The reality of transgender prisoners
Nicola Sturgeon would do well to read Amanda Benson’s account of her time with two transgender inmates in a women’s prison.
While the First Minister’s plans to reform gender recognition may come from a good place, the ramif ications of such a change in the law are clear to see when reading Amanda’s story.
She has given a first-hand account of what it’s like being in a confined place with malebodied people, detailing exactly how afraid she and fellow women were while in jail.
One of the fellow prisoners she was forced to take showers close to, protected only by a curtain, was someone convicted of murder whi le another fellow inmate was a domestic abuser.
Amanda was so scared of being attacked or raped, she said she felt compelled to get a contraceptive device medically fitted in case she became pregnant behind bars. This was the only thing she could think to do to give herself any sort of protection.
The mum-of-four has accused Sturgeon of serving women up to predators on a “rainbow platter”, and sacrificing their rights and safety for her political ideology.
She felt that her safety, and that of the 40 other women accommodated with her, was being compromised. Shockingly these women were threatened with discipline if they did not use the female names for their two male-bodied inmates.
Amanda’s strength of feeling about the issue is clear to see and reflects warnings that have been coming for years about these Scottish Government reforms and the wider impact they could have,
Nobody is saying that transgender people should have to suffer and struggle to be identified as who they truly are. They should be supported and helped as much as possible.
But sadly there will be bad-faith actors who seek to exploit this legislation for their own gain and put women at risk in the process. This is where Sturgeon has to admit she has dropped the ball.
The law does not match the reality and must be amended to protect everyone’s welfare.