Why are ITV lying about transmen in prisons?

[WifeOfTiresias]

Just watched the latest episode of Emmerdale. Matty, the transman character, has been in court charged with a stabbing, and at the end is shown being transported to a men's prison surrounded by jeering men who will clearly be preying on them at the earliest opportunity.

But why has this been written into the plot? It simply isn't true that transmen are housed in male prisons - precisely because it isn't safe for them! Even the most basic research would have told the scriptwriters that this doesn't happen so what are they playing at? Looks like the latest attempt by soap writers to paint trans people as eternal victims. I seem to recall Hollyoaks had a transwoman in a female prison being beaten up by the "nasty" women - something that has never ever actually happened! Though the reverse has happened plenty of times and has been studiously ignored

Yes i noticed this. Maybe the plight of a trans woman accidentally stabbing a transphobe was too risky for the writers, as it might upset the TRA’s.

Unfortunately if they have a GRC they are put jn a men's prison , I worked in an area that means I have access to this information. Saying this , this was around 4 years ago so could have changed now.

Surely if they have a GRC they can just not mention it?

or trans back again. It only takes a minute.

Karensalright
Surely if they have a GRC they can just not mention it?

No because a GRC gives the holder a new birth certificate. They don't have to show the GRC to anyone.

Good point they can still state they are a biological female. It makes no sense to me that a trans man would be sent to a male prison against their will, just don't buy this at all.

Gosh I'm stunned! Was sure I had read that transmen were not sent to men's prisons. It's horrifying that they are actually!

Though I'm guessing that this only happens rarely or wouldn't we be hearing about a huge numbers of attacks as they would be incredibly vulnerable. Or are attacks happening but reporting of them being suppressed?

Surely they wouldn't be forced into it as being actual biological women there should be no problem housing them with their own sex?

The first thing to note is that the numbers are tiny. According to this Telegraph piece on official data, there are 225 male-born transgender prisoners and 43 female-born transgender prisoners. These figures don't include prisoners with a GRC - apparently there are 13 of those in total.

The Telegraph story doesn't say where the female-born (ie trans men) prisoners are housed. But I don't think the Emmerdale writers have thought this through. Surely the central plank of transgender philosophy is that you are who you say you are? That if you are born female, and identify as a trans man, then you are a trans man and should be treated in every respect the same as those born male. If the character is a trans man, then surely they would be delighted to have their gender identity validated by being sent to a men's prison.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/28/prisons-now-housing-record-number-of-transgender-inmates/

Men are far more likely to commit knife crime than women. Despite media / activist/ academic effort to convince ordinary people that both sexes are equally violent, there's such a depressing steady stream of men committing stabbings in the news that ordinary people do still understand this fact.

TV choosing to portray a stabby woman immediately makes you look, because it's unusual. Just like we do in the news. It also makes you analyse the female perhaps more than you would the stabby male (because we're so habituated to them).

So what's the underlying message, ITV? Is it about the character's innate manliness? Or about the risk of hormones? Danger of straying into transphobia here....

Quite right too. Transmen are men after all. This is what equality looks like. Unless...

Interesting and will get people thinking. If a trans man is vulnerable in a men's prison, why would that be 🤔 This is a case where when sex matters it really matters.

But I don't think the Emmerdale writers have thought this through. Surely the central plank of transgender philosophy is that you are who you say you are? That if you are born female, and identify as a trans man, then you are a trans man and should be treated in every respect the same as those born male. If the character is a trans man, then surely they would be delighted to have their gender identity validated by being sent to a men's prison.

Yes, exactly.

I think what their storyline is actually demonstrating is that no matter how you might want to present yourself, when the chips are down biological sex really does matter. Which is not the message I think they are wanting to put across.

I'm guessing they will do what they usually do in soaps and treat that character as being "away in prison" as opposed to following their life on the inside and showing the reality of pretending sex is arbitrary.

They will come back saying prison "was hard but they got through it" and the writers will never have to confront the obvious practical issues this scenario would cause in reality.

Matty has been an annoying character right from the start, she was also a wet blanket. I haven't watched for a few years now, what happened?

I wish I could find the source but can't at the moment. However, I do know I read recently that there were no transmen in male prisons in England and Wales and one in a male prison in Scotland

or trans back again. It only takes a minute

I don't think there's currently any way to "undo" a GRC. Once you've transitioned, you're stuck with it.

I thought I recall being told on here that there is actually no legal mechanism to trans back.

Matty was working in the cafe in the Hide on their own. Samson comes in with his horrid new mate who proceeds to say horrid things about Matty cos they are trans. Lots of verbals ensue and horrid friend ends up pushing Samson towards Matty just at the moment they pick up a vegetable knife, presumably clearing it away. So Samson is stabbed accidentally, taken to hospital but not badly injured. Then Samson lies about what happened as is scared of horrid new mate saying Matty attacked them on purpose. Lots of weeping and toing and froing ensues which ends up with Matty up in court for breaking bail conditions by going to speak to Samson. He is remanded.

At the end of the hearing Matty is bundled into a prisoner transport van with lots of very nasty male criminals muttering threats while Matty sobs. Their wife and Mum clutch each other in despair wailing " but he's not SAFE!!"

But surely Matty wouldn't have been sent to a mail prison anyway! Isn't this just Emmerdale setting up their latest crusading storyline about something that REALLY doesn't happen, as opposed to the many documented assaults on women in prison by trans identified males which keep being dismissed as something that "never happens"?

Sorry @Chersfrozenface , meant to quote @TWETMIRF

At the end of the hearing Matty is bundled into a prisoner transport van with lots of very nasty male criminals muttering threats while Matty sobs. Their wife and Mum clutch each other in despair wailing " but he's not SAFE!!"

Why would that be? Other vulnerable men have to deal with it. They are making our point for us.

Indeed they are!

The guidance docs are here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-care-and-management-of-individuals-who-are-transgender

It says:

4.51 Before making an allocation decision to the men’s estate/AP for a transgender man (with or without a GRC), a Complex Case Board will decide if a further risk assessment is required, focussing on risks to the individual from other male prisoners/residents, as well as any risks to other male prisoners/residents, with oversight by the Regional Psychologist lead, prior to any transfer.

So they can be sent to the male estate but not automatically.

Thanks

@PencilsInSpace so they would likely have to specifically request to be sent to the male estate with the default being a female prison? So the Emmerdale storyline just isn't credible. Does anyone know how many are actually in the male estate?