‘Politicians are using trans women as scapegoats for society’s failures – don’t let them get away with it’

Don't be fooled - the recent UK Supreme Court ruling has nothing to do with women's safety.

This ruling - which will exclude trans women from single-sex spaces - is not about women's safety. I urge you to look beyond the scapegoating and see this move for what it really is - a flimsy bid to secure power, entirely grounded in moral panic.

With the UK Supreme Court ruling, politicians are pandering to this hate. By pinning the blame on a vulnerable minority, they're distracting the masses from the concrete societal issues that affect us all. Why? Because it's much easier to punish a small group, than it is to take responsibility for the numerous ways society fails women.

Writing transphobia into law won't make the world a better place for women, cis, trans or otherwise. It won't address the gender pay gap. It won't combat toxic masculinity. It won't provide more resources for survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse. It won't improve women's healthcare.

Crucially, the Supreme Court ruling will do nothing to address the epidemic of violence against women and girls.

Transphobia may be rampant both online, and in the political classes of the US and the UK, and Ireland is not immune. As our trans and non-binary siblings come under attack, it's important that we stand by them and refuse to allow them to become political scapegoats.

Feature image via Unsplash