Trans icons Juno Dawson and Hannah Graf rally against ‘dangerous’ anti-trans public figures

One thing people need to understand is I am pro-science, pro-professional training, pro-advances in society.   I support things that make life better for people that are data / science driven.   I like facts and data.   I do not like and actively argue against lies, misinformation, and bigoty / hate.   On trans issues the science is in and clearly proven.   Yes some details around the edges may need to be worked on for society which gives the anti-trans haters the room to attack, but the medical science has proven that the issue of gender of a person is not connected to biological sex determination at birth.   Sex is not limited to a binary of if it dangles it is male and if not it is female.   Both biological sex and gender are a spectrum regardless of how loud the deniers who want to go back to easier simpler times will scream.  Those are accepted medical facts.   Just like decades of climate change denial was false and lost time in fixing a the issue, so is denying the gender / trans issue.   At one time being gay was thought a mental illness, but the medical community researched it and realized it was a normal inborn condition.  Society adjusted even though some people still fight against our acceptance to this day.   The same will be with trans gender people.   But now the right / hating bigots have learned how to use social media and right wing media to mass spread misinformation and scary stuff to the public.   That is where we are and what I fight.   It is like the Covid deniers / vaccine hate myths /  Qanon believers / and bigfoot believers they all don’t accept reality and medical science.   Instead they believe lies, myths, misinformation and will fight to the death in their belief.    They are wrong!  One fact no anti-trans person can argue against is that the major medical organizations support affirmative trans gender care and treatment as best practices and there is decades of use of puberty blockers that show they are safe and reversable.   These are facts.   The haters scream that puberty blockers are unsafe and cause all the evils in life, but the truth is they have been used in some forms since the 1970s and fully accepted by the medical establishment in 1993.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers in 1993.   Nearly 30 years ago and that is after the studies were conducted.    

I will have a civil discussion with anyone on the subject of trans gender issues.  I will not tolerate slurs or repeated misrepresentations, myths, and lies.   Once a subject / issue has been addressed it is not to be repeatedly brought up days later.   It has been addressed and done.  I won’t allow disinformation and will call out fringe unscientific claims of studies or unfounded fake medical claims.  I am about truth and science, the real verifiable data with peer reviewed studies, which so far have all confirmed that gender and biological sex is a spectrum, and that trans gender best practice treatment is the affirmative transition treatment given today.   Hugs  

Juno Dawson, Joanne Harris and Hannah Graf MBE at the PinkNews Awards 2022. (PinkNews Awards 2022)

Trans icons Hannah Graf MBE and Juno Dawson have slammed well-known public figures and for stoking “uninformed and divisive” views against the trans community. 

The pair spoke at the PinkNews Awards 2022, supported by joint headline sponsors Lloyds Banking Group and United Airlines, where they presented the Ally of the Year award to Chocolat author Joanne Harris.

In her speech Graf, a former officer of the British Army, detailed how “vital allies are” and shared how she had felt “isolation and fear” while growing up.

 

“On a positive note younger trans people, particularly today, we have more role models, more support networks, more understanding of who they are than ever before.

“That support is from parents, friends, organisations like Mermaids, they now have somewhere to turn to and feel that little bit less alone.”

But despite the increased support available, Graf highlighted that “trans young folk remain under attack”. 

“They are bullied at school by their peers, sometimes even their teachers,” she said. 

She added that trans children’s families are often attacked for supporting them and the media “continues to debate their very existence”.

“This becomes truly dangerous when it then gets involved with public figures with huge social media followings, most of whom have never talked to a trans child or their terrified parents.”

She said these figures spout “uninformed and divisive” views, and added: “The mainstream media would have us believe these are innocent concerns vocalised for the good of society, but freedom of speech should not be freedom from consequence. 

“For example, the sustained and utterly inexplicable Twitter campaign from a certain author – she who who must not be named – against trans youth charity Mermaids of which I’m a proud patron.”

Graf said the impact of the author’s Twitter campaign has been “truly devastating” and led to the abuse of the charity’s volunteers.

 

She recalled terrible names the team have been called and said “multiple death threats have been made specially at individuals”, with people’s and addresses and phone numbers also being shared online. 

“This is to a charity that has been largely run by mothers, fathers, volunteers, all of who are now afraid for their own safety and the safety of their children.

“I’m sorry, but If your words incite these behaviors then you are accountable,” Graf added.

Bestselling author Dawson noted the mainstream media “like to create a myth that there is some great ideological divide between cisgender women and trans women”. 

She explained that the first people she came out to were all cisgender women and highlighted how if they speak up for their trans brothers and sisters they are “shut down and locked out”.

The duo then presented the Ally of the Year award which went to Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat, who said it was “so wonderful” to finally have a “supportive, wonderful, fabulous community that I understand and that understands me”.

She said she didn’t feel she deserved the award as she “only tweeted” and said a few things, so she dedicated the award to her trans son, who came out in June. 

Harris was subjected to vicious online abuse this year due to her support for trans people, with one academic claiming people with trans children should be forced to “declare” their family relationships.

“I’m still coming to terms with what that means, but I’m so impressed by this young generation of people who are so incredibly articulate about their gender, their sexuality and their mental health.

“These magical children who don’t need a special hat to tell them who they are, but who have actually worked it out for themselves.”

‘I was a target’

In an interview at the PinkNews Awards 2022, Harris said she started talking about trans issues five years ago but didn’t realise there would be so much “push back”

When her son came out as trans Harris realised “not only was he a target, but so was I”.

“So I thought, damn it, I’m just going to come out and say things as they are. I think it’s important that people understand that this ridiculous media-driven culture war narrative, where the trans people are the enemy, is just so dangerous and so divisive and it absolutely needs to be combatted.”

Harris added there are so many powerful and influential people sharing the anti-trans narrative that it is time “that somebody else stood up and spoke the truth”.