We’re celebrating Trans Day of Visibility on the Virgin Radio Pridecast!

Virgin Radio

1 Apr 2022, 14:02

Trans Day of Visibility took place yesterday (31st March). It’s a day for celebrating trans and non-binary people, as well as a day to raise awareness of the discrimination that many in the community still face around the world. We’re doing both of these on the Virgin Radio Pridecast for the next couple of weeks, with two special episodes dedicated to the rise in anti-trans discourse, and the experience of the trans community in the UK. 

This week, Alex and Shivani will be looking at the rise of anti-trans discourse and discrimination in the UK, and trying to examine some of the reasons why this has taken place. 

You’ll hear from Hollyoaks actress Annie Wallace (the first trans person to play a trans character in a British soap) on whether the increase in visibility which trans people have enjoyed recently has contributed to the increase in anti-trans discourse: 

‘We had Rebecca Root in Boy Meets Girl, Beth Black in Cucumber, Ash Palmisciano in Emmerdale, and I think with that, and the proposals to reform the Gender Recognition Act, it was the perfect storm for what I’d call the ‘Gender Critical Anti-Trans Cult’ to mobilise and to attack us…’ 

You’ll also hear from actor and screenwriter Jake Graf, who spoke to Matt Cain about this issue for his Sunday Roast on Virgin Radio Pride, as well as on whether trans men and women have different experiences of discrimination. 

Alex and Shivani will also be hearing from presenter Alex Woolhouse, on the ongoing debate over whether trans rights are compatible with feminism: 

‘It’s absolute rubbish… I am a feminist, I am a trans woman… Every woman that I know, every man that I know is a feminist, and is trans positive as well - it’s just absolute rubbish, and it pits trans women against cis women unnecessarily because we experience the same issues on a lot of things…’

Finally, Shivani will also be chatting to Stephanie Fuller, General Manager of LGBT+ helpline Switchboard, on what can be done to combat the rise in anti-trans discourse, and how the constant debate over trans rights is affecting service users.

You can listen to the latest episode here. 

The Virgin Radio Pridecast is a weekly look back through the archives of Virgin Radio Pride, our fabulous three-month pop-up radio station which ran last summer. Each week, Alex Milsom and Shivani Dave re-live some of the best moments, as well as attempting to continue the great conversations that Virgin Radio Pride started last summer. There are entertaining guests, jaw-dropping stories, and of course loads of the laugh out loud moments and insightful, important discussions which made Virgin Radio Pride so special…