'The idea a woman is not a woman is destructive of truth': Author condemns trans debate

8 June 2021, 22:35

Trans rights campaigning is 'anti-women', says Tom Bower

Biographer Tom Bower condemned the trans debate as "anti-women", claiming that the vast majority of Brits find it "outrageous."

A caller asked the question of trans rights on LBC's Cross Question as it was reported the Ministry of Justice will not be renewing its membership of Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme when it expires next month.

It comes as the charity has received criticism from some groups and figures for its position and activism for the rights of transgender people.

Author Tom Bower supported the Government's move, branding the organisation as propagating an "anti-woman" agenda.

"It's such a tiny tiny number of people involved," says Mr Bower, "and if there was starvation in this country, if there was real greater hardship, we wouldn't be discussing this extraordinary minority issue which is so discriminatory against women.

"Frankly, I am absolutely perplexed that this issue gets any oxygen because it is so destructive of human life, it is so destructive of truth, the idea that a woman with all the physical attributes is not a woman, and somehow one has got to call it chestfeeding not breastfeeding, and you can't use the term mother and father any more.

"This is so outrageous to the vast vast number of Britons and people across the world that hopefully we can terminate this discussion very quickly."

Stonewall responded to the Ministry of Justice's decision: "While there have been attempts by campaign groups to claim that the government is mandating that all government departments withdraw from the Diversity Champions programme, an equalities minister has confirmed that these decisions are delegated to individual departments.

"At Stonewall, we'll continue to fight until every lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people is free to be themselves, wherever they are."