We must arm ourselves, say trans activists
A protester on the London Trans+ Pride march on Saturday carried placards reading: 'DIY or Die. Trans emancipation. Not rainbow capitalism. Arm trans people.'
Another sign read: 'B---- trolls from hell,' with pictures of JK Rowling and the bosses of For Women Scotland, who won the Supreme Court case against the Scottish Government on gender in April.
Saturday's march to Parliament Square Gardens was the biggest annual trans protest in the UK, with about 100,000 people in attendance, according to organisers.
The ruling from the Supreme Court redefined 'biological sex' in a way that enables the exclusion of trans women from single-sex spaces and services.
Organisers said this year's message was centred around the theme of 'existence and resistance'.
Its key demands included an outright ban on conversion therapy, fully funded gender-affirming healthcare and a legal acknowledgement for non-binary people.
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy for human rights charity Sex Matters, which campaigns for clarity about biological sex in law and life, said the signs revealed the 'central hatred of women is to trans activism'.
She said: 'The reason this movement treats JK Rowling and the grassroots campaigners of For Women Scotland as enemies is simply that they dare to say no to men who want to transgress women's boundaries.
'One side in this debate stands up for everyone's rights to safety, dignity, and privacy in single sex spaces.
'The other calls for violence against women. It shouldn't be hard for politicians and public figures to decide which side they are on.'
Susan Hall, the leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, said: 'If trans activists are claiming that they should be armed and are calling JK Rowling (a wonderful woman) and women activists to b-----s in hell then they can't be surprised when people don't take them seriously and in fact are repelled by their odious stand.'
Trans activists have called on Sir Keir to back transgender rights after Sir Sadiq Khan supported the march.
The Mayor of London wrote on X: 'Today, our capital proudly marks seven years of London Trans+ Pride.
'As trans rights come under increasing pressure across the UK, this year's march is a vital reminder: London is a city that stands for equality, dignity and pride - for everyone.'
The Prime Minister signed up to a pledge 'that trans women are women' when he was a Labour leadership candidate, but appeared to change his position following the Supreme Court ruling.
'The Supreme Court judgment has made clear that when looking at the Equality Act, a woman is a biological woman,' his spokesman said in April.
'Lost, scared and angry'
Vicky Lee, the director and founder of the Way Out Club, said: 'Over the last 32 years, I have been a Labour Party member and a diversity advisor for the Metropolitan and City of London Police.
'I was proud of where we were under Tony Blair with LGBT liaison officers in every London borough, anti-trans hate policies, Trans inclusivity, and trans rights.
'Keir Starmer, I can tell you now, under your watch, we have lost 15 years of progress.
'Trans people are now lost, scared and angry. Trans Pride on Saturday is a celebration, but this year it will also be a protest.
'Please listen to the community of unique trans people. We are also nurses, doctors, scientists, lawyers, soldiers, and voters.'
Lewis G Burton, one of the founding members of London Trans+ Pride, said: 'This year's London Trans+ Pride made history once again, with over 100,000 trans+ people and allies marching through central London – smashing our own world record of 60,000 and continuing our legacy as the biggest trans+ pride event in history.
'It was an emotional and powerful day.
'At a time when the Supreme Court is making sweeping decisions about trans people without consulting a single trans person or organisation, and when a small, well-funded lobby of anti-trans campaigners continues to dominate headlines and waste public resources, our community came together to show what real strength, solidarity and care looks like.
'The message was clear: we will not be erased. Our existence is natural, historic, and enduring.
'You can try to take away our rights, but you will never remove us from society. We are a part of humanity – and the public will not stand by while harm is done to our community.'
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