Guidance for the Media - Common Misunderstandings

“This is just psycho babble...what did people do before ‘sex changes’!?”

Cross dressing has been recorded many times in literature over the centuries (and in some cultures has attracted much less prejudice than in the UK). Gender variance and confusion was for many years conflated with homosexuality, itself illegal until the late twentieth century (1980 in Scotland), and the opportunities for trans people to express themselves or seek help were largely nonexistent.

Moreover, the antagonism and hostility they would have attracted had they tried would quite likely have resulted in ostracism or even death. There are still areas of the United Kingdom where publically revealing your trans status opens you to a serious threat of violence.

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• Getting it right: best practice in representing trans people and their lives

Defining terms >

A brief glossary >

Derogatory, inappropriate or offensive terminology to avoid >

Approaches to avoid >

 

• Why does any of this matter?

The dangers faced by trans people >

A right to be treated fairly >

 

• Common misunderstandings

Lifestyle choice >

It's just pretence >

Mental illness >

Small minority >

Psycho babble

Taxpayers' money >

 

• Keira's Story >