Trustees at the Clare Project in Brighton and Hove have issued a public statement regarding the proposed Women’s Place UK event taking place in the city this evening, (July 16 2018).
“Whilst we support the right to freedom of speech, we wish to make clear that events such as these create the climate for misinformation, fear and division. Ultimately such events create the conditions for exclusion and hatred of Trans people, especially Trans women. We further feel that such events aim to “debate” the existence of Trans women thereby dehumanising members of our community and their rights to peace and freedom.
“This is particularly important given the recent events at London Pride and Brighton & Hove’s forthcoming Trans Pride celebrations. This timing is not coincidental and our key community events and identity as an LGBT+ positive city are being undermined.
The Government’s consultation on the Gender Recognition Act makes clear this is not a debate about the existence of Trans people and that Trans people are members of our society who should be afforded the same rights as others. To use this positive and overdue development as a platform for generating hatred is therefore even more upsetting.
We therefore call upon our LGBT+ allies and organisations, alongside women’s organisations in Brighton & Hove, to reject the exclusionary views that this event will promote.”
The Clare Project is a Brighton based transgender support and social group offering a weekly drop in service and providing mental health and wellbeing support for people who are struggling or questioning their gender identity.
Tonights Women’s Place UK meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the Friends Meeting House in Meeting House Lane in Brighton. However, after consulting with local groups and organisations last week, Brighton Quakers suspended the invitation to Women’s Place UK to use the venue.
To read the Brighton Quakers statement, click here:
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