Beth Upton's life and identity have been dragged through the media

The Herald Scotland

4 days ago

Often, some people's outrage is platformed, reported, given airtime, whilst others' is not. Take for example the biggest Trans Pride March in the history of the UK – which happened in London last weekend – where reportedly 100 thousand LGBT+ people and their allies stood in solidarity and showed their outrage at recent decisions affecting trans people's lives and at how this community are being scapegoated, demonised and weaponised. This was barely covered by the media.
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At the same time tens, perhaps even hundreds of pieces have covered the views of those against the progress of trans rights. This outrage shown in London doesn't fit the dominant narrative, and so it is not the story that is told. So, for many, it remains context unseen in the wider narrative. It remains hidden and remains unable to affect how people are thinking about these issues – people do not see the mounting support for trans people and the majority view that trans people should be afforded their rights and should be treated with respect and dignity. Missing pieces of the story such as this perpetuate the pushing aside of humanity.
Or take as another example, the case of Nurse Sandie Peggie. In this case, voices have been ignored, and what has come to light in the past few days says an awful lot that perhaps would have changed the narrative around this case had it come to light some time before now. Much like with Trans Pride in London, the full detail and context may not support the dominant narrative.
Often the parts left unseen tell the true story, paint the whole picture. The narrative that is presented across the mainstream media amplifies only a handful of voices. What is seen then is the creation of faux characters, martyrs, without critique and proper consideration. So much has been left out, not least the voice of Beth Upton, and of course the late revelation that Sandie Peggie seems to have more than one prejudiced view.
Sandie Peggie has been coloured in the light of a society that deeply values our nurses and our NHS, as we should. This has been heavily utilised in the telling of this one-sided story. The value of our nurses and our NHS, that we hold as a society, has enabled her painting as someone vulnerable, innocent, 'a normal woman,' in need of defence - whilst the evidence, if accurate, would suggest she may not in fact be very nice. We, as a society, feel positive sentiment and kinship with our NHS. So, taking people along with this version of reality was made easier.
Especially if much of the context was omitted from the narrative. The fact that Beth Upton is a doctor, side stepped in this as a secondary detail to the fact she is trans, is unusual given this storytelling thematic – and tells us how easy it is to demonise a trans person regardless of how much good they do or who they are. It was easy to convince people of her otherness, to displace her from our story.
My family are all nurses, I know very well the good principles of nursing, and have discussed at length with them how far Sandie Peggie's alleged comments seem to fall from these principles – about how they fear the damage caused to the perception of those doing this work. Some of the key principles of nursing are compassion, inclusivity, care, teamwork, and transparency. How much have those been demonstrated in this case?
Beth Upton, an ordinary person doing her ordinary job, has now suffered her very existence discussed as though public property. Without, of course, any insight into her life, her reality, her experiences, her truth. On the other hand, Sandie Peggie has had an unfathomable amount of space in the media, and access to elected officials, to share hers.
The racist, anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and unarguably transphobic comments made by Sandie Peggie, that are now widely reported, are, despite her defence of 'dark humour', unacceptable. This speaks to a character that many would find impossible to defend. Indeed, some politicians have since gone very quiet with regards to their previous support for Sandie Peggie.
No doubt they may have been unaware of her attitudes towards other minorities. Their support may or may not now be hanging by a thread. With more of the story visible, perhaps now they might take time to reflect on having championed someone who has been alleged to show clear prejudice towards minority groups and consider what that may tell them about this case and others like it.
Many who have thrown their weight behind Sandie Peggie in the past months are perhaps surmising that maybe they hadn't been given the whole picture, perhaps they have been misguided. What is most shameful about this is that trans people are not given the space that those against their rights are. When the media paints a picture without context, with an agenda in mind to align with a dominant narrative - this of course shapes people's view of a situation and of people.
I only hope this case can serve as a flashing red light – you are quite likely not being told the full story and are very likely being expected to accept a narrative that is patently untrue, that obfuscates context and in doing so fuels the anti-trans movement we have seen take hold in the UK.
Beth Upton went to work on Christmas Eve as herself, she carried on as no doubt she would on any normal day. Since then, her life, her body and her identity have been dissected and dragged through countless media articles, through a lengthy, at times cruel and gruelling tribunal process. Her mere presence as herself at work was challenged. At no point did we hear from her in the media, at no point was her story told, at no point have we heard about the effect this has had on her, her working life, her family and loved ones.
Instead, we have seen countless coverage sharing Sandie Peggie's side. Now we are seeing illuminated some of the other side of that coin. Though we still don't see Beth Upton's side – her story, her humanity, perhaps deemed irrelevant to the toxic narrative many are intent on furthering. The side that allows Beth Upton her humanity, allows her awful experience to be shared, her supporters to be seen is, much like Trans Pride in London, invisible. This, and this week's revelations regarding Sandie Peggie's views, should give people serious pause for thought.
Dr Rebecca Don Kennedy is chief executive of the Equality Network