Police commissioner sparks trans women access debate
LEICESTERSHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has sparked debate on Twitter with a post about trans women’s rights to access female spaces.
Rupert Matthews tweeted in support of his Surrey counterpart, Lisa Townsend.
He wrote: “I couldn’t agree more with my PCC colleague from Surrey @_Lisa_townsend. We must support everyone in an appropriate way but we cannot allow a ‘one size fits all’ approach to gender identity that could put women and girls at risk.”
Mr Matthews tweet has divided social media users.
One person, who identified as transgender, said: “So now as a trans woman I am being abused by the police commissioner who [here] advocates my segregation from safe spaces. What next: are they going to round us for camps?”
One user wrote: “Thank you for voicing this. Women are being threatened and dehumanised for raising safeguarding issues. This is serious, and it has to stop. Very frightening indeed.”
Another said: “Thank you so much for saying this. A lot of women I know have been feeling silenced and disregarded for years – I’m so relieved to see people speaking up for the safeguarding of women & children.“
Ms Townsend recently called for Surrey police to halt their employment of Stonewall, a charity often employed by organisations to give advice on trans equality.
The Daily Mail reported that she felt Stonewall’s position on allowing trans females to access female only spaces, include prisons, changing rooms and toilets, put women and girls at risk.
She told the Mail on Sunday: “Stonewall, which has drifted so far from its original mission is now a threat to women and risks putting feminism back 50 years.
“Police forces, in an attempt to correct many of the wrongs committed against minorities in the past, are being naive if they believe that Stonewall are anything but a well-funded lobby group for a dangerous ideology that threatens the safety of our women and girls.”
Mr Matthews said: “As my tweet made clear I feel that we must support everyone in an appropriate way, but I don’t want to see women and girls put at risk. I’m pleased to see that the majority of comments concur with my view.”