Terrible things done to t-girls in UK

wonder how people in UK in general treat T-girls.
I've lived in many places.
In Australia, most people are very tolerant and respectful of t-girls and most people just don't care. Yet, there are a few people who will get very upset when we are in their presence and violence is often talked about. I saw groups of youth bashing up my friend brutally before and I am still scared.
In Malaysia, although transgenderism is in the culture, t-girls might / and often end up hassled by the police due to Islamic laws. Police arrests is common.
In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, transgenderism is a big taboo. If someone is revealed to be transgendered, he (in his boy role) will be treated as an outcast. News reporters frequently stalk transgendered people and publish stories of our day to day live as if we are absolute freaks and perverts. Every month or so, there is news of a t-girl being prosecuted as a sexual pervert for being read in the female toilet and the press would exagerate in the reporting.
In Thailand, it is much more OK and one can go around as boy or girl and there is no problem and people just don't care.

Just wonder how t-girls are treated in the UK.
1)Is it against the law to discriminate a t-girl in the UK?
2)How about ridiculing someone openly for being transgendered? Say is it illegal to ridicule and humiliate someone for being transgendered at work, in restaurants, in hotels or in public places?
3) Does transgendered people get stalked and followed and watched like freaks in the UK?

please tell me your experiences

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Originally Posted by jessica wai

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Just wonder how t-girls are treated in the UK.
1)Is it against the law to discriminate a t-girl in the UK?
2)How about ridiculing someone openly for being transgendered? Say is it illegal to ridicule and humiliate someone for being transgendered at work, in restaurants, in hotels or in public places?
3) Does transgendered people get stalked and followed and watched like freaks in the UK?

please tell me your experiences

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Well in general I think we are treated just like any other member of society. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone on grounds of faith or sexuality. Most police forces have trained officer who deal with "hate crimes". I am out and about quite a lot in my female persona and the worst thing that has happened to me in 15 years is a few sniggers and the odd strange look.

I do human to human contact shopping where I interact with cashiers, pharmacist and tellers and have always been treated with respect (well nearly always, theres was one occasion when I felt uncomfortable shopping, but there was a reason and it was nothing to do with me).

I think you will find the the UK and Europe in general is very tolerant to the Trans community much more so that the US where it varies drastically depending on which County/State you are in.

Hope this helps

I find the subject of your post rather off-putting considering that your intent is to ask a question.

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Originally Posted by MichelleT

I find the subject of your post rather off-putting considering that your intent is to ask a question.

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Maybe she meant terrible things in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan? And those things do sound terrible...

I dont.

Its a reasonable question. I can appreciate how the law might interpret transgenderism differently in different countries - and how religion (!) might influence this, but I think its down to a persons intelligence as to how they treat transgenderism.

An intelligent, informed person would treat a transgendered person no differently (or perhaps with more sensistivity due to the perceived difference to the norm) than they would the other 95th percentile of the population.

I think its a question of education. If people accepted that transgendered people / CDs (or homosexuals and indeed anyone who doesn't conform to the 'norm') are not a threat, and aren't going to eat their babies and corrupt their children (the ones they didn't manage to eat) but rather are a fact of life, there would be none of the discrimination that somehow STILL finds a place in a modern society.

As a race we still have an awful long way to go.

The thread title does rather give a false impression, given that, generally, terrible things aren't done to trans-people in the UK?


I'd guess attitudes here are similar to Australia, except the centres of population are bigger (so perhaps more used to difference) and the distances much shorter? :idontknow:

Bad things can happen anywhere - but discrimination against transsexuals is certainly illegal, and who can tell by looking whether one is TS/TG/TV, or whatever - you can use that to your advantage, easily. ;)

Transphobic crime is treated in the UK in the same way as homophobic, i.e. as 'hate' crime and consequently dealt with more severely?


I think, Jessica, you're worrying yourself unnecessarily?

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Originally Posted by kay_jessica

. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone on grounds of faith or sexuality.

Most police forces have trained officer who deal with "hate crimes". I am out and about quite a lot in my female persona and the worst thing that has happened to me in 15 years is a few sniggers and the odd strange look.

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I know it will sound like nitpicking.... but it's actually illegal to discriminate against anyone on grounds of race or sexuality.

Hi Jessica

I've just got home from a trip to London.

On Thursday I was in girl mode all day, wearing a smart skirt suit and low heels. I did some shopping in Oxford Street, went to a modern art gallery and to a cinema. On Friday morning I had a top up laser treatment, so spent Friday and Sat morning in boy mode, with my skin in recovery.

It was lots more fun on Thursday :thumbsup:, I was generally ignored by men but had some lovely warm smiles from females and even chatted to a couple. On Friday and Saturday I was ignored by everyone :sad:.

Like Kay, the worst I've ever experienced is a few snigger's and an odd strange look ..... and as Kay said our Police are very good, they take their diversity training very seriously indeed....... I took this photo on the South Bank of the Thames earlier today ;)

Love Di x

In the area I live in the police turn a pretty blind eye to cd's getting mauled. Many gay bar parking lots are very dangerous as the police just don't seem to think we matter. May be the macho "getting what they deserve" mentality.

you ask some good questions, and perhaps you thread title could have benefitted from having a question mark after it - that way, people will perceive it as a question rather than a statement.

Anyway, living in the UK (London), I've found that my biggest fear is with myself. I've never experienced an adverse reaction. I don't count people sniggering as adverse - I myself snigger at things/people that I see that are different. I think this is just human nature. Don't get me wrong, I hate myself for having this reaction, I mean, me, a transgendered person of all people, but then again it is (I believe) an innate reaction and in and of itself is quite harmless. Does that stop me from feeling scared. No it doesn't. I love the fact that I am transgendered, and I wish others would respect that. My close friends do, which is the most important thing, but strangers just look at me funny when it the realisation dawns on them - i.e. they think "hang on, that's a guy with big hoop earrings in", "that's a guy with long fingernails" etc etc. It's surprising how little this actually happens though - people generally just don't notice and are too wrapped up in themselves to pay any attention to a complete stranger.

I think what I'm trying to say (in a long-winded manner) is that people by and large just don't care. For all the negative press about life in the UK recently, it is pretty much a reasonable place to live. I live in South London (an area which has suffered lately with so many reported knife crimes), and I have never been attacked, or abused. I'm sure people who realise what I am may well think that I'm weird, but that really doesn't bother me to the extent of stopping me from displaying what I like to call "my little signifiers". When I walk past people, they either just glance at me or don't even notice me at all.

And I think this is the crux of the matter. Us transgendered people are suceptible to being so self-conscious that we can become paranoid and think that the world revolves around us. That everyone is looking at us and judging us. It really isn't this way. Sure, a few sniggers add weight to this idea, but as far as violence is concerned, I've never ever been subjected to that.

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Originally Posted by jenni_xx

I think what I'm trying to say (in a long-winded manner) is that people by and large just don't care. For all the negative press about life in the UK recently, it is pretty much a reasonable place to live.

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When you interact with people, the good experiences by far outweigh the bad - most people offer respect for your being willing to be seen as different, IME? I've just got in from a night out in Bristol, where people just treated us like any body else - sure they read us, but it made no difference? No one pointed and said 'Look, it's a tranny' - because we're just part of the normal diversity? (And I was in Hallowe'en fancy dress, for a party - purple and black dress, purple witches' hat, broom, OTT make up, etc.. :D)

I stopped to fill up with petrol (US=gas) on the way home - the guy who served me smiled as he would to any other customer and passed the time of day happily, while I paid? As Jenni says, the battles you have to fight aren't with others - they're in your own head. :)

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Originally Posted by Nicki B

As Jenni says, the battles you have to fight aren't with others - they're in your own head. :)

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Well, I absolutely agree with the comments posted so far and with thanks too.

My question however is really : how frequent are hate crimes or rude acts done to t-girls in the UK?
In Chinese societies, t-girls are regularly the subject of ridicule as the culture condones such behaviour (but never talks about it). The mainstream and tabloid media OFTEN and invariably reports transgender issues as freak news.

In Australia, even though 90% of the country accepts diversity without problems, 10% are influenced by their peers to HATE t-girls and maybe 2% reacts with verbal and physical violence when meeting t-girls. The tabloid media in Australia occasionally still report t-girls as freaks.

It would be extremely lucky if people in UK treats t-girls with indifference and as a part of daily life. But is this the REAL SCENARIO?

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Originally Posted by jessica wai

In Australia, even though 90% of the country accepts diversity without problems, 10% are influenced by their peers to HATE t-girls and maybe 2% reacts with verbal and physical violence when meeting t-girls. The tabloid media in Australia occasionally still report t-girls as freaks.

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I've been really out there in public for over a year - That is flying, shopping, booking-in at hotels, movies, meals in restraurants etc.etc....and although I've been read from time to time I have never felt threatend or in any danger.

I've been going out, in one way or another for about 10 years and as others here have posted..... I've never personally experienced any real hostility.

I know loads of t girls but have only heard of two being assaulted, strangely both in gay areas. The first had her wig snatched from her head by "joker" in Canal St Manchester, the other was assaulted by a male in a gay bar, who no doubt had his masculinity threatened.

So in summary, there are a few idiots out there but I don't believe that it's anymore dangerous to be a t-girl in this country than it is to be a regular male or a regular female.

Di

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Originally Posted by jessica wai

My question however is really : how frequent are hate crimes or rude acts done to t-girls in the UK?

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The answer can't ever be 'never', can it? But depending where you live, it's generally pretty infrequent, IME. Pretty much the same as for the cis-population, indeed probably less, because they're far more likely to put themselves into risky situations? T-folk tend to avoid trouble, IME, unless fuelled by alcohol.. :doh: