How the events of the Tory Conference have affected the trans community across Glasgow

Without a doubt, we’ve all seen the events unfold on our social media. As funny as Suella Braverman standing on a poor dog, Greg Hands coming onto the stage with hands adorned with flip flops, and an obsession with the “meat tax” may be, there were also some horrid moments which have significantly impacted communities across the UK.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to his rowdy audience claiming that “we shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. A man is a man, a woman is a woman, that’s just common sense.” These comments have been condemned by countless people, groups and communities across the UK, including the Glasgow University trans students.

The Tab Glasgow reached out to some Glasgow Uni LGBTQ+ students about how Rishi Sunak’s speech has affected them. David* said: “The most worrying thing is that the prime minister, at the top of the entirety of British politics, has a severe lack of understanding when it comes to biology. And the whole “can’t be bullied into believing” thing is absolutely horrendous by the way, who is bullying you, Rishi? I seriously cannot understand how he has turned it into a ‘bullying’ scenario when it’s his voters who’re kicking up the fuss about how we want to identify.”

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Another GU LGBTQ+ student, Anna* added: “It doesn’t surprise me, I would just hope most people don’t think that way but what can you do? People such as the Tories are always going to have these backwards mindsets, but I try not to let it bother me as I don’t really have any more brain space to worry about people like that. Politics aside, it’s just another Rishi stinker to add to his highlight reel of idiocy.”

Rishi’s Continuation of Transphobia

Unfortunately, this was not the first time the Prime Minster has come out with firmly transphobic comments. Last week, he was asked after the Meeting of the European Political Community in Granada, Spain, if he regrets his comments from Manchester’s conference. He said this in response:

“No, I think a man is a man and a woman is a woman, I think most people watching this program will think that that’s common sense and that’s just a fact of biology. Now, of course, this is always going to be a passionate, tolerant country. That’s how we always are but we can’t ignore fundamental facts of biology and saying those things shouldn’t be controversial.”

Moving forward (or potentially backwards)?

So moving forward, are there Tory policies that might affect the LGBTQ+ community in the next while?

A ComRes poll found out that only nine per cent of Tory MPs back self-identification, with 69 per cent opposed. Around half did not agree with transgender women having the same rights as people born female, while eight out of ten expressed concern over the number of children wanting to change gender.

A Government Equalities Office spokesperson commented: “Speculation in media over the weekend about the Gender Recognition Act is wrong. These are complex and sensitive issues. We know that many trans people find the current requirements overly intrusive and bureaucratic. We are consulting now because we want to hear people’s views. The consultation is not yet closed. We have always made clear that any reform of the Gender Recognition Act will not change the exceptions under the Equality Act that allow provision for single and separate sex spaces.”

*The names of people we spoke to have been changed for anonymity.

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