Latest news with #transinclusivity
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Halifax business sells T-shirts to support gender marker, name change clinic ahead of Pride
Joss Dooley, workshop developer and facilitator at Simply Good Form, is pictured. Simply Good Form is a trans-focused consultancy that aims to give businesses and organization the tools they need to create welcoming, inclusive spaces. As part of the 2025 Halifax Pride Festival this July, Simply Good Form will hold a gender marker and name change clinic. 'Name changes involve many different moving parts and it's quite hard to navigate by yourself and this name change clinic aims to reduce those barriers,' says Joss Dooley, workshop developer and facilitator at Simply Good Form. To help support the initiative, Simply Good Form is selling T-shirts inspired by an original painting by Dylan Sweeney, a trans artist who grew up in Nova Scotia. The T-shirts, called 'I'm Your Bear,' feature a bear face in Pride colours and celebrate inclusivity. 'Notice your bear's eyes share an underlying gentleness, but don't be fooled – they are steady, strong and unwavering in their conviction to protect trans people and their rights,' reads a news release from Simply Good Form. The T-shirts are being sold online via pre-orders and all the proceeds will go to supporting the gender marker and name change clinic. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A nuanced approach to ageing, sex and gender
Born in 1976, I am around the same age as Susanna Rustin and the generation of 'middle-aged, gender-critical women' who believe that their biological sex should underpin and define their rights (Why is there such a generational divide in views on sex and gender in Britain?, 5 June). I am not one of those people. Forty-nine years' experience of living in a female body in a world deformed by class, caste and economic and racial inequality – never mind environmental destruction – has only made me wonder quite why it matters so much to some people. A truly progressive society should be moving towards seeing the person first, both beyond and in profound recognition of their politicised identities. One can see biological sex as both fundamental and immaterial at the same time. As I approach 50, it's clear to me that it's possible to hold both these thoughts simultaneously. My menopausal womanhood matters as it gets in the way of things I want to do in life. But there's no way it matters to me above all else, and there's no chance it gets in the way to a greater degree than the various effects of social and economic inequality. It is a fallacy to suggest that trans inclusivity is more compatible with capitalism than with collective liberation. If the Progress Pride flag is flown from a corporate building – a rare sight in my experience compared with the rainbow Pride flag – it's not because it 'suits them', in Rustin's words, to shift attention away from class politics towards individual expression. Perhaps younger people better understand that corporate interests don't engage with class politics anyway, so how's a flag going to hurt anyone? I was born with breasts and ovaries, and still have them; I have given birth twice. These facts have had undeniable effects on my life – but so has the disadvantage of my class of birth and the continuing advantage of my whiteness. If I were to look at every aspect of my life through the prism of my reproductive organs, I would be limiting the possibilities of looking at the multiple effects of all those factors in the whole – the effects of which can only lead one to conclude that they are human, a person, first. It's called intersectionality, and that term was come up with by Kimberlé Crenshaw, who was born in 1959. Lynsey HanleyLiverpool Susanna Rustin lists several possibilities for why gen Z are more likely to advocate for the inclusion of transgender women in single-sex spaces. One thing she did not mention is that it may be due to the personal relationships that this demographic is more likely to have with transgender individuals, and how much more easily it is to sympathise with the struggles of those we know. As an older member of gen Z, I have had two openly trans peers in my cohort during my time at university, my former neighbour was transgender, and now in my workplace I have a transgender colleague. This resembles the norm – a Guardian article from June 2022 suggests that 50% of British gen Zers said they knew at least one transgender person. I would argue that gen Z more openly fights for the inclusion and protections of transgender women because we're more likely to see them as truly women, rather than 'self-identifying' individuals, due to our personal connections with them. To me, my trans female colleague would intrude on my bodily privacy the same amount as my cis female colleague would. As always, I implore others to seek out the voices and stories of transgender people if knowing them personally may be outside your generational demographic, so we can better empathise with this often scapegoated BarkerCamelford, Cornwall Thank you for such a well-written and clearly argued article by Susanna Rustin. I am pleased to see the Guardian publishing this piece. It is very important to be able to speak openly about these important issues and engage in frank but respectful debate. I completely agree with the author and would also add that with age comes experience, a certain weariness, a generally more nuanced outlook on life and a deep understanding of how embodied our experiences are but also anger – anger that hard-won women's rights, protections, dignity and safety can be so easily dismissed by so-called and address supplied Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Quakers accused of ‘destroying' reputation with trans-inclusive lavatories
Quakers have been accused of 'destroying' their reputation as pioneers on women's rights by refusing to provide separate toilets for females. Quakers in Britain said its toilets would remain 'trans inclusive' despite the ruling by the Supreme Court that the word 'sex' in the Equality Act refers to biological sex and not gender identity. It said it was not desirable to monitor who uses its facilities, adding: 'We cannot guarantee any shared space as exclusive for one group of people.' Quakers have gained a reputation for their progressive attitude towards women, having allowed them to preach as early as the 17th century. But Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at Sex Matters, a women's rights group, said they appeared to have abandoned that legacy by adopting 'textbook trans activism'. 'Early Quakers were famously supportive of women's rights – they would surely be shocked and ashamed if they could see the destruction of that proud legacy,' she said. 'Contested and subject to legal challenge' Last month's Supreme Court ruled that transgender women are not legally women, and clarified that the word 'sex' in the Equality Act means biological sex and not gender identity. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) then put out interim guidance to organisations, underlining that in places such as hospitals, shops and restaurants, 'trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities'. A growing number of public bodies have changed their guidance in light of the judgment. The Football Association has said trans women could be banned from women's sport. But other organisations, including the Houses of Parliament, are awaiting final guidance from the EHRC. The statement from Quakers in Britain dismissed the EHRC's interim guidance, which it said 'goes beyond the scope and actual statements' in the Supreme Court ruling. Paul Parker, the recording clerk, said: 'This is already contested and subject to legal challenge.' He said the faith group would 'welcome and affirm trans and non-binary people in Quaker spaces', adding: 'We must respect the dignity of each person to live with integrity, informed by the truth of their lived experience'. 'This is what love requires of us' Like Stonewall, Mr Parker said the Supreme Court judgement did not have 'the force of law'. 'Whilst the EHRC has recently issued guidance, this is currently only interim guidance. It is non-statutory and therefore does not have the force of law,' the document states. 'We see the Equality Act itself as our primary legal guide when making decisions. 'It is not possible or desirable to monitor who uses our facilities and therefore cannot guarantee any shared space as exclusive for one group of people. We will not label something as a single-sex space if we cannot truthfully guarantee that it will be single-sex.' The minutes of the meeting read: 'The rights and inclusion of people belonging to our communities and using our buildings are not, and should not be, just about toilets. We will continue to work to make our corner of the commonwealth of heaven on Earth a more welcoming and accessible place. This is what love requires of us.' Quakers in Britain also pointed out that at its main building, French House in London, all public facilities were 'trans inclusive'. A spokesman said: 'Toilets labelled with a 'female' sign are intended for cis women, trans women, and non-binary and intersex people for whom this toilet is best aligned with their lived experience. 'Toilets labelled with a 'male' sign are intended for cis men, trans men, and non-binary and intersex people for whom this toilet is best aligned with their lived experience.' 'Upside-down vision of equality' Ms Joyce said: 'British Quakers' announcement that it will continue to allow trans-identifying men to use female facilities is textbook trans activism. It is also in breach of the law. The organisation would be wise to consult legal expertise without delay. 'It is not 'inclusive' to seek a way around labelling toilets and changing rooms as male and female in order to avoid having to monitor whether people comply with common-sense rules that are there to protect everyone. It places the desires of those who seek to transgress boundaries over the needs of the most vulnerable. 'This is an upside-down vision of equality, integrity and truth. By defying the UK's highest court and removing protections for women and girls, Quakers are courting legal risk and demonstrating a lack of care and responsibility, in the pursuit of a fashionable dogma.' A spokesman for Quakers in Britain said: 'Our facilities are legally compliant. Quakers in Britain welcome and affirm trans and non-binary people in all Quaker spaces. Our values of equality and integrity guide every decision we make. 'No trans, non-binary, or intersex Quaker, staff member, or service user will be asked to disclose or prove aspects of their identity in ways that are not asked of cisgender people. We do not seek to monitor who uses our facilities, nor do we believe it is possible or desirable to do so. 'We have self-contained facilities, which function as single sex spaces, available for all our building users. We are committed to taking robust and proactive steps to ensure that all our spaces remain safe, inclusive, and free from harassment or inappropriate behaviour.'
