling is not only discriminatory, but it is prejudicial, and illegal.”
Among the speakers was Cllr Rob White, of the Green Party, who said: “I’m here to stand with you and show solidarity– trans rights are human rights.
“The Supreme Court made a rushed decision without zero input any trans people, and the Green Party thinks that’s completely.
He also said that the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s interim guidance was “unworkable and dangerous.”
“Everyone deserves to live with dignity and respect.”
Cllr White cut his address short following a number of shouts and heckles from the crowd, however.
Following the speeches, attendees marched along Friar Street, through Broad Street, through Market Square, and stopped outside Reading Crown Court for further addresses, before concluding in Forbury Gardens.
Nat, who was among the speakers at the protest, said: “These kinds of events are an important part of resisting the attacks on the rights of trans and non-binary people.
“The Supreme Court ruling is the latest roll-back which indignifies trans people and others, excludes them from spaces, and has snowballed into the EHRC releasing guidance exclusively for the treatment of trans people.
“It was also followed by statements from police that mail officers would be strip-searching trans women, and these are just the latest components in a package of trans+ rights attacks.”
British Transport Police announced shortly after the Supreme Court ruling that they would be modifying their policy on same-sex strip searches.
While their previous policy meant that anyone with a gender recognition certificate would be searched by an officer of their ‘acquired’ gender, BTP will now see officers of the same gender as a person’s “biological birth sex” conduct strip searches.
“Just putting your pronouns in your social media biography isn’t enough– we need to see allies joining protests like the one today, contacting their MPs and representatives, and speaking up about how trans and non-binary people deserve the same rights and respect as their cis-gender peers.
“They can also donate to trans+ charities, or groups such as The Good Law Project.”
The Good Law project is campaigning and raising funds to challenge the ruling, which it says is a breach of the UK’s obligations to the Human Rights Act.
Mikey Russell, trustee at Reading Pride and committee member at Newbury Pride, said: “Unfortunately, what is happening right now has already had a direct impact, and Pride has always been a protest.
“Trans people were with us from the very beginning, yet there has been a lot trans erasure recently, even within our own LGBT communities.
“Whilst celebrating LGB is great, we’re not safe until we are all safe– I know how it feels from having been victimised as a gay man going through Section 28 while I was in school.
“That took 10 years to wangle out of the education system, and we have to use that to fuel our allyship.
“Allies to the trans community need to speak out, challenge people, and remember not to make assumptions; what you see on social media or in the press should always be double checked.”
More information about the The Good Law Project is available via: goodlawproject.org
