Trans Safety Network
| Abbreviation | TSN |
|---|---|
| Formation | October 2020[1] |
| Type | Community interest company[2] |
| Purpose | Defence of transgender rights and opposition to organised transphobia |
Region served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Shash Appan |
| Affiliations | Consortium[3] |
| Website | transsafety |
The Trans Safety Network is a transgender organisation based in the United Kingdom that aims to document and analyse information on organised 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 from Truth in Science, a Christian creationist organisation.[4]
On 24 June 2023, the group's director, Jess O'Thomson was assaulted and injured while reporting for TSN by far-right demonstrators organised by Turning Point UK at a Drag Queen Story Hour event in Lewisham, with another activist left bloodied.[5]
Activities[edit]
Research[edit]
In May 2022, the TSN investigated misinformation spread by right-wing politicians that the shooter in the Uvalde school shooting in the United States was trans.[6]
In August 2021, the group analysed Tweets directed at Rape Crisis Scotland over its hiring of Mridul Wadhwa as CEO, finding that around half of the thousands of Tweets originated from around 30 accounts.[7] In April 2023, the group publicised restrictions being imposed upon tweets containing LGBT-related keywords on Twitter, including disabling previews.[8][9]
Criticism of the Equality and Human Rights Commission[edit]
TSN has been active in criticising the treatment of transgender people by the Equality 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 the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which was also cosigned by organisations such as Stonewall, Liberty, the Good Law Project, Mermaids and LGBT Youth Scotland.[10] In 2023, O'Thomson, met Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, who was preparing a report on LGBTQ rights in the UK.[11] TSN opposed a recommendation from the EHRC to amend the Equality Act 2010 to replace rights and protections based on one's legal sex with "biological sex".[12]
Activism[edit]
In 2022, TSN opposed attempts by the government to exempt gender identity from a proposed ban on conversion therapy.[13] In June 2023, the group accused the Territorial Support Group of having "targeted trans protesters" at a counter-demonstration to a far-right anti-drag demonstration in London.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "About us". Trans Safety Network. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "TRANS SAFETY NETWORK CIC". Companies House. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Trans Safety Network". Consortium. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Trans Safety Network Interview". Organise Magazine. Anarchist Federation. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "United Kingdom: Right-wing Protesters Attack And Injure Reporter Jess O'Thomson At Drag Storytelling Event". Coalition For Women In Journalism. 24 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Hsu, Tiffany (25 May 2022). "Debunking 3 Viral Rumors About the Texas Shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Ramsay, Adam (17 October 2022). "How anti-trans activists forced Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre into lockdown". openDemocracy. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Reber, Dylan (5 April 2023). "Twitter May Be Restricting Visibility of LGBTQ+ Content in Direct Messages". The Advocate. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Power, Shannon (3 April 2023). "Is Twitter Censoring LGBTQ+ Content? What We Know, What We Don't". Newsweek. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Major LGBTQ+ organisations spark international review of the EHRC". Stonewall. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Baska, Maggie (24 May 2023). "Grassroots trans group uncovering EHRC 'attacks' and the UK's well-connected anti-trans movement". PinkNews. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ O'Thomson, Jess (6 April 2023). "The EHRC wants to redefine sex. Here's what it means for trans people". OpenDemocracy. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Ferreira, Lou (10 June 2022). "MPs will debate a ban on trans 'conversion therapy'. Here's what to expect". OpenDemocracy. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ Sawer, Patrick (24 June 2023). "Trans activists 'attacked' at children's drag queen story time event". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 September 2023.