Trans Safety Network
| Abbreviation | TSN |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 2020[1] |
| Type | Community interest company[2] |
| Purpose | Defence oftransgender rightsand opposition to organised transphobia |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Shash Appan |
| Affiliations | Consortium[3] |
| Website | transsafety |
TheTrans Safety Networkis atransgenderorganisation based in theUnited Kingdomthat aims to document and analyse information onorganised anti-transgender movements.[1]
History
[edit]Trans Safety Network ('TSN') was launched in October 2020, in response to what it saw as an increase in anti-transgender campaigns and political lobbying in the United Kingdom. The ultimate impetus for the group's establishment was reports of DVDs on the "transgender agenda" being mailed to schools. TSN determined that they originated fromTruth in Science,a Christiancreationistorganisation.[4]
In November 2021, TSN was incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC), whose founding Directors were Shash Appan and Nichola Phoebe Queen.[5]
On 24 June 2023, the group's director, Jess O'Thomson was assaulted and injured while reporting for TSN by far-right demonstrators organised byTurning Point UKat aDrag Queen Story Hourevent inLewisham,with another activist left bloodied.[6]
Activities
[edit]Research
[edit]In May 2022, the TSN investigated misinformation spread by right-wing politicians that the shooter in theUvalde school shootingin the United States was trans.[7]
In August 2021, the group analysed Tweets directed atRape Crisis Scotlandover its hiring ofMridul Wadhwaas CEO, finding that around half of the thousands of Tweets originated from around 30 accounts.[8]In April 2023, the group publicised restrictions being imposed upon tweets containing LGBT-related keywords onTwitter,including disabling previews.[9][10]
Criticism of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
[edit]TSN has been active in criticising the treatment of transgender people by theEquality and Human Rights Commission(EHRC).
In February 2022, TSN was a co-signatory to an open letter calling for a review of the EHRC by theUnited Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC) andGlobal Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions(GANHRI), consignees included:Stonewall,Liberty,theGood Law Project,MermaidsandLGBT Youth Scotland.[11]In 2023, O'Thomson, metVictor Madrigal-Borloz,the UNindependent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity,who was preparing a report onLGBTQ rights in the UK.[12]TSN opposed a recommendation from the EHRC to amend theEquality Act 2010to replace rights and protections based on one's legal sex with "biological sex".[13]
Activism
[edit]In 2022, TSN opposed attempts by the government to exempt gender identity from a proposed ban onconversion therapy.[14]In June 2023, the group accused theTerritorial Support Groupof having "targeted trans protesters" at a counter-demonstration to afar-right anti-drag demonstrationin London.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ab"About us".Trans Safety Network.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^"TRANS SAFETY NETWORK CIC".Companies House.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^"Trans Safety Network".Consortium.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^"Trans Safety Network Interview".Organise Magazine.Anarchist Federation.18 May 2021.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Companies House (UK Government Agency) (6 July 2024)."Trans Safety Network CIC (Company number 13739860)".Companies House Register.Retrieved6 July2024.
- ^"United Kingdom: Right-wing Protesters Attack And Injure Reporter Jess O'Thomson At Drag Storytelling Event".Coalition For Women In Journalism.24 June 2023.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Hsu, Tiffany (25 May 2022)."Debunking 3 Viral Rumors About the Texas Shooting".The New York Times.Retrieved1 July2024.
- ^Ramsay, Adam (17 October 2022)."How anti-trans activists forced Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre into lockdown".openDemocracy.Retrieved1 July2024.
- ^Reber, Dylan (5 April 2023)."Twitter May Be Restricting Visibility of LGBTQ+ Content in Direct Messages".The Advocate.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Power, Shannon (3 April 2023)."Is Twitter Censoring LGBTQ+ Content? What We Know, What We Don't".Newsweek.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^"Major LGBTQ+ organisations spark international review of the EHRC".Stonewall.10 February 2022.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Baska, Maggie (24 May 2023)."Grassroots trans group uncovering EHRC 'attacks' and the UK's well-connected anti-trans movement".PinkNews.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^O'Thomson, Jess (6 April 2023)."The EHRC wants to redefine sex. Here's what it means for trans people".OpenDemocracy.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Ferreira, Lou (10 June 2022)."MPs will debate a ban on trans 'conversion therapy'. Here's what to expect".OpenDemocracy.Retrieved30 June2024.
- ^Sawer, Patrick (24 June 2023)."Trans activists 'attacked' at children's drag queen story time event".The Telegraph.Retrieved5 September2023.