I NEVER picked a “side” – I was born this way. Common decency would argue that a group of people put into the continuous, never-ending, daily cycle of defending their existence should not be simply classed as a “side”. For many of us, this “side” was never a choice. However, undermining LGBT+ rights and inclusion – the other side in the so-called debate – is a choice. It never really was the gender debate, though. More like a misinformation war, targeting a particular sector of the LGBT+ community by divide-and-conquer tactics. Despite this, LGBT+ people across the political spectrum are now jumping to the defence of our trans siblings. Because we have seen this pattern of discrimination before. It is the same pattern that we witnessed against gay men in the 1980s. I know many of you will recall the typical “gay men are paedophiles and a danger to children”. Except only now it’s, “trans people are a danger to women and children”.