MAGNET Protests Stonewall UK Transphobia Outside British Consulate

No matter where we are on this planet, to paraphrase the late Houston crusading consumer reporter Marvin Zindler, 'It's hell to be trans.'

One of the things we deal with is the transphobia aimed at us from inside and outside the GLBT community, and the worst offenders many times are other GL people..  

MAGNET coordinated a protest outside the British Consulate in New York timed to occur at the same moment the Stonewall UK Awards were happening across The Pond.    It was about a video produced by Stonewall UK that includes the term 't****y', which has become a derogatory and insulting slur word to many in our community.

The New York trans community wanted to show solidarity with our British trans cousins, which was why the consulate there was targeted.

Ashley Love, MAGNET organizer had this to say about last night's protest:

"We protested tonight in front of the British Consulate, New York, because a very alarming situation is happening in the UK. A transphobic DVD named “FIT” has been approved to show children and youth in public schools. The anti-transsexual slur “tra**y” is being used, which is used as a taunt and insult when bullies and bigots harass people perceived to be transsexual, intersex or gender non-conforming. This outrage is being ignored by Stonewall UK, who not only advised on the DVD, but has an unhealthy past with the UK trans community, who they exclude from their mission statement, and then back lobby against their interests."

"We ask the Dept. of Education, The Teachers Union, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Stonewall UK to protect the well being of all the children who attend school, and make the responsible and socially conscious decision to edit out the dehumanizing pejorative from the DVD." she said.. 

"Normalizing the T-word, much like how the N-word was normalized decades ago to degrade Black people, will have severe consequences for the acceptance of trans people in mainstream society.  It’s unbelievable that an oppressed minority group, especially children, could have their human rights be disrespected like this by authority figures. As adults, we must protect trans children. Teachers being forced to show DVDs with anti-trans slurs will do no such thing. The good news is that the decision makers involved still have a chance to do what’s right and fix this horrid mistake."