Leslie (he/him) is a trans man based in Edinburgh. Here’s his take on the Tory party conference.

‘Cruella Braverman did us a favour last week by joining up the dots.

She announced that people who are LGBT+ or women should no longer be allowed to apply for asylum on that basis, neatly demonstrating that the Tories don’t just hate people who are so desperate to get to Britain that they put their lives at risk by crossing the Channel by any means available. They also hate people fleeing transphobia, biphobia or homophobia. And they have no compassion for the millions of women around the world who are facing the worst kinds of misogyny and sexism,  often expressed in terrible violence, both physical and psychological.

I’m sure you’ve heard enough about the Tory Party Conference, so I will not distress you by repeating the outrageous statements made by Cruella, Trashy and their partners in crime. It surely says it all that they are Vomiting their vitriol on a tiny percentage of the British population: 0.54% of which is made up of refugees and asylum seekers, and (an estimated) 0.4% of trans and non-binary people. A tiny political football, but worth kicking down the park if it serves to distract people from the real problems that they face, such as a cost of living crisis manufactured by capitalist greed, and a planet going up in flames and drowning in floods at the same time ( which Trashy doesn’t want to do anything about, either).

However, we “gender ideologists” have special powers, it seems, ranging from taking over the Civil Service to stifling the freedom of expression of academics, who then proclaim that they have been “silenced” in the right wing media that is doing its best to create a panic about refugees and trans people (trans women, in particular). I regard it as a back handed compliment to hear it stated that the biggest threats to British society today are Islamic fundamentalist suicide bombers and trans activists (joining up the dots again – Islamophobia and transphobia in one sound bite).

However, I remain furious, but not downhearted. I will continue participating in protests like the one in defence of refugees organised by City Of Sanctuary Edinburgh at Queen Elizabeth House (HQ of British imperialism in Scotland) yesterday, and leafleting with Edinburgh Anti Raids, covered with badges and stickers saying things like “Trans Liberation Now”. Have I had any hostile reactions? About as many as I could count on the fingers of one finger (and that resulted in a Tory voter who took issue with a badge saying “Refugees Welcome” eventually becoming my new best mate. His name is Gordon, and he had had a drink or two!).

I remain convinced that the vast majority of people are nice, decent folk, and that we just have to all get together to stand against the tiny, if unfortunately highly vocal, minority of bampots and eejits (translation from the Scots: people who would get barred from your local on the basis of their complete and utter unbearableness). Let’s go on joining up the anti – racist, anti – sexist, and anti LGBT+ – phobic dots!’

Leslie will be a speaker at the RTiE Trans Liberation event, 20th October.

If you would like to receive email bulletins from RTiE please register here.