First Trans Student To Run For Women’s Officer Stands Up To Backlash
Anna Lee, a queer, trans, disabled, lesbian woman, has announced her candidacy for the women’s officer position at the National Union of Students (NUS). Despite launching her campaign just last week, Lee has received online abuse and transphobic messages from hundreds of middle-aged men. Lee is 23 and is currently the vice president of welfare and community at the Lancaster University Student Union, as well as the trans representative for the women’s campaign. She has dedicated the last two years to campaigning for women’s rights and has worked on projects such as introducing sex and consent education to schools, promoting gender diversity in the curriculum, tackling the stigma around periods, and fighting sexual harassment in universities. If elected, Lee has pledged to fight against government cuts that disproportionately affect women, demand greater rights for sex workers, and campaign to review outdated abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
However, Lee has faced criticism from some who claim that she is a “one-issue candidate” simply because she is transgender. Lee dismisses these claims, stating that the women’s movement has been inclusive of trans women for many years and has always fought for intersectional feminism. Despite this, Lee admits that she was afraid to run for women’s officer last year due to the social stigma surrounding her identity. She lost many of her friends when she came out during her first year of university because they were embarrassed to be associated with a trans person. Lee hopes that her candidacy will inspire more trans individuals to put themselves forward for leadership roles in society.
The women’s officer role for the NUS, currently held by Susuana Amoah, is to campaign for women’s rights and lead a team that represents female students across the UK. The representative for this position will be elected at a conference in Solihull in April by a thousand delegates from student unions across the country. Jo Gowers, women’s officer for the Union of Students in Ireland, has already publicly supported Lee in her campaign. Students have always been responsible for driving important societal changes, and Lee hopes that her candidacy will continue this trend.
In response to those who believe that Lee cannot represent women due to her transgender identity, she clarifies that representing an entire gender is not the purpose of the role. She emphasizes that a group of diverse women should work collaboratively to initiate a movement that encourages more women to participate. Lee expresses her desire to be a part of this effort.
Stay up-to-date with Guardian Students by following us on Twitter at @GdnStudents. Sign up as a member to access exclusive benefits and receive our weekly newsletter.
