I mentioned in my last blog (mainly about Heartstopper) that I was worried that Section 28 may come back in some form. Since then, it only seems much more likely. FFS.
Firstly, the government didn’t want to include trans and non-binary people in the ban on conversion therapy. Apparently, it is a “complex issue”. Is it fuck. Secondly, adults can “consent” to conversion therapy, so it is only banned if it is coercive for adults. I use “consent” because as a medical term it makes no sense being used in this context. The principles of informed consent require you to have the benefits and risks of a procedure or intervention explained fully, and for you to understand this. However, to have consented to conversion therapy, you will have been told that it may work- whether through some dubious therapy or prayer. There is zero evidence conversion therapy works and the risks to a queer person’s mental health do not bear thinking about. So how is this “consent”? A ban on conversion therapy for trans and non-binary people would not lead to kids being pushed into social transition or hormone treatment, but would allow space to explore their gender identity safely without fear that healthcare professionals, religious organisations, or whoever fancies dabbling in conversion therapy, would be able to force or coerce them into living in their gender assigned at birth if this isn’t how they identify.
Transphobia is on the rise with moral panics and “culture wars” being created by so-called “feminists”, organisations funded by the far right, the press and politicians trying to score points. It’s like the press have recycled a load of headlines and articles about LGB people from the 80’s and just re-appropriated them for trans people. In the last couple of days, people were losing their shit over a celebrity chef’s restaurant having gender-neutral toilets, despite customers and staff being consulted on this. It isn’t even public building and you are free to choose whether to eat there or not, so why get your underwear in a twist about it.
While the war in Ukraine rages on, spiralling costs mean many can’t pay their bills or feed their families, and the UK will likely have record temperatures next week- the focus of the Tory leadership campaign has been a competition to see which candidate can be the most transphobic, with some (not so) subtly hinting at a return on Section 28 in some form. Give me fucking strength. It all seems to be point scoring and distraction from the world boiling, war raging and people starving while the UK teeters on the edge of a general strike.
Meanwhile the UK has now followed the USA and people are losing their shit about drag queen story time, and drag queens judging cake baking contests in schools. And, Twitter thinks that calling queer people in schools “groomers” and “paedophiles” doesn’t violate their policies while Reddit takes the lead on removing these hateful posts. The right-wing press has referred to the “trans question” and we all know where in history this term has been taken from and it makes me shudder to think about it.
I grew up under Section 28 and it made me feel I was broken for being queer, and prevented me from coming out for many years. It didn’t stop anyone being queer. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now. It won’t stop queer and trans people existing but just make them feel shit about themselves, to the point where some will end up taking their own lives.
This isn’t even just about LGBTQIA people and the stripping of rights won’t stop there. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities have already had their nomadic way of life criminalised. The right to protest is being eroded and there is the possibility that workers striking will be made illegal too, with the right to safe working conditions under threat now we have left the EU. Roe v Wade being overturned in the USA is a stark reminder of how much our rights can be taken away in the blink of an eye.
This is all part of the same fight. If you support a group’s rights being taken away and think it won’t affect you, then you are very naive. All marginalised groups and trade unions need to fight together to stop our rights being thrown away to score political points. We must resist.
My ADHD PhD 