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How Transphobia Took Over Legacy Media

Poppy Lindsey

Poppy Lindsey

As of April 1st 2022, hate crimes targeting trans people were up 56 per cent from 2021. The British media’s platforming of anti-trans stories has left the community open to discrimination. Why is the mainstream media so intent on targeting gender non-conforming folk?

What does ‘Transphobia’ really mean?

The term ‘transphobia’ is often used by trans activists and allies. Unfortunately, it is also used as a weapon by the right-wing press. The use of the term ‘phobia’ has become hotly contested over recent years — is transphobia really a fear, or rather a hatred?

TransActual describes transphobia as: “A rejection of trans identity and a refusal to acknowledge that it could possibly be real or valid,” suggesting that transphobia can be defined as a decision, rather than a clinical phobia.

In the interest of clarity, what counts as transphobia? This list includes, but is not limited to, forms of discrimination trans people face:

Transphobia is nothing new

Fleet Street may have upped the ante regarding its anti-trans coverage in 2016. But one thing is clear — it is nothing new. Trans prejudice has existed for as long as trans people have: forever.

In 1979, the ‘handbook for TERFs’ was published, titled ‘Transsexual Empire: the making of the she-male’. Unsurprisingly, this crassly authored book encouraged Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) to rear their heads proudly throughout the 70s. Since then, gender-critical theorists have become normalised within academia, government, and the mainstream media.

“If you’re going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids.”

Even childhood role models, like author J.K. Rowling, have become emboldened by the discourse on trans individuals, publishing material such as her controversial 2020 essay ‘Now Is A Dangerous Time For Women’.

Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe responded: “If you’re going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids.” Radcliffe echoed a common sentiment among trans activists; discussions concerning the lives of trans individuals should include the individuals in question.

The exclusion of trans people from discussions about issues that directly affect them has been seen time and time again in British media. Activists have also accused the UK media’s coverage of trans issues as, in part, responsible for the recent rise in transphobia.

A 2021 CNN article, headlined: ‘Anti-trans rhetoric is rife in the British media. Little is being done to extinguish the flames,’ detailed the ongoing issue in the British press. The article discussed a provocative interview, where leaders of the UK’s two front-running political parties, Kier Starmer and Boris Johnson, were asked by an interviewer: “Is it transphobic to say only women have a cervix?”

“Stories of de-transitioning and exacerbated claims of ‘experimental medical treatment on children’ dominated the media”

Both leaders skirted around the question — neither Starmer nor Johnson identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, so their responses were bound to be unsatisfactory at the very least. But, we have to ask, why are media presenters using trans rights as a tool for political debate and point-scoring amongst parties?

Why is transphobia plaguing media headlines?

Al Jazeera also reported a 400 per cent increase in coverage of trans issues between 2009 and 2019, and The Daily Mail published 115 articles on trans issues in January of this year alone. Yet, these headlines are often written with clickbait language, inviting inflammatory debates surrounding trans identity and personhood.

Transphobia has been prevalent in the British media as far back as 2016 when media agencies started to represent transphobic ideology woven into British culture. Publications dedicated front pages and columns to concerns around the preservation of single-sex spaces, and names on birth certificates – often without the inclusion of trans voices.

In 2018, stories of de-transitioning and exacerbated claims of ‘experimental medical treatment on children’ dominated the media, furthering the vulnerability of the trans community. Theresa May’s Conservative government began to back away from the trans community, fearful of the anti-trans activists honing in on the NHS’ only gender identity clinic, The Tavistock.

“To be fully respectful of trans and non-binary people, we must learn, unlearn and relearn”

2020 and 2021 saw the UK government make payments to anti-LGBT+ organisations, such as ‘The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda’, further illustrating a lack of commitment from the people in power to protect trans individuals.

In February 2023, news platforms including the BBC and The Times came under fire for their biased reporting of trans teenager Brianna Ghey’s murder, changing her pronouns from ‘her’ back to Brianna’s original pronouns, and featuring her name assigned at birth in their articles.

How can we fight media transphobia?

It seems that media coverage of trans and non-binary issues is hardly getting more progressive as the years go on, but the culture of hate manifesting in media headlines is not irreversible. It is not enough to be passive, nor is it enough to simply not be transphobic – we must be actively anti-transphobic.

Put the effort into pronouns

To be fully respectful of trans and non-binary people, we must learn, unlearn and relearn. Understand that gender is a spectrum, and that many people move around that spectrum – it is not for us to judge them when they do so.

Listen

The best way to learn about the trans community is by immersing yourself in it. Speak to the trans people in your lives, ask respectful questions, and engage them in conversation when speaking on trans issues. Hear them, and listen without comment or judgement.

Check your language

Make an effort to use inclusive language where you can. For example, avoid ‘ladies and gentlemen’, and instead use, ‘everyone’, when addressing a group. Challenge and call out transphobia when you hear it – and it’s likely you will.

Recognise the systemic origins of transphobia

Many transphobic theorists place blame for gender inequality issues on trans people, using them as a scapegoat, without acknowledging the role of patriarchal ideology. By denying that patriarchal structures perpetuate the oppression of trans people, we are complicit in the injustice against trans folk.

Effective ally-ship from those within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community is essential in ensuring trans acceptance and safety, and combatting the transphobia emergent in the British mainstream media.

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Featured image courtesy of Nik on Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes have been made to this image.  

Poppy graduated from the University of Reading in June 2022, with a degree in Philosophy and Politics. She currently works as Welfare Officer at Reading Students Union, and is starting formal journalism training in September 2023 at News Associates. She has a keen interest in human rights, social action, and the intersectional feminist movement.

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