Let’s begin by affirming my unwavering support for the transgender community. While this stance may seem uncontroversial to me, the reality is that expressing such solidarity often triggers intense backlash, as evidenced by the vehement reactions I’ve encountered in response to my previous writings.
It has been a year since the profound verdict on the Equality Act, a ruling that shook the foundations of societal norms. The UK Supreme Court’s decision on April 16, 2025, defined ‘woman’ strictly in terms of biological sex, favoring the ‘gender critical’ group For Women Scotland in their dispute against the Scottish Government’s use of the term.
Witnessing the jubilant scenes of victory outside the court involving the For Women Scotland members left me disheartened. As a feminist woman identifying with the cisgender community, I found it disturbing to witness such overt self-congratulation.
However, the aftermath of this ruling did not advance the cause of either cis or trans women. Instead, it promoted a narrow and damaging perspective on women’s identities, reducing them to mere biological components like reproductive organs, chromosomes, and hormones. Such reductionism is undeniably alarming.
One might ponder, has this ruling brought us closer to a feminist utopia? A quick reality check reveals a starkly different picture. We are far from a world where gender equality prevails; instead, we inhabit a grim reality overshadowed by pervasive violence against women and girls.
The Metropolitan Police’s somber declaration characterizing violence against women and girls as endemic, systemic, and equivalent in threat level to terrorism is deeply troubling. Equally alarming is the statistic from Refuge, a domestic violence charity, indicating that 20% of all recorded crimes in England and Wales are linked to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), with a significant majority of defendants in domestic abuse cases being male.
For the transgender community, the situation is even more dire, marked by a surge in hate crimes over the past five years. Stonewall UK’s data revealing that 41% of trans individuals have encountered hate crimes due to their gender identity underscores the urgent need for collective action to combat such discrimination.
Yet, the focus of public discourse often gravitates towards trivial matters such as restroom usage or sports participation by trans individuals, rather than addressing the pervasive threats faced by women. This misdirected attention only serves to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and deepen divisions within the feminist movement.
As a cisgender woman, I, alongside numerous like-minded individuals including Kate Nash and Denise Welch, have added our voices to the Not in Our Name petition, standing in solidarity with the trans community for their right to safety, happiness, and privacy.
The NION Women collective, a group advocating for trans rights, emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and acceptance in their mission statement. They highlight the need to reject exclusionary feminism and work towards a more equitable society where all individuals, regardless of gender identity, are treated with respect and dignity.
In a society that values equality, allyship is not a choice but a fundamental requirement. TransActual’s guidelines on effective allyship stress the importance of kindness, inclusivity, and speaking out against discrimination. It is imperative that all women unite in the fight for equality, transcending divisive narratives that only serve to undermine the progress towards a more just and equitable society.
If you resonate with these sentiments and wish to stand in solidarity with the trans+ community, consider adding your signature to the Not In Our Name letter.
Dr. Aimée Walsh, a prominent columnist and feminist scholar, underscores the critical importance of supporting marginalized communities and advancing the principles of equality and inclusion in today’s challenging social landscape.