Protesters call for trans woman Zoe Watts be held in female prison

Supporters of trans prisoner Zoe Watts have gathered outside a courthouse to urge officials to hold her in a female prison wing for her own safety.

A “noise demo” protest was held outside Lincoln Crown Court on Monday (13 January) during Watts’ first appearance following her arrest on firearms charges in December.

The former police community support officer, from St Helen’s Avenue, Lincoln, is charged with the possession of a firearm without a certificate, and possessing a firearm when prohibited, as well as allegedly manufacturing a firearm.

Activist group Justice4ZoeWatts, who scheduled the demonstration, said she has been placed in the men’s wing of HMP Peterborough.

Protestors were heard banging drums, blowing trumpets and horns, and cheering as Watts entered the court.

“Zoe’s treatment as an incarcerated person highlights two grisly truths,” a spokesperson for Justice4ZoeWatts told PinkNews.

“Despite its pink-washing policies and tokenism, the UK government has never seen trans women as women, nor does it see prisoners as people. The way the government treats transgender prisoners reveals a lot about how they intend to treat our trans siblings who still have their freedom.

“If we, as a community, do not show solidarity to the incarcerated, we cannot achieve liberation.”

According to the group, Watts is being held in her cell for 23 and a half hours each day for her own safety, only being allowed out “when there are no other prisoners out of [theirs]”.

‘This is a bigger issue than myself’

In a statement issued while in custody, Watts has alleged that prison officers have treated her aggressively and routinely misgender her.

The conditions are reportedly having a “severe impact” on her mental health.

Government policy states that trans women should be held in women’s prisons if they have the appropriate paperwork such as a gender recognition certificate (GRC) and have not been charged with an offence of sexual violence.

Watts is not on the sex offenders register, and has a GRC, meaning she is legally recognised as female in the UK. She also has a female birth certificate.

“This is a bigger issue than myself, it could affect all trans men, trans women and non-binary people,” Watts said in her statement. “It is using out-of-date classifications long behind society.”

Among those at the protest was transgender former prisoner and author of Transgender Behind Prison Walls, Sarah Jane Baker, who was also held in the male wing of a UK prison.

“It’s important to remember that this isn’t about Zoe Watts as a person,” she said. “This isn’t about the court case. It’s about the treatment of a legal woman being held in a male prison, not because of the law but because of politics.”

Baker was held in a men’s ward following an allegation of a public order offence, of which she was found not guilty. During that time, she was denied hormones and administered testosterone, which activists argued “amounts to a medical detransition“.

No plea was entered during Watts’ hearing and judge Simon Hirst remanded her back into custody, the BBC reported. She will appear again on 13 February.

PinkNews has contacted HMP Peterborough for comment.