Swimmers at Hampstead Heath’s ladies-only pond have vowed to make their space more inclusive, after voting 3-1 in favour of continuing access to transgender women.
After giving the green light in a meeting at Parliament Hill School in Hampstead, members also elected pro-transgender rights candidates as chairs of the organisation.
After the vote went through, gender-critical campaigners shouted “shame on you” and “traitors”. One campaigner stood on a chair and proclaimed that allowing trans women would lead to “male sexual violence against women.”
An ongoing debate
Protests against the inclusion of transgender women in Kenwood Ladies Pond have occurred sporadically since 2018.
In the lead-up to this week’s meeting, KLPA committee member Jan Williams – who also ran for election as the organisation’s chair – submitted a motion to ban trans women.
Toby Brothers, voluntary admin of the KLPA’s informal Facebook group, lauded the meeting’s result. They called it a “resounding support of inclusivity.”
Brothers described gender-critical activists’ comments as “awful”.
“It was so awful… I mean just the worst stuff… we’re talking about safety (for transgender women). And for them to turn it around and say, welcoming transgender women makes it unsafe, is just wrong.”
Jane Fae, director of the transgender rights organisation TransActual, believes that spaces like Kenwood Ladies Pond are vital for transgender women.
“Trans women are in danger when they enter traditionally male spaces. (There’s been a number of) of incidents I have heard from friends, from colleagues, from surveys, etc., of trans women who are made to feel afraid if they enter a male space.”
Looking ahead
Toby has vowed to work with other members of the KLPA to ensure the pond is an inclusive environment for all women, but has been disquieted by the meeting.
“I’m an educator, so I believe people can be educated and that we can shift the rhetoric. But right now it just feels hard. It feels exhausting.”
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineSwimmers at Hampstead Heath’s ladies-only pond vow to make it more trans-inclusive
Short HeadlineTrans-inclusion a priority for ladies-only Hampstead Heath pond
StandfirstPond members face backlash after voting to grant transgender women access
Swimmers at Hampstead Heath’s ladies-only pond have vowed to make their space more inclusive, after voting 3-1 in favour of continuing access to transgender women.
After giving the green light in a meeting at Parliament Hill School in Hampstead, members also elected pro-transgender rights candidates as chairs of the organisation.
After the vote went through, gender-critical campaigners shouted “shame on you” and “traitors”. One campaigner stood on a chair and proclaimed that allowing trans women would lead to “male sexual violence against women.”
An ongoing debate
Protests against the inclusion of transgender women in Kenwood Ladies Pond have occurred sporadically since 2018.
In the lead-up to this week’s meeting, KLPA committee member Jan Williams – who also ran for election as the organisation’s chair – submitted a motion to ban trans women.
Toby Brothers, voluntary admin of the KLPA’s informal Facebook group, lauded the meeting’s result. They called it a “resounding support of inclusivity.”
Brothers described gender-critical activists’ comments as “awful”.
“It was so awful… I mean just the worst stuff… we’re talking about safety (for transgender women). And for them to turn it around and say, welcoming transgender women makes it unsafe, is just wrong.”
Jane Fae, director of the transgender rights organisation TransActual, believes that spaces like Kenwood Ladies Pond are vital for transgender women.
“Trans women are in danger when they enter traditionally male spaces. (There’s been a number of) of incidents I have heard from friends, from colleagues, from surveys, etc., of trans women who are made to feel afraid if they enter a male space.”
Looking ahead
Toby has vowed to work with other members of the KLPA to ensure the pond is an inclusive environment for all women, but has been disquieted by the meeting.
“I’m an educator, so I believe people can be educated and that we can shift the rhetoric. But right now it just feels hard. It feels exhausting.”
Inside Success Union CIC claim to empower vulnerable young people, but allegations of underpayment and concerns over their fundraising practices are undermining their message.
