Over recent months the hysteria around transgender women seems to have been growing with each new statement about proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act.

Headlines like PeakTrans, TransCult and Transgender Trend all imply that being trans is a new thing, that the weak minded and sexually confused are jumping on the bandwagon. If being transgender is trendy then I’ve never been trendier. But there’s nothing new about being trans, transgender people have always existed throughout human history — the hijra or two spirit people.

Today mental health issues are still significantly more likely to affect transgender people, and a large contributing factor is the bigotry and prejudice that they experience on a daily basis. The name-calling, the loss of family and relationships, the diminished career prospects, the violence and the legal challenges against their rights and identity.