By Sonay Ibrahim

A TRANS MAN who identifies as a straight male has shared how others often mistakenly just assume he is gay.

The man in his thirties, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared his experience after visiting a sex shop this week, where he said he had an awkward encounter with a member of staff and two other customers due to being mistaken as a gay man.

He said that he had to clarify that he was buying certain products not because he is gay, but because he is trans. 

He had experienced similar uncomfortable instances at Pride events, adding that after his transition, some people seem to not understand the meaning behind what he was explaining to them.

“People need to understand the difference between sexuality and gender,” he said.

“There have been times where a man has flirted with me but has then got offended when I explained that I identify as a straight male. No means no.” 

He said that public judgement and presumptions also disrupt his basic human right to use public toilets.

“I can’t stand to pee yet,” he joked as he explained that he feels obliged to go into disabled toilets when out because of public judgement of his appearance.

He feels obligated to make others more comfortable at the risk of his own comfortability – which is something that he did as a homosexual woman who never truly identified as a female.

When asked of his opinion on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plans on reviewing where transgender rights stand in The Equal Rights Act 2010, he responded: “He should focus on other laws; people are dying out here.”

He hopes that the UK is encouraged to become more aware of transgender rights so that the people in his community do not feel pressurised to validate their identity to others.

By Michal Okonski

A Leicester-based charity visited De Montfort University on Tuesday(NOV15) to raise awareness of mental health assistance dogs.

RAD Assistance Dogs specialises in training dogs in mental health assistance with specialised
commands that help people struggling with a range of mental and physical disabilities.

“I like to call them lifesavers with fur,” Rachael Harris, operations manager at RAD, said.

“Some of our members wouldn’t leave the house without their dog,” she added.

RAD was founded ten years ago but gained extra popularity during the Covid lockdown
period and now has service users across the UK, training its dogs with them through
online Zoom call.

The charity is extremely proud of the work it does with owners’ own canines, who can be
any size or breed.

One of the dogs that students got to meet at the Students’ Union visit was Daisy-Mae, who is the
only known assistance Japanese Chin in the UK.

“Daisy-Mae’s size doesn’t stop her from being one of the most amazing assistance dogs we
have!,” said Rachel.

“She recently received a commendation from the PDSA after saving her owner from taking
her own life. Only 150 animals in the country have received that.”

Each dog’s training regime can be highly personalised to its owners needs, such as helping
them take their clothes off or performing deep pressure therapy to reduce the impact of a
panic attack.

“Daisy-Mae recently sensed that her owner’s oxygen levels got too low and tapped her in
the middle of the night to get her oxygen mask on. That saved her life. She’s incredible,”
Rachael Harris noted.

RAD’s details, and how to get involved, can be found at www.radassistancedogs.org.uk and
training your own dog through its sessions costs just £2 a month.