It would be an understatement to say it’s been a tough year. 

While the pandemic has changed life as we know it for good, discrimination and prejudice is still rife and the hate directed at trans people feels even more acute.

From Florida proposing genital examination on young kids, to 65% of trans people hiding who they are at work, to LGBT hate crimes rising and a court case that temporarily made it difficult for transgender children to access treatment, it’s safe to say it’s been rampant. 

We’ve also seen non-binary people being denied the right to have a passport that accurately reflects their identity, after Christie Elan-Cane lost a case in the Supreme Court.

A ban on conversion therapy is also being dragged on through a needlessly long-winded bureaucratic process, that will likely cost time, money and resources – instead of just banning it like countries such as Germany, Malta, Canada, Brazil and Taiwan. Instead, there is a chance that the current proposal will allow for it to continue, under the guise of ‘informed consent’. 

We’ve also seen the media outrage over inclusive language – such as referring to ‘pregnant people’ instead of mothers where appropriate, claiming it’s ‘erasing’ women, despite it being guidelines on how to be inclusive where appropriate. Similarly, we saw the Health Secretary engaging in debate over trans bodies, claiming it’s a ‘total denial of scientific fact’ to say anyone other than women have cervixes – which does actually erase the experiences of trans men and trans masculine people.

This focus on minor issues is particularly infuriating, given that transition-related healthcare in the UK continues to worsen, as waiting lists for treatment increase, leaving trans people waiting for up to four years for a single appointment at a gender identity clinic, and a halt on bottom surgeries for trans men and trans masculine people due to the NHS failing to secure a contract.

This is a complete disgrace, and a call for judicial review has been filed, where claimant Eva Echo describes how the NHS has failed completely to help and support trans people.

Meanwhile, we’ve seen influential academics claim they are being cancelled for speaking out against trans rights, while appearing on multiple mainstream news platforms in the country. Similarly, a world-known author from the UK continues to speak out against trans people, using her platform to create further division instead of bringing people together.

The endless and demoralising debate about what spaces trans people can or cannot use continues, despite the Equality Act 2010 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics.

Trans people have been doing so already for decades anyway, and the constant outrage over spaces like shelters, prisons and sport are unwarranted, where cases of extreme violence are used to generalise about a whole group.

Trans inclusion is a matter of kindness and compassion

Changes to the Gender Recognition Act have also been shelved, leaving trans people in the UK without the right to change their birth certificate to match their gender identity without a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

This is particularly frustrating, given that the change would simply make it easier for trans people to change their birth certificate and other forms of ID. This has been done in at least 15 countries around the world, such as Malta, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Argentina and Iceland. 

If someone were to abuse these laws, there would also be ways to handle that – just like with any other law.

It’s hard not to feel deflated and defeated when you constantly see negative media coverage about trans people in the UK. As a trans person, I’ve certainly felt it personally. Speaking out on social media as an advocate for trans rights comes with an array of online abuse, where I am harassed and berated constantly.

I know for a fact that it doesn’t have to be like this – and that trans inclusion is a matter of kindness and compassion.

In Iceland, where I am from, we have made significant steps in ensuring the rights of trans people. In 2019, a milestone was reached when the Gender Autonomy Act was passed, which allows trans people to change their name and ID and access health care based on informed consent, meaning they do not need to prove to medical professionals that they are trans. 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in these media debates, and it’s easy to believe that they reflect the real world. But from my experience, the majority of society is quite indifferent about trans people, and research shows that the vast majority of people would support family members if they came out as trans, and are happy for them to get on with their lives like everyone else. 

The current vitriol and constant debates are akin to the climate during Section 28, where gay people were demonised and painted as a threat to the rest of society.

Just like we overcame that, I strongly believe we will also overcome the current anti-trans outrage. 

While the UK is embroiled in this storm of misinformation and anti-trans sentiments and comes to a standstill in regards to LGBTQIA+ rights, the rest of the world will continue to advance and set an example of how to treat trans people and the wider community with respect. I can only hope that the UK will wake up to that and will pull itself together.

As we go into 2022, I hope that we can build a society where everyone is free to be themselves without fear or persecution.

In the words of Marsha P. Johnson: ‘No pride for some of us, without liberation for all of us.’

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