In London, thousands of demonstrators for the rights of transfeers – Liberation
They and they went down to the street to ask for guarantees, sometimes fear in the belly for their future. Several thousand demonstrators gathered this Saturday, April 19 in the center of London on Saturday, April 19, in the Place du Parliament, to defend the rights of transgender persons, after the decision of the British Supreme Court to found The legal definition of a woman on biological sex.
« Trans women are women », « Trans people are not the enemy », « Me, a man? The farm! ”, Could we read on signs brandished by demonstrators, most of them aged twenty or thirty years.
The debate decided by the Supreme Court concerned the interpretation of the Equality Act Anti-discrimination law of 2010. For the Supreme Court therefore, the term « woman » does not include transgender women, since certain provisions of the text concern pregnant women. The decision announced Wednesday will certainly have major consequences for transgender women, opening the way to their exclusion from places reserved for women, toilets, locker rooms or accommodation centers for example. And even if the Court assured that the judgment did not decrease the protections from which transgender persons benefit against discrimination or harassment, concern rises.
« Everything in my transition will be more complicated », Fear Joe Brown, a 29 -year -old trans woman. She also worries that trans children will have « More afraid » to come out and that trans people « Are no longer able to access health services ». Eevee Zayas, non -binary, fears for his part that « The extremists feel reinforced by the decision » of the Supreme Court, saying that transphobia is already up. Eevee Zayas, who has lived for fourteen years in the United Kingdom, has decided to return to his country of origin, Spain, more progressive.
Several thousand people also paraded in Edinburgh, Scotland. Lauren Yeoman, 38, said she was « disgusted » by the decision of the Supreme Court. « They point to people who do not hurt anyone, while ignoring the real problems », she said.
The decision of the Supreme Court is the culmination of a long legal battle between the Scottish government, engaged in favor of the rights of transgender persons, and activists describing themselves as feminists. The latter celebrated the decision as a victory for women’s rights. « It’s not feminism, it’s bigotry », This Saturday replied a sign.
The British center-left government considered that the decision brought « Clarity (…) for women and service providers such as hospitals, shelters and sports clubs ”.
