Changing Times (Pink Paper)
Changing TimesWhat are the social and political issues affecting the transgender community? Tristan Donovan asked prominent activist Christine Burns, Vice President of Press for Change.
When the Home Office published its in-depth review of the laws affecting trans-people in the UK earlier this year, it came to the conclusion that removing the pitfalls affecting transpeople could not be carried out as a half-measure. For Christine Burns, Vice President of trans rights organisation, Press for Change (PFC), the Home Office report has reshaped the direction of her work. “The report has radically altered the approach required by PFC capaigners,” explained Burns, “No longer do we have to struggle to make our case. Our problems are now acknowledged and comprehensively documented in the Government’s own analysis of the status quo and the options for how to proceed.” The Human Rights Act has also changed the state of play for PFC. “It’s now easier for trans people to step up our tactic of using law to expose absurd contradictions in our lives in order to foster change,” she added. “For example, on the first day of the new act, the female partner of a trans-man was in court arguing for the right to benefit from his NHS pension, which was denied because the law treats them as two women who can’t be married, and as we speak a trans woman is in court petitioning to find out if her marraige of some twenty years is valid or not.” Burns is quietly confident that with the ever growing stream of trans-people heading for court, that change is on its way. “The question of legal recognition is becoming a matter of when and how, rather than if. However, while the full legal recognition of gender identity of transpeople is a PFC cornerstone, Burns admits this is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to achieving real equality for transgendered persons. “As Krystyna Haywood’s case illustrates, our work is not just about legal recognition and its consequences. Rights for post-operative people are not much help if you can’t get treated for ten years,” notes Burns. “Twenty years after the sex discrimination act, women are still paid less than men, the Raqce Relations Act didn’t end race hatred. The law doesn’t change attitudes, it just points the way and provides the tools.” Burns is keen that the trans and gay, lesbian and bisexual communities can forge closer ties. “Yes, we have different needs and agendas, but the world sees us as one thing, queer.” She said. “Gay folks get attacked for the perceived gender non-conformity. Trans-people are assumed to be gay, but some are also and some aren’t. We can marry same-sex partners, not trans-folks can’t. Sometimes, our agendas coincide, other times they complement one another. But what we must never allow them to do is conflict. working together, we can show the law is an ass and use each other’s successes to build our own. For if we can’t live with each other, how can we ask others to live with us?
Written by Tristan Donovan Copyright © Pink Paper 2000 |
