Trans rights campaigners say 'Man Friday' Hampstead Heath protest was 'transphobic'

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A demonstration where women dressed up as men to protest against proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act was “transphobic”, campaigners have claimed. 

Around 20 members of the Man Friday group took to the male-only bathing pool on Hampstead Heath. One woman donned a bushy beard while another swam in a lime mankini to demonstrate that they identified as men

However, equality campaigners claimed the protest “demeaned trans people".Susie Green, the chief executive of Mermaids, which campaigns for trans equality, said: “Our organisation finds this kind of demonstration worrying as it targets a marginalised and discriminated group of people. "It makes fun of those less fortunate as the people taking part are clearly not trans and will not be affected by any changes to the law.

 

“It’s clearly transphobic - they’re mocking trans people.”

Pro-LGBT+ rights advocates also say that groups like Man Friday are conflating the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act.

Reform of the former piece of legislation, which is currently proposed, will not affect the existing right of trans people to self-identify, which is already enshrined in legislation.

At the moment, trans people can change all of their day-to-day documents when they begin living permanently in that gender on the basis of self-declaration.

It is more complicated to change a birth certificate - a result of the government’s stance that it need not change since it is a historical record.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/man-friday-hampstead-heath-protest-transphobic-lgbt-rights-a8374651.html?S2ref=673347