Transgender community hits out at AM’s remarks
A LEADING member of Wales’ transgender community, together with doctors who specialise in transgender issues, has offered to “educate” Ukip AM Gareth Bennett following controversial remarks he made in the Senedd last week.
Mr Bennett caused uproar when speaking about a UK Government proposal that could allow people to identify themselves officially as of one gender when physically they are of another.
He told AMs: “There is only so much deviation from the norm that any society can take before that society completely implodes. If we carry on down this road of appeasing the nuttiest elements of the transgender movement, then what we will face as a society, within a very short space of time, is total implosion.”
Mr Bennett also suggested that women would be upset by transgender people using female toilets and that male prisoners could demand to be transferred to women’s jails.
Presiding Officer Elin Jones has banned Mr Bennett from speaking in the Senedd in 2018 unless he apologises for his “hateful” comments.
Jenny-Anne Bishop, 72, is a leading member of Wales’ transgender community who began life as a man called Paul, but from a very early age had a female sense of herself.
A retired scientist who lives in Rhyl, she said: “From his comments it’s clear that Gareth Bennett is not wellinformed about transgender issues. I think he would benefit from some education on the subject, which together with colleagues I would be very happy to help him with.
“Many people mix up gender identity with sexuality, but they are very different things.
“It’s to the credit of the Welsh Government and NHS Wales that they are now taking the needs of transgender people seriously. Being trans is not a lifestyle choice: it’s a question of identity.
“There is research evidence which demonstrates how being transgender can relate to the physical make-up of individuals.”
Ms Bishop said one estimate suggested there were around 36,000 trans people in Wales, while there were also grounds to believe the proportion could be as high as 3-5% of the population as a whole.
“We may be a minority, but we’re a significant minority whose needs deserve to be catered for. There is widespread ignorance about transgender issues, even within the medical profession, and it’s good there is now an initiative to educate GPs about the issues.
“It is absolute nonsense to suggest that male prisoners would pretend to be female in order to get access to a female prison. Someone would have to pretend for years, and there is no recorded instance of a criminal engaging in such a ruse. Equally there is no evidence that problems have occurred as a result of people using their toilets of gender choice.”
Dr Sophie Quinney of the campaign group GP Survival wrote to Mr Bennett inviting him to an “education and awareness meeting” provided by doctors and members of the trans community. She stated: “I am not at liberty to know if you have transgender friends, colleagues or family members, but would venture to suggest that you probably understand very little about this group. If you had some insight, perhaps then you might be persuaded to accept that your views... were ill-conceived.”
Responding to Dr Quinney, Mr Bennett rejected the offer of an education session, stating: “I recognise that there will be differing opinions on this matter. I don’t, however, consider that the particular points I raised are misinformed and therefore whilst I am grateful for the offer of a meeting, I’m not in a position to take it up.”