Trans Rights Are Women’s Rights - Always

There’s a phrase that’s become both a rallying cry and a dividing line in feminist spaces: trans rights are women’s rights.

It’s not a slogan for show. It’s a statement of truth - one that demands we recognise the shared struggles, hopes, and humanity that connect us all.

Yet, in the age of social media wars and identity politics, that truth is often lost in the noise. The feminist movement, once synonymous with collective liberation, has become, at times, tangled in its own contradictions. Too many conversations about women’s rights now come with an asterisk, an unspoken “but not for them.”

This piece is not about debating whether trans women are women. They are.

It’s about reclaiming feminism as a space that doesn’t fracture when faced with difference - but strengthens. Because when we say trans rights are women’s rights, we’re not talking theory. We’re talking survival, solidarity, and the future of gender equality itself.

Feminism, at Its Core, Is About Liberation

At its heart, feminism isn’t just about equality between men and women. It’s about dismantling the systems that tell any of us we’re lesser, dangerous, or undeserving because of who we are. Patriarchy, misogyny, and gender-based violence don’t only target cis women - they target anyone who challenges the idea of what a “woman” should be.

Trans women, like cis women, live under the weight of gendered expectations and structural inequality. They face the same barriers - and more. They’re vilified in headlines, excluded from healthcare, targeted by hate crimes, and routinely spoken about rather than listened to.

If feminism fails to include trans women, it fails its own mission. A movement built on liberation must extend that freedom to everyone it claims to fight for.

To borrow the words of bell hooks, “Feminism is for everybody.” And that means everybody.

The Myth of the “Threat”

We need to talk about fear - because fear is the engine behind so much of the hostility directed at trans women. The fear that they’re invading women’s spaces. The fear that they’re “changing” what it means to be female. The fear that supporting trans rights somehow diminishes the fight for women’s safety.

But here’s the truth: there’s no evidence to support these fears. None.

Countries that have long protected trans rights - from inclusive healthcare to legal gender recognition - haven’t seen an increase in violence against cis women. What they’ve seen, instead, is progress: more protection for all women, better healthcare, and greater awareness of gender-based discrimination.

Trans women using women’s spaces are not a threat. The real threats are misogyny, underfunded domestic violence services, and governments that roll back gender equality laws while distracting us with so-called “culture wars.”

The fear-mongering narrative doesn’t protect women; it divides us. And division is exactly what systems of inequality depend on.

Shared Struggles, Shared Strength

Trans and cis women share far more common ground than many realise. Both face scrutiny over their bodies, voices, and choices. Both experience violence and discrimination rooted in the same gendered systems.

Trans women are harassed in the street, underpaid at work, and dismissed by doctors - the same injustices that feminists have fought against for generations.

The difference? Trans women face an added layer of danger simply for existing outside of societal norms.

A report by Stonewall revealed that two in five trans people in the UK had experienced a hate crime in the year prior to the research. Many avoid public spaces or healthcare out of fear. Meanwhile, NHS waiting lists for gender-affirming care stretch into years, leaving people in limbo, often with devastating effects on their mental health. New data obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests (seen by QueerAF and What The Trans!?) revealed that, at current rates, some people in Scotland may never receive a first appointment, with waiting lists projected to stretch an unimaginable 224 years into the future.

This isn’t just a “trans issue.” It’s a women’s issue, a healthcare issue, a human rights issue. When one group’s safety and dignity are treated as optional, it sets a precedent that endangers us all.

What Trans-Inclusive Feminism Looks Like

A truly inclusive feminist movement doesn’t just tolerate trans women - it celebrates and uplifts them. It recognises their experiences as part of the rich tapestry of womanhood and refuses to let patriarchal definitions dictate who gets to belong.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Listening to Trans Voices

Trans women shouldn’t be spoken over or debated. They should be platformed. Feminism loses its authenticity when it becomes gatekeeping rather than allyship. We must make space for trans writers, activists, and thinkers to tell their own stories - not because it’s politically correct, but because it’s just.

2. Fighting for Inclusive Policy

From inclusive healthcare and workplace protections to education that acknowledges gender diversity, feminism must be political. It’s not enough to say “trans rights matter” on Twitter; we need to demand the same systemic change that the suffragettes and second-wave feminists fought for.

3. Language That Empowers, Not Erases

There’s room for all of us. Using terms like “people who menstruate” or “pregnant people” doesn’t erase women - it recognises that not all women menstruate and not all who menstruate are women. Inclusivity is not a threat; it’s an expansion of empathy.

4. Safety for All

Feminism must remain focused on ending gender-based violence and creating safe spaces - not by excluding trans people, but by challenging the people and structures that cause harm. Trans women are disproportionately affected by violence; their safety is a feminist priority, not an afterthought.

The Cost of Exclusion

When feminism becomes exclusionary, it stops being feminism and becomes something else entirely - something rooted in fear, not freedom.

Trans-exclusionary ideologies don’t protect women; they mirror the same patriarchal tactics that have silenced and divided women for centuries. They rely on the language of protection but serve the logic of control.

History shows us what happens when movements fracture. The suffragettes faced internal divisions over race and class; second-wave feminism alienated women of colour and queer women. Each time, progress stalled. Each time, it took listening - really listening - to rebuild.

We cannot afford to repeat that cycle.

Media, Misinformation, and Moral Panic

It’s impossible to talk about trans rights today without recognising the media’s enormous role. In the UK, large parts of the press have for years stoked moral panic over trans people - especially trans women - portraying them as dangerous, deceitful, or contrary to “real” women. Tabloid and online headlines too often sensationalise rather than humanise, using language that would be unthinkable if directed at other marginalised groups.

This isn’t journalism; it’s propaganda.

Recent research backs up how damaging this is. A 2024 report from LGBT Youth Scotland found that 93% of young trans participants said their experiences of transphobia from strangers were affected by negative representations in the media. 

Meanwhile, a 2025 public-health study described transphobia in the UK as “a public-health crisis,” linking hostile media environments with increasing violence, marginalisation and health inequalities. 

On the media coverage front, one 2024 study analysing headlines across Europe found that although coverage in the UK is somewhat less negative than in other countries, it still features recurring patterns: misgendering, framing trans people as “deviant,” and over-focusing on bodies or identities rather than lived experience and rights. 

Politically, trans issues have become a “culture war” battleground. Campaigners say that trans people in the UK are being used as a wedge issue in election coverage. The mainstream and social media often reduce complex discussions about rights, healthcare and identity into simplified, polarised soundbites. 

And then there’s the matter of public sentiment: a recent YouGov poll showed rising scepticism toward trans rights across the board, and notably among women and younger people. 

Into this landscape steps J.K. Rowling. Her highly public commentary on gender identity has added fuel to the fire. While she has argued she empathises with trans people as survivors of violence and believes they deserve protection, she has also asserted that “sex” is a biological category and should not be overridden by gender identity alone. Her statements have been widely criticised by trans rights organisations as contributing to the climate of hostility and mis­representation. This criticism is amplified by her public alignment with figures and groups known for promoting openly anti-trans rhetoric, including individuals who have called for violence against the trans community.

The pattern is familiar: a shift in focus from the systems that oppress, to individuals who are framed as threats. The same press that once dismissed sexual harassment, mocked feminists, and targeted single mothers now finds a new target in trans women. The language may change, but the tactic remains the same: keep women divided, keep us fighting each other instead of fighting the system.

Solidarity Is More Than a Hashtag

To stand with trans women isn’t performative. It’s a daily practice.

It’s checking your language, calling out transphobia (even when it’s uncomfortable), donating to trans-led organisations, and amplifying trans voices in every sphere - from media to politics to the workplace.

It’s also about showing up in the everyday ways that matter: befriending trans people, sharing (and donating to if you’re able) their fundraisers, helping them access appointments, and supporting them through the systems that too often fail them.

And if protests or public activism feel out of reach, there are quieter forms of solidarity that still make a difference, like wearing or displaying a trans flag pin, sticker, or badge so trans people know you’re a safe person to be around. Every small act of visibility and allyship counts.

It’s also recognising privilege. Cis women have access to spaces, safety, and services that many trans women do not. Using that privilege to open doors, not close them, is one of the most powerful forms of allyship we can offer.

Solidarity is not about sameness; it’s about shared purpose. We don’t need identical experiences to fight for each other’s dignity.

The Personal Is Still Political

It’s tempting, especially in feminist spaces, to see this debate as theoretical - a clash of ideologies or definitions. But for trans women, the “debate” is their daily reality.

Imagine your right to use the bathroom, access healthcare, or exist safely in public being treated as a topic for public discussion. Imagine politicians weaponising your identity for votes. Imagine being told you’re too much, too visible, too inconvenient - and then being asked to prove your womanhood on demand.

This isn’t abstract. It’s happening now.

When we talk about trans rights, we’re talking about the right to live freely and without fear - the same rights feminists have fought for, for generations.

Beyond the Binary: Expanding Feminism’s Future

Feminism can’t afford to be stuck in the past. Gender is not a simple binary, and pretending it is serves no one but the people who profit from inequality.

Expanding our understanding of womanhood to include trans and non-binary experiences doesn’t weaken feminism; it strengthens it. It makes it more adaptable, more relevant, and more capable of dismantling the full spectrum of gender-based oppression.

Queer and trans feminists have long been at the forefront of intersectional progress - from challenging traditional beauty standards to reimagining what family, care, and community can look like. Their perspectives don’t dilute feminism; they evolve it.

If feminism is to remain a force for change in the 21st century, it must be fluid, inclusive, and brave enough to evolve beyond the binary boxes patriarchy built.

A Call to Action

So, what can we do - as feminists, as allies, as human beings - to make “trans rights are women’s rights” more than just a slogan?

The first thing you can do is to educate yourself. Read books and follow creators who are trans or non-binary. Learn from their lived experience instead of expecting them to teach you. 

Excellent places to start include binging Philosophy Tube on YouTube, particularly Abigail Thorn’s thoughtful videos on gender, identity, and transition. Whipping Girl, by Julia Serano, is a powerful exploration of transmisogyny and the politics of femininity. For a deeper theoretical dive, Judith Butler’s work on gender performativity is essential reading.

Here are some other good starting points:

• Challenge transphobia. Whether it’s in your friendship circle, workplace, or online, silence is complicity.

• Support trans-led organisations. Groups like Mermaids UK, Gendered Intelligence, and Stonewall provide critical resources and advocacy.

• Vote with purpose. Support policies and candidates who prioritise equality and trans healthcare access.

• Uplift, don’t overshadow. Use your platform, however small, to share and credit trans voices - not to speak over them.

Activism doesn’t have to be grand to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s as simple as empathy - and the refusal to look away.

Final Thoughts: The Feminism We Deserve

There’s a version of feminism that the world still fears: loud, unbothered, intersectional, and unapologetically inclusive. That’s the feminism that changes the world.

Trans women have always been part of that story - from Marsha P. Johnson at the Stonewall riots to contemporary activists reshaping conversations about gender, healthcare, and justice.

When we say trans rights are women’s rights, we’re not adding something new to feminism; we’re returning it to its roots.

Feminism began as a fight for the right to exist fully - to work, love, live, and be safe in our own skin. That fight doesn’t end with cis women. It ends when every woman, trans or otherwise, can live without fear.

The future of feminism depends on our capacity for empathy. On our willingness to listen, to unlearn, and to build something better than what we inherited.

Because liberation is not a zero-sum game.

When trans women rise, all women rise.

Always.

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Hana Ames is a professional content writer with hundreds of pieces of content under her belt. She is a cat and dog mama, a feminist, and a musical theatre fan, who enjoys cooking, playing board games and drinking cocktails. She has been writing professionally since 2018 and has a degree in English. Her website is www.hrawriting.com and she is always interested in discussing exciting new projects to see how she can help your business grow. Catch her on Twitter @hrawriting, Instagram @hrawriting and Facebook: www.facebook.com/hrawriting