The double agent compromised more than 100 operations and betrayed more than 30 agents spying for the West.

When considering the language we use to address a group, particularly a minority group, the most precise and respectful term is the **_language they choose for themselves_.** This is a widely accepted principle of respect, yet in recent years, it has been inexplicably overlooked when it comes to addressing transgender people and the trans community as a whole. Instead, we have witnessed a barrage of **offensive terms being invented in recent years** whose intention is to cause as much offence and harm to trans people and the trans community, whilst trying to appear authoritative or scientific. To educate those who otherwise might be using these words in good faith, we have decided to make our stance clear: **“Biological male” and “Biological Female” when referring to trans people are offensive slurs.** ##### **Slurs, Respect, and Fostering Good Relations.** A fundamental principle of dignity, respect and fostering good relations between those who have a protected characteristic and those who do not, is to refer to communities by **non-offensive self-determined language**. Using terms coined by those who deny a community’s right to exist in peace is unacceptable: We **do not use anti-Semitic labels** to refer to Jewish people; **We** **do not describe gay people with terms popularised by homophobes** ; **We do not use eugenicist terms to refer to disabled people as defective** , _even_ if such language holds mainstream currency now or at any time in the past. If our community is hurt by a phrase or term that has been **externally assigned** to us by those seeking to promote bigotry or erase our human rights, we have the **right to call this behaviour out.** It is up to no one but the members of our community to decide when something is offensive to us or when we choose to reclaim it. Currently, the trans community overwhelmingly consider the term/phrase “Biological Women” and “Biological Male” to be **offensive and a slur**. As such, we call on **Public bodies, MPs and Journalists to stop using and perpetuating this offensive term with immediate effect.** ##### **“Biological Male” and “Biological Female” are not recognised by the scientific or clinical community.** The recent open letter from a coalition of biologists, doctors, and other subject matter experts to the Minister for Women and Equalities pointed out that “biological sex” is not a well-defined or fixed term: > “ _The terms ‘biological woman’ and ‘biological man’… are often_** _not used as scientific terms but political ones._**_To our knowledge, neither the [Supreme] court nor the EHRC has attempted to define ‘biological sex.’”_ The **correct and established scientific terms** used by Subject matter experts and the scientific community, as well as clinical terms, are: * **Sex Assigned at Birth/ Assigned [sex] at birth** : Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) and Assigned Male At Birth (AMAB); * **(Assigned) Sex to (Acquired) Sex:** Female to Male/ Nonbinary (FTM/N) and Male to Female/Non-binary (MTF/N); * **Trans People:** Trans Women, Trans Men, Non-binary People. There will inevitably be times when it is relevant to discuss sex at birth or current acquired sex/gender, especially in policy. The terms above are appropriate, used by subject matter experts and are non-offensive to trans people. They can be used to cover almost all subjects of conversation when talking about trans people, whilst maintaining **dignity and respect for us.** At the time when gender critics pushed their own terms (i.e. biological male, biological female when referring to trans people), these well-established, non-offensive scientific terms used in clinical and scientific contexts already existed and were commonly used within the trans community and outside of it. The terms “biological male” and “biological female” have been **clearly rejected by the scientific community**. Therefore, these terms have **no value as scientific descriptors** and should not be perpetuated under this **false premise.** ##### **The Effect of using these slurs to refer to trans people**. Transphobic slurs are an expression of hatred toward someone on account of that person’s gender reassignment. They are intended to **cause maximum offence to trans people,** and perpetuate stereotypes created by gender critics (That Trans women are cis men), which then lends legitimacy to their efforts to exclude us from services, society and public life. They intend to **elicit social shame, resentment and stigma.** These terms are: * **Not standard or established clinical terminology**. They provide no clinical or scientific value as a term, and well-established non-offensive terms have been used by subject matter experts with **no issue for several decades** (see: AGAB, AFAB, AMAB) * **Considered offensive by the Trans community:** * **Misgendering Trans people erases a trans person’s acquired gender/sex** in an effort to refer to them as their sex assigned at birth and therefore is **inherently offensive**. Misgendering equates to an act of **harassment and discrimination prohibited by the Equality Act.** * Ignores **lived experience** , **acquired social roles** in society or any **medical or civil changes to sex** that trans people may have made in their transition. * Draws a **false equivalence** between **Cis men and Trans women**. An equivalence that then **justifies their exclusion from women’s spaces, despite being women themselves.** This perpetuates and upholds **Direct Discrimination**. * **Invented by and used primarily by anti-trans activists/Transphobic persons** to misgender trans people and cause offence. We know that using slurs to refer to a protected minority group as a form of discrimination and hate causes **real negative effects on those minority groups** and people with protected characteristics. It is **clearly not respectful language** , as it causes offence, and disregards and belittles trans people’s Identities. **When respecting Trans people and the Trans* community as a whole, we should not refer to them in terms of “biological women” or “biological men.”** Signed, **Trans Advocacy and Complaints Collective** **If signing on behalf of an organisation, pleaseemail us or tell us in the comments below if you would like to include your organisation’s logo.**