It's All About Trans Rights
21st - 27th April 2025
Hey dolls,
This week I’m laying down the law a little and taking no prisoners as I explain why we should care about trans people and their right to exist. This isn’t ‘woke nonsense’, it’s humanity defining stuff.
To break from the intense, I go on to talk about Christian Bale’s accent catalog, a crush I have on a bald man, and a new album from one of my all time favourite bands.
Happy reading!
Now That I Think About It
Trans rights are the canary in the coal mine of human rights issues. Trans people have always been the main players in liberation movements throughout history because their freedom of expression calls for the dissolving of societal rules and expectations. How they are consequently treated gives an indication as to how likely a country or society is to respect freedom of expression or cling tightly to the status quo.
The recent UK Supreme Court ruling showed which way Britain is heading and spoiler alert - it’s not good. It has ruled that in a legal capacity women will now be defined through biological means. This ruling was seen by many as a win for ‘common sense’ but the reality is it is both unscientific and, perhaps more worringly, undemocratic.
People have tried to define a woman biologically since the dawn of time, yet not even science can decide on a definitive definition. Intersex people exist and someone can be born without (or have removed) a womb, vagina, or breasts and still be recognised as a woman by their peers. In reality ‘being a woman’ day to day is more about adhering to the rules of gender - the generalised understanding of how a woman is supposed to look and behave. Yet even then, there is no set criteria that is inherent to every woman, and defines women across the board, as we are all different.
This is essentially the argument of the trans movement - neither a man or woman can be defined biologically or through gender, so why not explore who you are for yourself?
That’s the unscientific (and unsociological) part covered. Now, for the undemocratic.
The Supreme Court didn’t consider any of the above because they chose not to hear from any trans organisations and excluded submissions from trans people. This lack of fairness is what the Good Law Project (a non-profit dedicated to legal accountability in government organisations) called ‘a low in British legal history’. Not to mention the large amount of external funding that went into the proceedings from celebrity influences.
This is bad news for all of us. If one of our major legal institutions can be bought, manipulated, and influenced into ignoring science and the opinions of marginalised groups, then we are in hot water. What happens the next time a group of people ask for representation? Will our legal institutions go through the proper processes? Or will someone with a lot of money (and not much inclination for entertaining the full argument) come in and pay for their opinion to be enacted into law?
Whether you agree that trans people have a right to exist, you should recognise that they are often the first people to ask for freedom and the first to be denied it.
Meaning that it’s them first, but it will be you next.
Extra Resources
I want to use this platform to represent arguments that are, in general, not included or discussed fairly in mainstream media. There is much more about trans rights that is important to understand so I’ve included some links below in response to regular questions and comments about trans people.
‘What about trans people in sports?’
It’s an ongoing discussion. Do trans women have an unfair advantage even with hormone blockers changing their physiology (testosterone levels)? Are there life long advantages to being born a man? - Women is Sport article.
Instead of a blanket ban on trans people competing - could we instead create new catagories in sports to foster inclusion? - YouTube video discussing catagorisation.
‘What about protecting women?’
Women are disproportionately attacked, k*lled, and r*ped by men (Stats from Rape Crisis). It is for this reason we require women’s spaces. This ruling does nothing to address that. Statstically very little crime is committed by trans people (Stats from Translucent.org.uk).
‘I just think it’s unnatural.’
Trans people have always existed (eg. aboriginal / native populations pre-coloionalism) / the history of fashion using gender is a means of control - Instagram reel
‘I don’t want them anywhere near my kids’
Children are sexualised from an early age in mainstream culture - Harvard.edu article. Drag readings give kids the ability to experience a broad range of creative expression - BBC news article
(Final comment: please remember that anti-trans rhetoric is a smoke screen to encourage infighting and distract you from bigger things going on. Look out for each other 🧡)
Art Corner
‘donoti spoileri movi’ - Julius Caesar
📽️ Ford Vs Ferrari (2019, James Mangold) ☆☆☆☆
Everyone needs to experience Christian Bale doing a northern English accent. Turns out his real accent is more or less cockney anyway, which blew my mind. I also didn’t know Le Mans was a 24 hr race. I’m just a girl 🤷♀️
📺 White Lotus Season 3 (2021 - present, Mike White) ☆☆☆
Help I have succumbed to the bald head of Walton Goggins :( (The last episode of every season of this show gives some of the most thrilling TV to date.)
🎵 SABLE, fABLE - Bon Iver (2025, Jagjaguwar) ☆☆☆
As someone who uses a sad Bon Iver song as an intravenous yearning drip it was jarring to see so much light and joy in this album. However, after a few listens the up beat, sunshiney vibes give way to some genuine bangers. Faves are Walk Home, From, and THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS.
Weekly Stats
£8.25 for supermarket sushi?! : 1
Times I went on a long pilgrimage for a sweet treat: 4
‘I am the sexiest person in the airport’: 2
Litres of oat milk consumed: 5
Plants watered: 10
Boiled eggs rolled: 20
Next week on the rickleverse
I’ll tell you about an epic tandem read I’ve just finished, some advice I gave to my teenage self, and my trip to Shiz university.
See you then.
Love,
Rachael
