THERE IS A T IN GLBT!!! GUESS WHAT IT STANDS FOR >:O

Transmisogyny and cissexism at PRIDE

>:OOO

Official stewards who were running the toilets at Trafalgar Square announced that I, and any other transgender or transsexual woman, had to use the disabled toilets and was not allowed to use the regular women's toilets. I pointed out to the stewards that I transitioned and had surgery before they were born; I was more polite than a polite thing. No dice.
I went and fetched a posse of transwomen and transmen and we made a collective fuss. Their response - and remember these were official stewards AT PRIDE - was to radio in “we're being attacked by a mob of trannies! send backup”. They were joined by a policeman, who was a LGBT liaison officer, who claimed that we had to be able to show our Gender Recognition Certificates if we wanted to use the women's loos and got quite upset when I explained to him that I had been involved in drafting the Act and that it did not take away rights that existed before it. At one point he threatened to arrest us for demonstrating on private property - those loos belong to Westminster Council, so you are not allowed to make a fuss there.
At one point it was claimed that they had instituted this policy a few minutes earlier because a man had attacked a woman; at another they said it was official Health and Safety policy. I don't think it was particularly to do with how much I do or don't pass - I think I got read in part because I am so tall and turned up in the queue among a particularly short group of lesbians.
It was one of the most wretched experiences I have had in thirty years, only made positive by the love and solidarity of my community - including various transmen who proposed that, since they had no GRCs, they should be made to use the women's loos. Beards and all.

W
T
F
!
?

INCLUSION. FAIL.

I mean srsly...

GLB*T*

THERE'S A T THERE!!! How can you be a GLBT Liason Officer and be that cissexist and insensitive towards TRANS PEOPLE!?? Y'know that's what the T STANDS FOR!

Also that apparently transppl are disabled (or is the disabled washroom rly not for ppl with disabilities now?)? And if we're SUCH A THREAT to molest ppl, why are we being sent there, or is it okay if disabled ppl are molested!?

But of course the age old cry of cisppl, that transppl are nothing but pretenders and "traps", that transwomen are just men pretending to be women to take advantage of them! And that transppl are NOT the gender they identify as, but REALLY are their birth sex, and that's all we'll EVAR BE in their eyes! Biology as destiny. :(

THIS IS PRIDE!!! You would think the ppl working there would KNOW BETTER! (and wtf, did they RLY CALL US "trannies"!?)

And yus, again this goes back to "passing" or not having "trans" features (like being tall I guess). I "pass" even at Pride (I always use women washrooms neways) and I'm not esp tall, so I guess in this situation, I'd be allowed in but not transwomen who dun "pass" as well (or get seen as "trans" in some way even if they do "pass") b/c.. they're more.. manly.. and therefore.. more likely to.. assault women!?

I mean it's disgusting they even pulled that weaselly excuse of an implication that transwomen are a danger to ciswomen and that we might just be men trying to sneak into women's bathrooms to assault them! >:| (and it was just an excuse since they kept making up different reasons and there turned out to be no policy to discriminate against transppl)

And this is PRIDE, it's when ppl are supposed to feel FREE TO BE THEMSELVES, that we dun HAVE to HIDE who we are to avoid discrimination or prejudice right!? And we're back to "you better pass and not let ppl know you're trans, or you're gonna be treated poorly and segregated"!? >:|

DO THEY NOT SEE THE DISGUSTING IRONY HERE!?

So b/c I "pass" so well and I'm not super tall, I'm MORE women than transwomen who may not, or are "too tall"? I mean do ciswomen who are tall or broad shouldered also have to PROVE their "cis credentials" to be able to use the women's (women not ciswomen) washroom!? Should we do mandatory DNA tests, x-ray scanners and strip searches too to keep out those gross gross trannies!? :\ Are we going to be suspicious of all women who do not fit some arbitrary definition of what women "should" look like or how tall they "should" be?!? >:O

I mean if we're SUCH A DANGER TO EVERYBODY, you BETTER MAKE SURE YOU SCREEN FOR US AND KEEP US ALL OUT right? I mean cuz you never know what sorts of women might sneak in AND THEN WHAT?!! THE WORLD WILL END IF WE CONCEDE THE IDEA THAT TRANSWOMEN ARE WOMEN TOO!!! e_e;;

This is such a disgraceful dismissal of ppl's lives and identities! And this is PRIDE when supposedly you can be who you are, you dun have to hide, and you have your identity acknowledged and respected right? RIGHT?

Tho apparently the police officer was off duty and the police force has said that his actions contravened their policy so at least that is good. :) But still, it's rly intimidating to not just deal with official Pride ppl but also a police officer who is enforcing this discrimination :(

It's so UGH >:|

Yay for trans solidarity tho :D Those transmen were abs right, should they also be forced to use another washroom? Would they be deemed to be at too much risk in the men's washroom, and their testosterone too much of a risk in the women's? I mean wtf!? It just makes me feel so ugh about everything :( Esp to see this sort of trans ignorance, transphobia and cissexism in a queer friendly environment from ppl who are supposedly queer friendly :(

It's like some ppl feel as long as they tolerate our existance, that's enuf. Who cares about respecting us and our identity and who we are? :(