We Need an Honest Debate

Compiled from a thread pinned to my Twitter profile on 15 December 2020.

In 2012, I transitioned. Looking back, I have mixed feelings about it. It brought relief to me but it certainly didn’t help my family.

Trans parent

It took several years for me to work out *why* I transitioned. It certainly wasn’t because I was some sort of woman. Nor did I need to have some metaphysical female “essence” or gender identity.

I May Have Gender Dysphoria. But I Still Prefer to Base My Life on Biology, Not Fantasy

Once you realise that gender identity doesn’t *need* to exist in order to explain transsexualism, it becomes a meaningless concept. But nevertheless, it has reaped havoc in our society.

The Inconvenient Truth About Transwomen

I’ve spoken out about the impact of what I call transgender ideology on women’s sex based rights,

“It’s not just self-identifying your gender it’s changing your legal sex… To do that, then has an impact on the other group whose rights that we as trans women transitioning then inherit,” says Debbie Hayton#newsnight | @DebbieHayton pic.twitter.com/CEepGOCwnx

— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) October 18, 2018

and women’s sports.

The issue of whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in women's sport has again hit the headlines – after tennis champion Martina Navratilova accused transgender athletes of cheating.

@kelliefmaloney | @DebbieHayton pic.twitter.com/C4zUf80FzI

— Channel 5 News (@5_News) February 20, 2019

But I am most concerned about the impact on children.

"These are adult decisions that we're asking children to make."

Trans woman @DebbieHayton argues children shouldn't be able to medically transition while LBGTQ+ campaigner @jamie_windust says receiving medication isn't a simple process.

Full story here: https://t.co/Cku9UVosJ2 pic.twitter.com/xDbgnAaq8u

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 12, 2019

Moving forwards, we need a far more honest debate about these issues so that people struggling with gender dysphoria can find the help they need, not a quick fix. Because none of us should build our lives on something that is simply not true.

Logic

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Debbie Hayton

Teacher, trade unionist, and journalist