
16 June 2020   |    News
Below in full is the letter we wrote to the Sun in response to their front page on 12th June 2020, as well as a full list of signatories.
You can read media coverage of the letter at:
Dear Victoria Newton,
We write to you in shock and dismay at the abhorrent front page of today’s Sun Newspaper (12/6/2020) in which you gave voice to JK Rowling’s abuser. Misogyny is a pervasive force and one that treats survivors and victims of sexual and domestic violence as bylines to their abusers story. We stand alongside JK Rowling in this cruel and malicious reporting, which sends a dangerous message to all survivors that their stories are only valid when corroborated by their abusers. It sends a message to all survivors of domestic and sexual violence that they will not be believed, and it is dangerous.
Though her disclosure of domestic violence came in the middle of a long post detailing her anti-trans views, this does nothing to alter our unwavering solidarity with all survivors of domestic violence including JK Rowling. We condemn your appalling and salacious front page; a violation of both dignity and privacy. Vulnerable groups should not be used to sell newspapers. As Trans people we often fall victim to the same salacious reporting and stand against all misogyny and violence against women.
We demand three things:
Yours,
Shon Faye, Writer
Christine Burns MBE, Author and Retired Campaigner
Travis Alabanza, Artist
Roz Kaveney, Poet and Novellist
Juno Dawson, Author and screenwriter
Rae Spoon, Musician and writer
Kuchenga, Writer
Neil McDonald MBE, campaigner
Emma Frankland, Artist and Writer
Nim Ralph, Activist and Writer
Cara English, Head of Public Engagement, Gendered Intelligence
Maria Munir, Trans Lead, Amnesty Rainbow Network
Jo Gower, Vice Chair of Amnesty UK’s Rainbow Network
Dr Ronx, Emergency Medicine Doctor, TV Presenter
Dr Sam Martin, University of Oxford
Meg-John Barker, Writer
Jane Fae
Dr Harry Josephine Giles, Writer and Performer
Chay Brown, co-founder TransActual UK
Mia Violet, Author
Rudy Loewe, Visual Artist
Mika Minio-Paluello, Economist
Dr Ben Vincent, PhD
CN Lester
Freddy McConnell, Journalist/Writer
Dr Ruth Pearce, Trans Learning Partnership
Dr Natacha Kennedy, Goldsmiths College
Michelle O’Toole, What The Trans podcast
Andrea Di Giovanni, singer-songwriter and performer
Dr Jay Stewart, CE, Gendered Intelligence
Adi Daly-Gourdialsing, Head of Patient Services, Gender GP
Riley Coles
Juliet Jacques, Writer/Filmmaker
Fox Fisher, Author and Co-Director of My Genderation CIC
Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir (Owl), Co-Director of My Genderation CIC
Tara Hewitt, Co-Founder Trans Equality Legal Initiative
Aidan Comerford, Writer
Teddy Lamb, Playwright and Performer
Jamie Windust, Writer
Alexa Moore, Director of TransgenderNI
Ted Lavis Coward, member of Queer House Party
Rory Finn, Co-Founder Trans Can Sport
Sabah Choudrey, Trans youth worker, public speaker, writer
Liv Wynter, Artist, support worker, refuge worker
Adrianne Elson, TransPride NI
Rokayah Abdulmajed, activist and secondary school teacher
Bethany Black
Sofie Hagen
Andrea Lawlor, writer
Claire Birkenshaw, Leeds Beckett University
Dr Isabel Waidner, University of Roehampton,
Dr Bee Hughes, Acting Chair LJMU UCU, Artist, Educator & Researcher
Kate Moross, Creative Director
Sarah Savage, chair of TransPride Brighton
Wednesday Holmes, Artist and Community Organiser
Carla Ecola, Founding Director, The Outside Project and STAR Refuge
Dr Francis Ray White, University of Westminster
Dr Jennifer Fraser, University of Westminster
Dr Michael Toze, PhD
Dr Tray Yeadon-Lee, Academic
Dr Onni Gust, University of Nottingham
Vic Valentine, Scottish Trans Policy Officer
James Morton, Scottish Trans Manager
Becky Kaufmann, Scottish Trans Justice Policy Officer
Oceana Maund, Scottish Trans Community Engagement Officer
Sahaf Hardouf, Kolot HaKeshet
30 Bernard Street Edinburgh EH6 6PR
+44 (0)131 467 6039 info@scottishtrans.org
Scottish Trans is part of the Equality Network
Scottish Trans is the Equality Network project to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland. The Equality Network is a leading Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity.
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