Spectrum and the LSE Students' Union have been deeply moved by the murder of Brianna Ghey on 11 February 2023. Brianna’s friends and family describe her as a “larger than life character”, as well as “beautiful, witty and hilarious”, and said that she was highly supportive of other trans girls with their gender identity. The loss of any life is regrettable, but the brutal murder of a young woman who was just beginning her life is particularly tragic. It is especially concerning that Brianna’s murder was preceded by ruthless bullying, in a growing culture of transphobia and dead-naming in the UK.
Sadly, Brianna is not the only trans person to face prejudice and violence. Trans and queer people have to navigate a world where acceptance and safety are not guaranteed. Spectrum and the LSESU stand firmly with our LGBTQ+ community, and we will continue to work to educate others, and to advocate for our rights and safety, including trans rights. Transphobia is dangerous, contradicts existing UK law like the Equality Act 2010, and must be challenged. LSE is not immune to this, and the growing trend to protect gender critical ideology under the guise of ‘academic freedom’ and ‘being apolitical’ is incredibly worrying.
We again call for LSE to re-affiliate with Stonewall, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ rights charity dedicated to advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ people. You can read our statement here. It includes a list of actions which LSE Senior Management must now prioritise to ensure LGBTQ+ rights at LSE.