Rory Finn

Inverness or Bust

Posted on 03/10/202104/10/2021 by Rory Finn

Rory Finn uncovers an untold tale of trans history

Inverness or Bust is an incredible story of friendship, allyship and Trans Pride set in the backdrop of 1970s Britain. Currently in production, this documentary feature film focuses on a historic road-trip that a group of transgender people took in 1975 to visit a sympathetic doctor in Inverness, Scotland.

At the time, the term ‘transgender’ hadn’t even been coined and trans people faced an incredible amount of stigma and discrimination. Getting medical treatment was very difficult, but a few trans people caught wind that a surgeon in Inverness was willing to talk to them about medical treatment. So they took to the road.

In this documentary, Carol, Nemo and Stephen, three of the original group, will be joined by filmmakers from My Genderation, a non-profit which produces films that celebrates trans lives and experiences. They will be hitting the road again, retracing the steps of the original journey and taking a trip down memory lane. Along the way they will meet up with young trans people across the UK. This will allow a crossgenerational conversation between trans people, while offering valuable insight into trans history and how things were, how things are now, and where we still need to go.

The film will expand upon what was going on in their lives when they were in their 20s and 30s. Cinematic dramatisations will bring this story to life. They plan to have trans actors re-enacting what the gang describes in their personal interviews. Three different versions of the truth will piece together the story, which includes love triangles, family dramas and strangers with eyes on stalks.

Being transgender in 1970s UK was incredibly difficult, and medical care was scarce or nonexistent. All of the contributors were pioneers in their own rights – whether that was fighting for themselves, starting up support groups advocating for better treatment and the legal rights of transgender people in the UK. These are the stories of survivors; people who lost their jobs, their friends, were disowned from their families, some also placed into mental asylums.

Preserving transgender history is more important now than ever as stories are rarely told and kept. This year marks 45 years since that faithful journey, and the original members of the group are mostly in their 70s and older, with some of them having already passed away. The filmmakers want to honour their memory and by taking the trip once again, allow different generations of transgender people to connect and share their stories.

Talking about the importance of this film, filmmaker Owl said: “A lot of our contributors were not able to be openly themselves or to have a voice to tell their stories back then and haven’t even still been able to – so we really want to elevate those voices and help them heal the past.”

But this journey comes at a cost. Through My Genderation’s crowdfunder they have been able to buy decent second-hand kit, but there is nothing left to pay any crew members.

Filmmaker Fox Fisher acknowledges that, while “I’m used to working for free, it isn’t sustainable and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to”, they continue to fundraise to meet the costs of the project and are currently a quarter of the way towards their target of £50,000. The money raised will all be used for production costs for the film and will be vital in ensuring they can carry out the project.

Filming has already begun. “We filmed with Carol a few weeks ago,” says Fox, “We are still learning so much, even after nine years of filmmaking.

“A lot of our contributors were not able to be openly themselves or to have a voice to tell their stories back then and haven’t even still been able to – so we really want to elevate those voices and help them heal the past”

“Unfortunately, all the funding we took time to apply for hasn’t been successful. It’s immensely frustrating as trans filmmakers to not have the support in telling trans stories. Our trans history is so important and without documenting it we risk losing these stories forever.”

Fox says that there is potential support from a car manufacturer, who has offered use of a vehicle to support the road trip. They have also been writing a fictional version as a series, which has already had interest from a pop star who may invest in the project.

“We plan to make the documentary first, which will help spark interest and more support for the fictional series. We ask that anyone who might be able to help to get in touch, so we can do this story justice.”

By doing dramatisations and taking the same journey up to Inverness, they hope it will be an engaging and insightful documentary. “With your help we will be able to make it happen,” says Fox, “and you’ll play a part in telling a story that might otherwise be forgotten.”

more info

To donate to the project: www.gofundme.com/f/invernessorbust

@mygenderation

Trans Pride – The Sofa Years

Posted on 16/07/202116/07/2021 by Rory Finn

Trans Pride Brighton & Hove takes place online again this year with the annual celebration of trans life and the coming together of community live streamed on Saturday, July 17. Rory Finn rounds up what to expect.

Starting from 12pm, the line-up for the event will include speakers and performers who will be joined by a small TV studio audience. This year they will be using Ironworks Studio, a local professional TV studio, and their broadcasting expertise. Combining live performances with pre-recorded ones, with some of it being filmed at Green Door Store or recorded elsewhere. As with previous years you can expect to see an eclectic mix of music, spoken word and poetry and artists, all from the trans community. There will also be workshops with topics including workers’ rights and unionisation, sports and fitness, and wellbeing.

Trans Pride seeks to show the trans community in all its joyous glory – trans people as artists, musicians, writers, performers, as well as trans people as everyday people just getting on with their lives. Just existing as ourselves is a source of Pride and being able to celebrate our lives is part of the journey towards full liberation.

To raise money to run the event, Trans Pride is selling souvenir T-shirts to commemorate the Sofa Years. These limited-edition hand-printed T-shirts will show your support for trans, non-binary and intersex communities and can be purchased from www.transpridebrighton.org/.

Talking about the success of last year’s event, Sarah Savage, chair of Trans Pride, said that between 15-20,000 viewers tuned into the live stream on Twitch and the YouTube channel had over 1,000 concurrent viewers. The comments section was buzzing with activity and really brought people together, “people were in the chat talking about how amazing it was and how much they were enjoying it”. Some even went on to set up Discord server chats and exchange contact details in a similar way they would have done at the in-person park event.

Trans Pride, a registered charity, has received funding from Comic Relief’s LGBTQ+ Covid-19 Recovery Fund, in partnership with METRO Charity and NAZ, to continue its work. They’ve recently taken on new trustees and with the help of funding have for the first time created two temporary paid roles of project manager and community manager, which will support the overall aims of the organisation.

More info:

The line-up

• Evoking the 80s discotheque, solo artist Husk will be serving gay disco synth pop.

• Esme, a harpist from Brighton, will transport you away to another place with songs that touch on themes of identity, gender and attachment.

• Storyteller Amy Sutton will be retelling myths and fairy tales that celebrate non-binary characters.

• Indie folk from Colours and Fires, a group that spans the gender spectrum. Their songs give insight to personal transformations across genders and relationships.

• Non-binary sea creature The Mollusc Dimension is an East-Asian British artisit who invites you to draw while he brings you magical songs.

• Country folks singer song writer Wild B will be performing original songs.

• Animal handling session with River Lismer.

• Bouncy guitar based music with quirky lyrics by folk-punk band The Spirits.

• Poetry by Kat Kai Kol-Kes.

• Local musician Michelle Steele.

Why Trans Pride?

Trans Pride Brighton & Hove 2021 occurs at a time of heightened visibility marred by divisive and damaging media coverage of the trans community.

We see trans people discriminated against in access to healthcare, employment, housing, sport, services, justice and facilities. Transgender children are vilified in the media, bullied at school, used as a political football and have their identities doubted.

We’ve seen a continuation of the divisive coverage of proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act, as well as hurtful and often dangerous coverage of transgender children, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Recently we’ve also seen attempts to restrict the right of transgender people to participate in sport, with decades-old legislation and sporting policy being attacked. Meanwhile, trans people struggle to access healthcare, with waiting lists for Gender Identity Clinics stretching to five or six years in some parts of the UK.

There has been a long-running debate in the media about the validity of trans people’s lives; Trans Pride is here to say that we are real, we are valid, we are talented and we can be loved.

We want to make a space for trans people to feel welcomed, loved and respected for who they are. We love Pride, but not all of our community feels as welcome at some events as they should, which is why we’re here. The trans community is small and it can be easy to lose sight of us at big events. At some events we’ve seen protests against trans rights, many of which are by people not even part of the LGBTQ+ community. We are pleased to note that we’ve had wonderful support from other parts of the community, and particularly from the successful #LwiththeT, #GwiththeT and #BwiththeT campaigns.

We hope that by taking this opportunity to celebrate our lives and our achievements with our friends, families and allies, we will be able to show off the amazing people we call our brothers, sisters and siblings.

More info: www.transpridebrighton.org/

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Elections: The LGBTQ+ Q&A

Posted on 05/05/2021 by Rory Finn

On May 6, Sussex will elect its Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), whose role is to hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of the police. They are also responsible for the local police budget and sets the precept, amount of Council Tax we contribute, to pay for policing. This election was due to take place last year but was postponed because of the pandemic. In the runup to the election Rory Finn asked all parties where they stand on LGBTQ+ issues. Liberal Democrat Jamie Bennett did not respond.

The last 12 months have been particularly challenging for minority communities which has at times been expressed through street protest. What is your view of the current proposals to curtail protest?

Katy Bourne (incumbent) – Conservative

Protests are an important part of our democracy. Under human rights law, we all have the right to gather and express our views but these rights are not absolute rights.

I absolutely support the right to protest. I don’t support the right to destroy property or intimidate local residents, or to bring normal business to a standstill.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative

I am opposed to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 which I consider to be a politically motivated attempt to stir up a culture war rather than a serious piece of evidence based legislation. I have been on hundreds of demonstrations over the years – against apartheid, austerity, cuts to the police, in support of the NHS, and outside the Department of Heath to support access to PrEP. I was on the anti-Section 28 demonstrations in London and Manchester during that campaign against the Tories’ attack on the LGBTQ-plus community. I wrote a piece here over a decade ago about it. The right to protest is sacrosanct. The proposed law is a mess and should be scrapped.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

As a mixed race woman, I have seen all too often how inequality in our criminal justice system affects people from minority communities. The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the Government’s attempts to silence dissent using the Police, Sentencing and Courts Bill is a disgrace and must be resisted. My focus would be on safely facilitating lawful protest and protecting public safety and human rights.

Roy Williams – Independent

I disagree totally. Protests generally can be seen as ‘petitioning the crown’. This is a constitutional right which is also supported by the right to free assembly and free speech. These are inalienable rights which means they cannot be interfered with by the state and they are in force in perpetuity (forever). These rights are enshrined in the Bill of Rights and The Coronation Oath Acts of 1688 and are current pieces of legislation and as constitutional law they are higher tier and have more authority than more recent statute such as the Coronavirus Act 2020.

The role of the police in any protests is to keeps the peace, not to break up peaceful assemblies and tell them to go home because of some perceived health risk. These rights were not ignored during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 so why does this government think it has the right to ignore them now? Actions that seek to restrict our constitutional rights are illegal and commitments and prosecutions against people for exercising these rights are illegal.

Do you think the right balance has been struck by Sussex Police in its response to Black Lives Matter, Reclaim the Streets and other such demonstrations?

Katy Bourne (incumbent) – Conservative

Given the difficult circumstances that many demonstrations pose for policing, I do think Sussex Police have worked hard to strike the right balance. Senior operational officers within Sussex Police are very experienced and will always reflect on what lessons can be taken away after each operation. It is also worth noting that the recent police watchdog HMICFRS’s detailed report into the policing of the Vigils, clearly showed that politicians and commentators had been far too quick to judge the police based on what others had already said and based on selectively edited video clips.

If re-elected as PCC, I will continue to scrutinise the Force and monitor their activity to ensure any response is fair, proportionate and within the law.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative

I think Sussex Police have done a much better job than the Met, but there is still room for improvement in relations between the police and campaigning groups.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

No. Whilst Sussex Police has not been the worst offender, vigils for Sarah Everard and protests by the Black Lives Matter movement, Extinction Rebellion and others challenging the status quo have ended with riot police dragging people away, while marches by far-right groups are handled with kid gloves. I’ve found this deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Everyone should be treated equally before the law, and an aggressive approach to peaceful protestors for equality, human rights and the planet, while not pursuing clear cases of hate crime, is not the policing that we need.

Roy Williams – Independent

We have seen officers in uniform taking the knee at BLM protests. It is not the place of police to take sides however strongly they may feel about the event being policed. We have also seen large police officers manhandling an elderly woman and a young girl for exercising their constitutional right to assemble on a Sunday morning in a park in Hastings only a few weeks ago. It gives the impression of two-tiered policing and a re-establishment of constitutional law would help address this and would also send a message to the sitting government that ‘we wunt be druv’, as the old Sussex saying goes.

That concludes our series of questions to candidates. Polling takes place throughout Sussex on May 6.

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Elections: The LGBTQ+ Q&A

Posted on 05/05/2021 by Rory Finn

On May 6, Sussex will elect its Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), whose role is to hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of the police. They are also responsible for the local police budget and sets the precept, amount of Council Tax we contribute, to pay for policing. This election was due to take place last year but was postponed because of the pandemic. In the runup to the election Rory Finn asked all parties where they stand on LGBTQ+ issues. Liberal Democrat Jamie Bennett did not respond.

Misogyny will be recorded as hate crime from the autumn, alongside the existing strands of race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and disability. Would treating such offences as hate go far enough or do you believe legislation to make specific offences must be passed by parliament first? If so, what would you like to see.

Katy Bourne (incumbent) – Conservative

I welcome the fact that Sussex Police is one of seven force areas which will be formally recording misogyny as a hate crime later this year. I have been keen to do this for some time.

I think we should test how this is being carried out by police and we should also ask victims about their experience of the reporting process and whether they feel any more confident or protected as a result.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative
We know from the pilot studies that recording misogyny as a hate crime is a major factor in women coming forward to make complaints to the police. 80% of women face harassment, but 96% don’t report it because they think the police won’t listen or act. Proper recording of hate crime is a start, but I would want to see how the new arrangements work, with a view to introducing more specific laws if that is shown to be more effective.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

I welcome the fact that misogyny will be treated as a hate crime, which has long been a Green Party manifesto pledge. Rather than introducing new legislation beyond that, I would prefer to see the police better trained to deal with offences that are already on the statute books, so that victims of domestic violence and misogynistic hate crimes do not suffer the further pain of seeing their attackers go unpunished.

Roy Williams – Independent

I am not a psychologist but I do not personally think that making misogyny a hate crime is a good idea. It seems to me to be a single dimensional approach. The reason I say this is because from what I have read, the misogynistic behaviour is usually a psychological issue rather than a true intention to hate someone just because they are female.

The irony is that many men who are misogynistic are that way because of the way they were treated by their mothers or some other significant female in their life. So it seems to be a cycle of behaviour and rather than the misogynist being criminalised. If a pattern of behaviour is identified in the workplace for example, then agreement should be sought for a course of treatment and if such agreement cannot obtained then their services may be dispensed with.

So it will be made clear to the person that the behaviour is unacceptable but there is also some acknowledgement that there may be a psychological issue. But of course, the big question arises, who pays for all of this? The government has however, in the short term given the police a quick fix to address the issue as hate crime.

What measures have you or intend to implement to combat misogyny in Sussex. Do you think they will help women feel safe in Sussex? What role does the Police have in this?

Katy Bourne – Conservative

I am on record as saying that we should consider greater protections from ‘public space harassment’ and I am very supportive of organisations and individuals who are calling out sexualised comments and intimidation.

Several European countries have already brought in very specific legislation to combat sexual harassment in public spaces. There is a degree of cross-party consensus in the UK that, despite the appearance of equal opportunities, we still have a cultural problem that allows the trivialisation of sexualised comments and unwanted attention.

Not all men harass women in public spaces and the vast majority of our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons want their female relations and friends to be able to walk the streets without fear or intimidation. Let’s work together to marginalise the offensive minority.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative

I’d start in the family, and at school, teaching boys about appropriate language and behaviour. I would make it clear to male teenagers what is acceptable in public spaces and online. The police have a role in enforcing the law and setting a good example. I have written before about spaces like Brighton seafront and beach, which is not a safe space for women or the LGBTQ+ community, and how we can tackle street harassment with more uniformed police patrols, more visible communications by the council, and use of Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders to prevent male perpetrators of hate speech and harassment from even being in the area.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

If elected, I would work with partners to:

Treat misogyny as a hate crime.
Invest in specialist officers and further training for all officers to deal with domestic violence and misogynistic hate crimes.
Put funding for Rape Crisis Centre services on a sustainable footing.
Support interventions with young men to tackle entrenched misogynistic attitudes; we need to move the focus onto challenging male violence, rather than telling women ‘not to provoke it’.

In addition, I will put in place measures to further support gender parity within the force itself. While it’s great that three of the very top ranks are held by women, there are twice as many men as women in the force as a whole, and at Inspector level men outnumber women by four to one.

Roy Williams – Independent

Firstly, I would need to see the data on this and how this behaviour expresses itself in society generally. I am a believer in treatment being made available as discussed above. It is a complex subject and needs careful handling rather than the routine criminalisation of people. I have concerns over the general availability of pornography on the internet for example, where any young man can access this stuff and more concerning than the nudity are the themes which suggests the normalisation of abnormal sexual relationships and objectify women.

Education and letting men know that certain behaviour is unacceptable and perhaps literature explaining the damage that pornography can cause to relationships and society in general and a general raising of awareness would I think go a long way. The raising of awareness of unacceptable behaviour by men would I think reassure women that at least the police are taking the issue seriously. I am of course also seeking to allow people who feel vulnerable to carry a noxious spray to protect themselves on the street. Police have a role but it should also be a wider community based responsibility.

Join us again tomorrow for answers to the questions: The last 12 months have been particularly challenging for minority communities which has at times been expressed through street protest. What is your view of the current proposals to curtail protest?

And

Do you think the right balance has been struck by Sussex Police in its response to Black Lives Matter, Reclaim the Streets and other such demonstrations?

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Elections: The LGBTQ+ Q&A

Posted on 02/05/2021 by Rory Finn

In light of the recent case of Sarah Everard, who was allegedly attacked by a serving police officer, do you think the police are best placed to protect women from violence?

Katy Bourne (incumbent) – Conservative

The entire police service has been sickened and shocked that a serving police officer is accused of the murder of a young woman who was just walking home. It is an unavoidable fact of life that even our most trusted public servants, be they doctors, nurses, police officers or soldiers, will sometimes commit crimes. The public’s reaction and the revulsion expressed by their professional peers when that trust is broken, shows how rare and unusual it is for those whose duty it is to protect us, to hurt us.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative

Protecting women from violence is about more than policing. It starts with boys and men: male attitudes, language, cultures and behaviours. It is about learnt behaviours and observed social norms, including in the media, and ultimately it is about dismantling patriarchy.

When it comes to policing I would recruit and promote more women, introduce robust training from the recruitment process onwards and throughout an officer’s professional development, and weed out male officers who perpetuated misogynistic behaviour or attitudes. I would smash ‘canteen culture’ where it exists, and disrupt male-only spaces like the golf course, pub and Lodge.

As the tragic case of Shana Grice, a Brighton woman murdered by her ex-boyfriend stalker, shows, women are often discounted or disbelieved when they complain about male threats to their safety. The Judge said, “the police jumped to conclusions and Shana was stereotyped”. The police must be trained to listen and act when women warn about threats, or complain about harassment or violence.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

Despite the hard work of many officers, policing is broken in Sussex, as in the rest of the country. Over 10 years of Tory leadership and austerity has left a system that is not working, and women are particularly at risk. Misogynistic hate crimes have risen sharply across the county in recent years, yet conviction rates remain shockingly low. Rape and domestic abuse have both been effectively decriminalised, and while Sussex Police recorded 2,020 stalking incidents in the year to March 2020, only 29 Stalking Protection Orders were issued during the whole of 2020.

Roy Williams – Independent

I think the idea that the police can protect women on the street is a myth. They simply do not have the resources to respond in a timely manner when attacks are reported, though they do have target response times for ’emergency graded calls’.

In this country we have a constitutional right to bear arms to protect ourselves. It is only because of government policy that routine possession of firearms for protection is not allowed. However, as a constitutionalist I would be seeking to allow women (or any other person who may feel vulnerable for that matter) to apply to carry a noxious spray for their own protection on the street and I would expect the attitude of police to be to open to allow such possession rather than to find reasons not to allow it.

There would need to be a screening process and so a history of mental illness or a conviction for a violent offence may bar a person from applying but I would also be advocating that people should be allowed to possess a firearm for protection within their own homes.

If you live in a big house in the country and you hear someone breaking in downstairs in the middle of the night, then it is my belief that you should absolutely be able to protect yourself and your family within your property. Similarly screening would take place but again applications would be allowed rather than disallowed. I am not suggesting that lethal weapons can be carried out on the street but within one’s own home for one’s own protection why not? And non-lethal sprays for vulnerable people on the street why not?

Join us again tomorrow for answers to the questions: Misogyny will be recorded as hate crime from the autumn, alongside the existing strands of race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender and disability. Would treating such offences as hate go far enough or do you believe legislation to make specific offences must be passed by parliament first? If so, what would you like to see.

And

What measures have you or intend to implement to combat misogyny in Sussex. Do you think they will help women feel safe in Sussex? What role does the Police have in this?

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Elections: The LGBTQ+ Q&A

Posted on 01/05/2021 by Rory Finn

On May 6, Sussex will elect its Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), whose role is to hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of the police. They are also responsible for the local police budget and sets the precept, amount of Council Tax we contribute, to pay for policing. This election was due to take place last year but was postponed because of the pandemic. In the run-up to the election Rory Finn asked all parties where they stand on LGBTQ+ issues. Liberal Democrat Jamie Bennett did not respond.

Trust and confidence with LGBTQ+ communities and the police is at times fragile and easily broken. This is especially the case with trans and non-binary people and LGBTQ+ people of colour. How will the Office of PCC help strengthen links between the two?

Katy Bourne (incumbent) – Conservative

I have absolute confidence in our Chief Constable Jo Shiner and her top team of mostly senior female officers to provide policing for Sussex residents that is rooted in public consent and delivered without fear or favour.

Sussex Police is consistently rated a top employer because of its commitment to diversity and, if re-elected, I fully intend to continue working with Sussex Police to maintain the very highest standards. There is the LGBTQ+ staff association which represents the needs and interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans employees and volunteers within Sussex Police. There is also the Proud Allies group of staff who are not LGBTQ+ themselves but want to show visible support to their colleagues who may be.

The Pride celebrations every August require months of planning and interaction with LGBTQ+ community representatives and it is a major highlight of the year for police to show just what an inclusive force it is.

It is true that, in order to police effectively and maintain public consent, all police forces must reflect the communities they serve. Sussex Police is no different and they are trying very hard to recruit from more diverse communities to increase participation and confidence. The most recent detective intake showed Sussex was well ahead of the national average for BAME applicants for example. If re-elected I will maintain this focus and drive for inclusivity and I will continue the two-way dialogue channels that my office has with all LGBTQ+ communities so they can help me develop their policing priorities and ensure they are properly reflected in the way they are policed.

Paul Richards – Labour & Co-operative

There has been a major improvement in relations since the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s when Sussex’s gay pubs and clubs were routinely raided and vandalised by police, and homophobia was rampant and went unpunished. There is still some way to go, however, and the relationship is as you say fragile. I would ensure as PCC I was an ally of the LGBTQ+ communities in Brighton and Sussex, working with the communities to reduce tensions and keep dialogue open, ensuring that complaints were dealt with fairly and swiftly, and building trust.

The current police and crime plan is remarkably light on detail for the LGBTQ+ communities. If elected I would have a dedicated part of the plan for LGBTQ+ dealing with funding, partnerships, access to justice, support for victims, and a LGBTQ-friendly police force.

Kahina Bouhassane – Green

I see many parallels in the relationships between the police and LGBTQ+ and other minority communities. As PCC, I would be committed to meeting with all communities who fall outside the demographic majority and bringing their voices into decision-making.

Roy Williams – Independent

When I was a serving Inspector in the Metropolitan Police, we had Brian Paddick as our borough commander. Brian was of course the highest ranking gay officer in the MPS at the time and he was careful to invite sections of the community that were often inaccessible to the police to his office to discuss matters and to gain a greater understanding of the underlying issues. He gave many people his personal contact number and encouraged them to call him when they felt he needed to know about something. I like this approach which I see as inclusive and caring. I would encourage the Chief Officer to establish personal relationships in a similar way and give these under-represented sections of the community a greater ear which in turn promotes trust, confidence and understanding. It is this element of inaccessibility with the police and the current PCC’s office that causes mistrust in my view.

Join us again tomorrow for answers to the question: ‘In light of the recent case of Sarah Everard, who was allegedly attacked by a serving police officer, do you think the police are best placed to protect women from violence?’

Trans Day of Visibility 2021

Posted on 31/03/202131/03/2021 by Rory Finn

Trans Day of Visibility is celebrated on March 31 every year. It may feel these days that trans people are everywhere. It’s true, we are. We always were. This year we will be officially counted in the census for the first time. For the past decade we’ve been relying on best guesses to figure out how many trans people are in the UK. In 2015, Brighton & Hove City Council estimated that there were 2,700 trans people living in the city, or about 1% of residents. Compare that to the Office for National Statistics claiming that only 2% of the population identify as lesbian, gay or bi. I invite you to draw your own conclusions.

“Visibility is vital to advancing our interests as trans people. We have a government which is openly hostile towards us and quite content in playing politics with our rights”

Regardless of numbers, trans rights are very much on the agenda, of both our allies and our foes alike. 2020 will go down in my books as not just the year of Covid but also the year when transphobia in the UK reached a new fever pitch. With front page stories on the likes of The Times declaring that the PM himself, no less, was planning to shelve plans that would allow trans people to amend their birth certificates. The Gender Recognition Act is a red herring of trans rights. The one-time radical bit of law has now faded into being behind the times and not fit for purpose. The consultation exercise for how best to amend this legislation has unleashed a toxic load of transphobic sludge from which endless smears and hate have arisen. Enter a certain influential children’s author who publicly trolls the trans community, regurgitating transphobic tropes, much to the disdain and horror of her previously adoring fans and the actors who brought her books to life. It’s one thing to have an opinion, no matter how misguided, but it’s quite another to use your influence and platform to promote hate. It really felt like it wasn’t just a virus that was out to get us.

Pic @richardjarmy – www.richardjarmy.co.uk

Thankfully all this has revealed true allyship from every corner of the LGBTQ+ community. It has been amazing to see the groundswell of support, online and in person. Even more importantly, seeing the community reacting so strongly when those transphobic voices come from within our own ranks and gay media. We must be vigilant about those who seek to divide us. It ultimately affects us all.

“The weight of poor representation is immense; trans people being framed as serial killers, unhinged villains and objects of disgust. It is no wonder cis people fear us. It is no wonder we struggle to come to terms with who we are”

I have the mixed blessing of being a ‘passing’ trans person. By this I mean people assume I’m cisgender (ie not trans) until they find out otherwise. It’s a blessing in that I gain some privilege by being perceived to be a cis man. I’m not questioned anymore about which toilet I use and rarely get misgendered (when I do, it’s because someone has the wrong end of the stick and thinks I’m a trans woman). Coming out regularly is exhausting and it doesn’t always get acknowledged. I had an encounter recently when I told someone, no fewer than three times, that I was trans yet they still didn’t comprehend that I wasn’t cis. I was trying to explain to them that I understood how to communicate with trans people better than they did.

Cisgender is the default assumption, so to lead an authentic, congruent life, I am open about my trans status. It informs how I navigate the world, the work I do and the perspectives I have. By being visible I am both more at risk of transphobia but paradoxically I am empowered. When I can choose when to disclose, I hold the power that comes with it. When I am outed, that is taken away from me.

“It may feel these days that trans people are everywhere. It’s true, we are. We always were”

Visibility is vital to advancing our interests as trans people. We still do not have any openly trans representation in Parliament. We have a government which is openly hostile towards us and quite content in playing politics with our rights. In late February the House of Lords debated removing rights from pregnant trans masculine people. A simple semantic shift from ‘person’ to ‘woman’ is all it takes. The usual form is for legislation to be written in gender-neutral language. The wilful ignorance of the Lords is staggering. Legally recognised men do get pregnant and have children. See Freddy McConnell, the subject of the documentary Seahorse, being denied the legal title of father to his child (the courts insist he is the mother), despite holding gender recognition and being regarded as male in every other aspect of his life.

This is a deliberate attack on us. Baroness Liz Barker advocated against the amendment, lamenting that trans people are under a “sustained unwarranted attack”. She went on to describe how hostile the media has been. The Times, she says, which is read by many in power, has “each of the last two years… had over 320 articles about trans issues. Almost all of them full of gross misrepresentations”. Representation matters and our visibility is power, no matter how much they try to erase us through other means.

So how can we unpack this narrative to see the woods from the trees? Disclosure (Netflix 2020) documents trans representation in cinema and TV since the early days of film. The weight of poor representation is immense; trans people being framed as serial killers, unhinged villains and objects of disgust. It is no wonder cis people fear us. It is no wonder we struggle to come to terms with who we are. No one wants to be Buffalo Bill.

Disclosure does an incredible thing. It helps trans people to understand why we might feel the way we do and educates everyone about the power of representation, good or bad. It also shows hope and proves the power of visibility. In 2014, Time put Laverne Cox on its cover, proclaiming the “transgender tipping point”. Since then, many doors have opened for trans storytellers and with it many people coming out. You can’t unsee the beauty and diversity of the trans community now. Perhaps that’s why they hate us. In spite of all the hate, our time has come for our stories to be told, by us and with love.

Reflections on Covid-19 Vaccines

Posted on 25/03/202125/03/2021 by Rory Finn

Rory Finn talks to Dr Sam Hall, a Brighton & Hove GP, for some clarification around the Covid-19 vaccines

When news first came out that a vaccine had been approved, I initially greeted it with scepticism. Not because I am an anti-vaxxer or believe that 5G has been the cause of the pandemic, but because throughout medical history, minority groups have been sidelined in research, often an afterthought or not included at all. Some have been subjected to unethical and immoral clinical trials – this has been especially prevalent with people of colour. Given the speed at which the vaccines have been developed, why should we so trust them, as queer people, especially for those of us who wear multiple minority identities or live with long-term health conditions?

I asked trusted GP and trans man Dr Sam Hall for his reflections on the state of play.

He pointed out we’ve seen examples of groups being left out of Covid research. There has been a failure to coherently include trans people in the data, and without including them explicitly no one will spot if there’s a difference. Research currently shows that men in the older cohort are more likely to die from Covid than women. Post-menopausal women are at a lower risk. There is no way of knowing how the length of transition will impact on an individual’s risk. Anyone who is pregnant will not be offered the vaccine as there is no data to show whether there is any impact on the pregnancy.

The good news is that people living with HIV have been included in the trials.

When it comes to the vaccine, the dose doesn’t vary according to age or any other demographic factor. This is reassuring to me, that we will all get the same medicine, regardless of who we are, our age, our ethnicity or gender.

“Why should we so trust [vaccines], as queer people, especially for those of us who wear multiple minority identities or live with long-term health conditions?”

Even though the health risks are unmeasured with trans people, there isn’t any legitimate reason why the vaccine might not work. Trust is a major issue here. The uptake among people of colour is low and isn’t easily addressed as the weight of colonialism and racism forms a significant barrier to trusting the medical establishment.

And on top of all this, we don’t have enough data to know about side effects properly. With so many unknowns, why should we take it? Sam was almost evangelical in his view about the good of the masses versus the good of the individual. A real desire for the love of humanity. “Make a choice to sacrifice yourself for the good of people who will die of this otherwise, whether you know them or not”.

Inequality is a huge risk for coronavirus to kill you. We don’t have the stats on LGBTQ+ people yet, but if you were to pull the data apart you might find LGBTQ+ people are more likely to die. We know that BAME groups are significantly impacted by it and how systemic inequality has contributed to that. We need to save our community from decimation.

The vaccine is a good thing but it’s not the way out. It will dampen the impact of the pandemic, but ultimately if we want this to end we must all continue to dig in and keep going with the measures that are designed to slow the pace of transmission. We’re not much more evolved than the last time a pandemic ripped across the world.

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) with the British HIV Associate (BHIVA) updated its guidance for people living with HIV after it emerged that “the patient information leaflet for the Pfizer vaccine uses HIV as a specific example of a weakened immune system, which is listed under the warnings and precautions of taking the vaccine. The leaflet advises those affected to contact their doctor, nurse or pharmacist before vaccination”. BHIVA has challenged this reference with Pfizer.

Writing on a Facebook post from January 13, THT says the advice is not based on safety concerns. “There is no current evidence suggesting that people living with HIV experience more side effects from the vaccines. This guidance exists as there is limited research information about people with immune deficiency/or HIV taking the vaccine.

“Covid-19 vaccines are expected to be protective in people with HIV and we strongly recommend anyone who is offered the vaccine to accept it. Everyone with HIV is automatically in priority group six so you will get the vaccine earlier than many people. If your clinic thinks you are at higher risk you can be put into priority group four and get the vaccine sooner.”

To see the THT guidance, CLICK HERE.

For more info, contact THT Direct on 0808 802 1221.

How will people know when they will receive the jab?
You’ll get a phone call from your GP. People will get it when it is their turn. Make sure you are registered with a GP. If you are not, you may miss out.

I’ve already had Covid – do I need the vaccine?
If you’ve already had Covid, you don’t have ongoing antibodies. It’s not like chicken pox or measles. The antibodies die off too quickly. There is nothing to stop you getting it again.

How long will the vaccine last for?
We don’t know how effective the vaccine is long term. It will not end the pandemic. The virus is mutating. Vaccines will have to change every season and you will probably have to take the vaccine more than once.

Join Scene magazine on the 26th March for our free LGBTQ Vaccine Q&A webinar when you have an opportunity to ask the Director of Public Health and two health professionals involved with the vaccine rollout any questions you might have. Use this link to join in on Friday 26th. Pop the date in your diary!

Happy Trans Pride, wherever you are in the world.

Posted on 18/07/2020 by Rory Finn

Today is Trans Pride Brighton. Like many other Prides, Trans Pride has had to abandon a physical protest march and celebration due to Covid-19. We’ve experienced profound loss over the past few months and now we also lose the ability to come together in a physical way to show our strength as a community, to demand respect, protection and dignity in our trans lives.

Our message must be heard loud and clear: trans rights are human rights. We affirm that trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary identities are valid.

Those of us who can continue to be visible in our own ways. We shall wave our flag from the tallest buildings. Jesse, a trans woman from Brighton who has been to Trans Pride for the past couple of years, says she will miss being out in the park with everyone this weekend. She said: “Trans Pride is a big deal. You’re out and you’re trans and proud.

“This year I will be watching virtual Trans Pride at home in front of a TV screen. Waving the flag gives me that yearly validity. It’s nice to do something, however small, to celebrate Trans Pride.”

Many will miss the magic of meeting other trans people, some for the first time, coming together as a critical mass, no longer being the only trans person in the ‘room’. Nothing can quite replace that feeling of not being alone, of meeting your kin, cut from the same cloth. When we take over the streets and the park we don’t have to explain ourselves.

For many too, coming to Trans Pride is the first time they are ‘out’ in public. It is an incredibly uplifting and empowering experience.

The trans community is resilient. We organise online, share information over message boards and can explore our identities in the cyber realm. In the past few years we’ve increasingly stepped out of the shadows and let the people of Brighton & Hove hear our roar! So today will be a bit different, but we have not disappeared. Now more than ever we celebrate how far we have come and we fight the good fight against those who would have us banished from public life.

Our visibility can make us vulnerable but it also gives us strength.

Happy Trans Pride, wherever you are in the world.

Don’t forget, you can join the Trans Pride Brighton & Hove 2020 livestream on three different platforms.

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Sculpture of Alan Turing ‘would result in harm’ says Historic England

Posted on 05/05/2020 by Rory Finn

A sculpture of Alan Turing, designed by Sir Antony Gormley, has run into opposition with Historic England.

The organisation believes that erecting the sculpture in the grounds of Kings College Cambridge would impact on the “special character” of the grounds.

The statue was planned to honour Cambridge alumni and national hero Alan Turing, the genius behind the codebreakers at Bletchley Park and credited with bringing forward the end of Word War Two by designing a machine that could decode enemy dispatches.

Historic England is responsible for protecting England’s buildings and monuments. Its objections were that the 12ft high sculpture ‘would result in harm, of a less than substantial nature, to the significance of the listed buildings and landscape, and by extension the conservation area’. It argued that the abstract work of 19 steel slabs wouldn’t fit in.

However it did consider there to be benefit to the public. Claire Campbell, from Historic England, said: ‘We recognise that the proposal would deliver some enhancement to the significance of the King’s College through the introduction of a sculpture by a renowned contemporary sculptor and the visible commemoration of Turing.’

She went on to say: ‘However, we consider the introduction of an eye catching sculpture in a prominent position within the landscape at King’s would be at odds with the existing character of the College.

King’s College has been planning a Turing sculpture for a while but now must wait to see if planning permission will be granted despite Historic England’s concerns.

Sir Antony Gormley was commissioned by King’s College to make the piece.

He said: ‘I am in debt to King’s College and its committee for giving me an extraordinary opportunity to think about this very particular person who unlocked the door between the industrial and the information ages.

‘In honouring Alan Turing and reflecting on his remarkable contribution to the way we live now I do not want to make a statue but the very best sculpture that I can make.’

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Trans Day of Visibility 2021

“Visibility is vital to advancing our interests as trans people. We have a government which is openly hostile towards us and quite content in playing politics with our rights”

“The weight of poor representation is immense; trans people being framed as serial killers, unhinged villains and objects of disgust. It is no wonder cis people fear us. It is no wonder we struggle to come to terms with who we are”

“It may feel these days that trans people are everywhere. It’s true, we are. We always were”

Reflections on Covid-19 Vaccines

Happy Trans Pride, wherever you are in the world.

Sculpture of Alan Turing ‘would result in harm’ says Historic England

A sculpture of Alan Turing, designed by Sir Antony Gormley, has run into opposition with Historic England.

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“Visibility is vital to advancing our interests as trans people. We have a government which is openly hostile towards us and quite content in playing politics with our rights”

“The weight of poor representation is immense; trans people being framed as serial killers, unhinged villains and objects of disgust. It is no wonder cis people fear us. It is no wonder we struggle to come to terms with who we are”

“It may feel these days that trans people are everywhere. It’s true, we are. We always were”

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A sculpture of Alan Turing, designed by Sir Antony Gormley, has run into opposition with Historic England.

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