LGBT History Month: "We're all the same at the end of the day"
We speak to Juliet Williams from Not Alone Plymouth about the struggles facing the transgender community
Last updated 16th Feb 2021
"We need to worry less about the things that make us different and focus on the things that unite us all."
That’s the message from Juliet Williams – a transgender woman from Cornwall.
As part of this LGBT History Month she tells Greatest Hits Radio about how we can open up the conversation around the transgender community; as well as the struggles they continue to face:
"LGBT history month is a chance for us to look back at those who came before us and all the struggles they went through.
"A lot of our history has been suppressed over the years, in particular with cases such as Section 28 that was abolished, which is why we mark it in this month.
"There’s been a lot of people who have been criminalised and persecuted for either their sexual orientation or their gender identity. It also helps guide us with where we’re going in the future.
"Currently there still over 70 countries which still criminalise homosexuality and in 2020 over 350 trans people were murdered."
According to research from Stonewall, one in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months – the same goes for two in five trans people.
Four in five anti-LGBT hate crimes and incidents go unreported, with younger LGBT people particularly reluctant to go to the police.
Juliet says it’s "frustrating":
"First and foremost, trans people are people and I think people need to remember that.
"Pretty much everything I see in my day-to-day life is mostly that trans women are not women and trans men are not men.
"It’s frustrating because we wouldn’t be going through this if we weren’t sure that this is who we are.
"The equality act was passed in 2010 - more than a decade ago now - and there’s no statistics out there at all that help support how they paint us. Whereas on the flip side, we can see hate crimes are rising in this country and I think over the last five years the rates have more than quadrupled against LGBT people."
Juliet also works as the Outreach and Communications Officer for Not Alone Plymouth, who provide support and advice for transgender and non-binary people.
They host a support group meeting every Tuesday evening and have moved online due to lockdown.
Not Alone Plymouth can also act as a third party reporter for hate crimes.
"People who are struggling with their identity and are struggling with other people struggling with their identity can come to us; and we can help support them the best we can."
"Trans representation is definitely growing and going in the right way, but we need to see more representation in general, rather than focusing on some of the more aspects of being trans which seem to get brought up over and over.
"Just seeing us living our lives and rather than having a character who’s trans and going through something, rather having a character that just happens to be trans and their story is their story."
This LGBT History Month, Juliet says "ally ship is very important":
"If you see something or hear someone saying something negative which you know isn’t right and you know they’re off base, then people need to feel free to speak up and say, ‘actually no, that’s not the case’ and help voice their support.
"I think a lot of the problem is not seeing trans women as women. They perceive these people coming into their spaces and they see them as men, and they worry about what’s between their legs more than who they are.
"We’re all the same at the end of the day, we’re all people; and that’s the crucial thing."
To find out more about Not Alone Plymouth, visit their website or email them on contact@notaloneplymouth.co.uk.
What is Section 28?
Section 28 originated in the transition in British society from homosexuality being illegal to legal but still discriminated against, following debate in the 1950s and the 1967 decriminalisation of gay sex for those over the age of 21 in the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
The amendment was enacted on 24 May 1988, and stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".
It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, and on 18 November 2003 in England and Wales by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.
The law's existence caused many groups to close or limit their activities or self-censor. For example, a number of lesbian, gay and bisexual student support groups in schools and colleges across Britain were closed owing to fears by council legal staff that they could breach the act.
What is the Equality Act 2010?
The Equality Act 2010 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed during the Brown ministry with the primary purpose of consolidating, updating and supplementing the numerous prior Acts and Regulations, that formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in mostly England, Scotland and Wales and some sections also apply to Northern Ireland.
These consisted, primarily, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age.
The Act protects people against discrimination, harassment or victimisation in employment, and as users of private and public services based on nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.