Kemi Badenoch hit the headlines again, this time claiming that fake trans"predators" were exploiting "loopholes" and abusing people. There are some problems with making this statement to the women and equalities select committee on Wednesday 13th December 2023. To say this as fact and that you need to legislate, you need to have 3 pieces of evidence: Firstly that crimes occurred on a large enough scale to legislate against, secondly that the perpetrator was pretending to be trans and lastly that the person was not actually trans. However, the only evidence she gave that people were being abused by others "pretending" to be transgender was hearsay that someone was flashed in a loo.
Failing to produce anti-conversion therapy law: the transgender problem.
Badenoch was keen to blame trans people for the delay in laws against conversion therapy. She claimed that protections for people against conversion therapy were delayed because she didn't have a clear definition for "trans people". She said it was wholly different to LGB people. However, what all trans, gay and bisexual people have in common is that they all self-define because of how they feel. She then blamed transgender fluidity, being painfully unaware that sexual fluidity is a common and well-studied phenomenon. Frequently saying that "it's the T that complicates it" she produced no valid reason when comparing it to sexuality. So... there must be another reason.
Let's relate this to transgender conversion therapy. In Parliament recently Badenoch and other conservative MP's talked about denying young people and adults agency: socially detransitioning trans women and girls, and forcing them to use male spaces. Is this not a form of conversation therapy in itself? One cannot simultaneously detransition people, as she intends to do, without falling foul of conversion therapy law.
Badenoch and other conservative MP's talked about denying young people and adults agency: socially detransitioning trans women and girls, and forcing them to use male spaces. Is this not a form of conversation therapy in itself?
She talks about waiting for the Cass review, a review which has already cherry-picked data, claiming that puberty blockers were ineffective when young trans people have, for years, had to accept the compromise of blockers without getting what they actually need: gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy. It is not having access to HRT that affects trans people, puberty suppression alone does not suffice. Furthermore, the Cass review suggests only offering hormone blockers at the very most and suggesting talking therapies instead, going backwards 80 years in terms of trans healthcare. WPATH, the World Professional Association of Transgender Health wrote an unprecedented 8-page statement denouncing it for what is in effect a denial of treatment for trans children and young people.
Stoking the fire, while claiming to "take the heat out"
Kemi Banedoch talks about "taking the heat of out the debate", however, a few sentences later she said, "There are more people who are predators than there are people who are trans". By saying that the majority of trans people sharing spaces with cisgender people are predatory, there will only be one outcome: increased suspicion, hostility, and false accusations against transitioned women. She continued, saying that "women and children are THE most vulnerable". The absolute disregard for the safety and welfare of transitioned women was telling.
Saying that the majority of trans people sharing spaces with cisgender people are predatory there will only be one outcome: an increased suspicion, hostility, and false accusations against transitioned women.
Following on from this she claimed that the healthcare given to Keira Bell was all forced upon her as an attempt to convert her from being gay. She gets quite emotional about it. However, an article, written by Bell herself tells a different story altogether:
This is not a case of enforced transition. It is a case of seeking treatment for transgender people when you are cisgender - for whatever reason. Her case, and that of Richie Herron were about consenting adults making mistakes, and not realising what gender dysphoria was until it was apparent to them after surgery. However, what you don't hear from is the greater majority (roughly estimated to be 99%) who benefit greatly from HRT and surgery.
Here, Keira describes precisely when she realised that insisting she was male, being on HRT for 4 years and after having surgery: it induced real gender dysphoria. Every single time she had testosterone, she consented to it. She, like Richie, consented to her operation. This was not some clandestine plan to "turn her straight", she made not a single mistake, but a series of mistakes over years. Likewise, she chose to detransition, as she had agency.
If only Badenoch could summon the same emotional connection with transitioned women, who live with real gender dysphoria, who suffer considerably, and who struggle to get the treatment they need. In the select committee, she was told by MP Kate Osborne that the actual evidence presented to her was that there was no evidence of gay-to-trans conversion therapy, but extensive evidence of conversion therapy against trans people.
At which point, Kemi Badenoch, likely overwhelmed with emotion about a conversion therapy case which didn't exist, went on the offensive, and attempted to disrupt proceedings with a childish display of arrogance and entitlement, forcing the chair to bring order several times. The cause of this outburst? Kate Osborne said the minister had previously used “inflammatory language that likens children and young people coming out as trans to the spread of a disease”. Badenoch bruskly denied that she had ever said such a thing, however, a cursory search on Google reveals The Times headline "Kemi Badenoch: 'Epidemic' of children being told they are trans". Politicians are deliberate with language, it is their job, and the use of the word "epidemic" is deliberately inflammatory and it was chosen to incite. An epidemic is usually referred to as a virulent and dangerous communicable disease. Previously during the select committee, it was said "you referred to it as an epidemic [of conversion therapy], correct me if I'm wrong" at that time she didn't deny it instead claiming she said "almost an epidemic", which was a poor attempt to step away from her inflammatory language. Regardless, the use of the term "epidemic" is inflammatory.
It makes no sense for Kemi Badenoch to claim to be "taking the heat out" by repeatedly using the word "epidemic" when referring to trans people, nor by claiming that most trans people you can identify as trans are not after all, and are dangerous predators. These are deliberate and dangerous words and we know it. Badenoch followed up with "we have to use facts in this room", which was particularly ironic considering the scarcity and inaccuracy of "evidence" she presented: anecdotes and hearsay quickly unpicked with the smallest of scrutiny.
She's igniting fires and making transitioned women's lives harder every time she speaks about trans people, and it's either ignorance, lies or intentional harm that makes her act in that way. Take your pick.