By Janine Jennings

During the past few months in the UK, trans people have come under fire from both JK Rowling and government minister Liz Truss. In the midst of the reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement, JK Rowling tweeted her discontent over the term ‘people who menstruate’ to her millions of followers, on top of previous anti-trans rhetoric from the author. 

Around the same time, it leaked that Liz Truss, the minister for Women and Equalities, did not plan to implement reforms from the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), despite 70% of respondents supporting the proposed reforms. Although this leak has not been confirmed, with Liz Truss claiming that the government ‘will not be rolling back trans rights’, the delay in publishing the results of the Gender Recognition Act forces trans people to continue waiting for reforms that are long overdue.

The proposed reforms would allow trans people to more easily live as their gender, as well as allow the recognition of non-binary people, who are currently unable to change their gender through the GRA. Current guidelines require evidence that a trans person has been ‘living as their gender for at least 2 years’, which significantly complicates the process of updating birth certificates and receiving gender-affirming treatment such as hormone therapy. These reforms are greatly needed. Waiting times for trans healthcare services are increasing, as are hate crimes against trans people. The current process to legally change one’s gender requires the provision of extensive documentation to a ‘panel’, and has been widely criticised for being long and costly, as well as intrusive. On top of this, a number of trans people are turned down by the panel after completing the long application process, with no possibility of appealing.

Allowing trans people to self-identify is already recognised in a number of other countries, including Ireland, leaving the UK lagging behind on progressive trans rights. Since ranking 1st in Europe for LGBT+ rights back in 2015, according to the International LGBTI Association, the UK now finds itself ranked 9th.  

Trans rights and trans people are experiencing similar continuous attacks in the US. In June, a reversal of previous regulations in health care that protected trans people against discrimination was introduced. The Trump administration sought to narrow the definition of discrimination to being based on sex, instead of the previous definition based on gender, in a bid to exclude transgender people from these protections.

This reversal would give health care providers, as well as health insurance companies, the ability to refuse care for trans related healthcare, such as hormones and surgery. Additionally, a change in the discrimination definition would allow health care professionals to refuse any treatment based only on a patient’s gender identity. Thankfully a federal judge temporarily blocked this proposal the day before it was set to take effect. However, this is not the first time Trump’s administration has tried to roll back trans rights in the US, with not all reversals being successfully blocked.

Some of the new regulations under Trump include the ban on trans people in the military and the reversal on the right for trans students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Like in the UK, hate crimes against transgender people in the US are on the rise. With 4 months of 2020 remaining, this year has already surpassed last year as being the most violent year for transgender people, with at least 28 murders of transgender people in America. The vast majority of these murders have been of black trans women, who have an estimated life expectancy of 35 years old in the States.

Trans people, especially black trans women, are increasingly vulnerable across the globe. In order to support the trans community, it is important to first listen to trans voices. One way to do this is by reading books written by trans authors. The following is a (non-exhaustive) list of books written by trans and non-binary writers, with books written by black trans authors highlighted in bold. 

Books:

1. Beyond the Gender Binary, by Alok Vaid-Menon

Writing from their own experiences as a gender-nonconforming artist, Alok Vaid-Menon explores gender and what it means to live as a non-binary person. Alok describes the book as a “love letter to engender a world that celebrates creativity over conformity.” 

2. Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity, by C. Riley Snorton

Black on Both Sides examines the intersection of blackness and transness from the nineteenth century to the present. Snorton’s rigorous research includes “early sexological texts, fugitive slave narratives, Afro-modernist literature, sensationalist journalism, Hollywood films” and more. 

3. Burgerz, by Travis Alabanza

Burgerz is a play inspired by a transphobic experience, in which a burger was thrown at author Travis, accompanied by a transphobic slur, on Waterloo Bridge in 2016. The performance is a powerful and passionate exploration of this event and other similar experiences of transphobia and racism. It is both emotional and humorous at the same time, and invites the audience to question our own complicity, as society stands back and watches these attacks instead of intervening. This play provides a first-hand account of living in the UK as a black trans person, and the difficulties and pain of reclaiming an act of violence. 

4. Gender: A Graphic Guide, by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele

This graphic novel explores and explains a multitude of topics, including masculinity and femininity, non-binary and trans genders, and the intersection of gender, race, sexuality, class and disability. This graphic guide is the perfect companion handbook to current debates and topics surrounding gender, for those new to gender exploration, as well as those wishing to delve deeper into gender discussions and understanding. 

5. In Their Shoes: Navigating Non-Binary life, by Jamie Windust - to be released 21st October 2020

“There is no one way to be non-binary, and that's truthfully one of the best things about it. It's an identity that is yours to shape.” In their debut book, Jamie Windust discusses various topics, including fashion, dating, relationships, family, mental health, work and future key debates, and how to navigate these as a non-binary person.

6. Freshwater, by Akwaeke Emezi

This non-fiction book explores the themes of mental health, identity and gender dysphoria. Following the life of a young black Nigerian woman, the book draws on the experiences of author Akwaeke Emezi. As a child, protagonist Ada begins to develop separate selves, and experiences multiple fits of anger and grief. After heading to America for university, a traumatic event triggers the powerful emergence of her ‘alternate selves’: Asughara and Saint Vincent. These alternate selves begin to take control, leading Ada’s life in a dark and dangerous direction. 

7. Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More, by Janet Mock

Janet Mock, an American writer, director and producer, first came out as a trans women through a Marie Claire profile in 2011. Since then, Mock has been a trailblazer and outspoken advocate for trans people. Mock was the first trans woman of colour to be hired as a writer for a TV series - writing, directing and producing for the show Pose, which follows the lives of five trans women of colour living in New York City during the ballroom era of the late 1980s. In her first memoir, Redefining Realness, she writes about her experiences growing up young, multiracial, poor and trans in America.

8. The Gender Games: The Problem with Men and Women, From Someone Who Has Been Both, by Juno Dawson

“Why we are all being messed up by gender, and what we can do about it.” From author Juno Dawson, The Gender Games explores the impact of gender not only on trans people, but the impact that society’s expectations of gender have on everyone. Including observations from notable gender, feminist and trans activists, The Gender Games calls for a world in which everyone can just be themselves.   

9. Trans Power: Own Your Gender, by Juno Roche

Juno Roche explores the diversity of trans identities and experiences through conversations with leading trans figures, including Kate Bornstein, Travis Alabanza and Glamrou. This book explores love, bodies, sex, race, and class, with Juno Roche redefining trans as an identity of power and strength. 

10. Transitional, by Munroe Bergdorf – to be released 1st July 2021

Model and activist Munroe Bergdorf will be releasing her highly anticipated debut book in July 2021, after receiving a landmark book deal. The book will include discussions on adolescence, sexuality, gender, relationships, identity and race. Personal experiences of Bergdorf will also be explored, including growing up in a mixed-race family, attending an all-boys school, and starting her transition at 24. 

Trans funds and charities to donate to: 

Another way of supporting the trans community is through donating to trans funds and/or charities. Below is a list of funds and charities doing important work supporting trans people psychologically, economically and socially. Organisations that support black trans people are highlighted in bold. 

UK based: 

• Albert Kennedy Trust: AKT supports young LGBT+ people who are homeless or living in a hostile environment

• CliniQ: provides counselling and sexual health services by trans people for trans people

• Gendered Intelligence: a trans-led charity that works across the UK, specialising in supporting young trans people aged up to 25 and their families. 

• Mermaids: supports trans and gender diverse children, young people and their family

• UK QTIBIPOC Emergency relief & Hardship Fund: this fund was set up to provide short term support to queer, trans and intersex, black, indigenous, people of colour affected by the coronavirus outbreak 

US based:  

• The Black Trans Travel Fund: mutual aids organization that provides black trans women with financial support in order to access the safest travel options 

• The Okra Project: provides black trans people experiencing food insecurity with home cooked, healthy and culturally specific meals

• Trans Lifeline: offers emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis. The peer support crisis hotline is the only hotline in the US in which all operators are transgender.  

• Transgender Law Center: largest national trans-led organization that provides legal expertise 

• Gender Spectrum: creates gender inclusive environments for all children and teens. Works with children, families, educators, social service workers, faith leaders, medical and mental health professionals