Author: Steph

Why do Journalists Wrongly Conflate The Equality Act with The Gender Recognition Act In The Single Sex Spaces Trans Debate? On the 29th of July, at precisely 9:00 am, the Telegraph published an article titled “Sir Keir Starmer has changed his trans self ID stance – but he needs his MPs to follow”. The article authored by Suzanne Moore consists of “calling out” many trans-supporting Labour MPs after their policy change concerning Gender Recognition Act reform. Ok, fair enough so far – but then Suzanne Moore writes this: “Poll after poll show most people – and especially women – are…

The move by national and international sports federations to so-called ‘open’ categories is the latest trend in global transphobia. Portrayed to be “inclusive” in reality, it amounts to a ban for testosterone-suppressed trans women who wish to participate in meaningful sports competitions. Organisations adopting an open transgender sports policy include Swim England, World Swimming (formerly FINA), British Cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale, British Triathlon, UK Athletics, World Athletics and several others. For decades trans women athletes globally have won very little in the female category of sport, but because of the relentless persecution of trans women by gender-critical groups such as…

Twitter has been accused of being an echo chamber of hate, and indeed some posts border on the weird, cruel or damn right hateful. As a platform, at least before the new owner Elon Musk took over, there was a feeble attempt to protect trans people from threats, abuse and misgendering… sadly those ambitions are now gone. This week we saw Helen Joyce (left of picture) writing a cruel Twitter thread about how (in her opinion) trans women didn’t “pass” – what Helen doesn’t realise is the public doesn’t care one iota. I certainly have friends who don’t pass, but…

Tuesday 4th of April – sixteen minutes after 2:00 PM and in pops a “message” in my mailbox from Marcial Boo, Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.  Farcical.  In a classic move by Kemi Badenoch – she, who “reigns” over “Equality”, succeeded in creating a problem when one doesn’t exist. And unsurprisingly, the EHRC, with a board loaded by her government with like-minded people, duly obliged.  Ms Badenoch has decided that there is a need to define “sex” to operate the Equality Act 2010 effectively. This, too, is farcical because the “need” can’t be established – the…

To declare a bias, I’m not exactly fond of Dr Jon Pike, who judging by his Twitter feed, has just one hobby – being hostile to trans women. I suspect Jon is not that keen on me, either. Jon has a specific interest in “saving women’s sports” and often aligns in this issue with some people who may be considered transphobic, meaning discriminatory against trans people – specifically trans women. The “saving women’s sports” trope suggests that hordes of trans women have, can or will dominate women’s sports is wearing thin these days – indeed, we can look back over…

At nearly seventy-one years of age, one dont expect to be jetted around the world talking about trans and women’s human rights, but earlier this month, that is exactly what happened to me. It was a week my body won’t forget. Friday, 3rd of March, a flight to the USA, returning overnight, arriving at Heathrow early Wednesday morning with just five hours of sleep over two long days. No time to unpack; it was International Womens Day. I was in the house for less than ten minutes before leaving so to attend a Portsmouth Labour women’s event to celebrate IWD…

If there is one controversial topic even within the TransLucent leadership, it is the issue of trans women competing in the female category of sport. So, to be clear, this article is very much “personal” and not our organisation’s policy.  Before my discussion at the University of New England in Maine with Carole Hooven, PhD earlier this month, I thought testosterone-suppressed trans women athletes with potential puberty advantage should not compete with females in elite sports. However, before the discussion with Carole, I did considerable research and even received advice from double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes OBE.  After my…

Being a human rights activist both for trans people and women, I guess it’s normal these days to upset some people. Sadly, though for some, a reasonable debate is not on the agenda, and they turn to hate. The message on this page (technically a hate incident) was sent to me via the contact page via the old Steph’s Place website on December 6th 2022. It was reported to the Police, who have done nothing other than send a letter saying they were sorry that I was a victim. Trans hate crime has, in the last year, increased by 56%,…

On Monday 6th of March, I was in discussion with Carole Hooven at UNE regarding trans women athletes competing in the female category of sports. No one doubts it is a highly contentious issue.  For trans folk in the UK, though, it’s not a problem compared to the hate we suffer daily from our abhorrent right-wing Conservative government and their media or the lack of available healthcare that sometimes leads to trans people taking their own lives. Indeed while some 32 million people in the UK participate in some form of sports activities, just 63 have registered in the related…

It’s Saturday 4th of March 2023, a cold, snowy day in Biddeford, Maine, USA. I am in the states to defend trans women competing in the female category of sport in a university discussion with the esteemed evolutionary biologist Harvard’s Carole Hooven, PhD.  Carole is not, in my opinion, gender-critical, but she has shared platforms with those who are – she also wrote the fantastic book “T: The Story of the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us”, which I reviewed last year.  I have been preparing for weeks, and I know exactly the angle Carole will take – that testosterone-suppressed…