BBC children’s presenter ‘trans ally’ scheme slammed as unsafe and irresponsible

A BBC children’s TV presenter has been criticised for facilitating a “safeguarding catastrophe” with a badge scheme for ‘trans allies’.

Dr Ronx Ikharia, who has hosted CBBC’s Operation Ouch and identifies as “black, queer, transmasculine, non-binary”, is behind a campaign for people, including children, to wear yellow ‘Safe With Me’ badges in schools and offices to show they are happy to accompany people who identify as “trans+” into their preferred single-sex toilet.

The stunt has been set up in opposition to the recent Supreme Court ruling that sex in the Equality Act refers to biological sex. This means that access to single-sex spaces, such as women’s toilets, must be based on biological sex.

Dangerous spaces

Dr Ronx claims the Supreme Court ruling “means trans+ people may be forced into spaces where they don’t feel safe. Toilets are one of the most dangerous of these spaces.”

The ‘Safe With Me’ crowdfunding page states that “wearing the badge means: you will accompany trans+ people to their preferred facilities if asked; you are committed to non-confrontational, active allyship; and you stand for trans+ safety, dignity and joy, not just rights.”

The target of raising £10,000 was achieved, and the first batch of the badges has been handed out.

‘Safeguarding catastrophe’

Helen Joyce, Director of Advocacy at women’s rights charity Sex Matters, called the badges “a safeguarding catastrophe”.

She explained: “Asking children to approach adult strangers and take responsibility for their safety in toilet facilities puts children at obvious and serious risk. As for adults wearing ‘safe with me’ badges that children are supposed to believe, it’s hard to think of a more irresponsible idea.”

She stated that she would flag the campaign to the Education Secretary as a safeguarding issue, adding: “Any organisation involved in distributing these badges is either extremely naive or is willing to undermine safeguarding.”

Breast binders

Dr Ronx has raised concerns before by promoting the use of breast binders in a programme aimed at young people.

During the BBC Three programme ‘The Unshockable Dr Ronx’, Frankie, 17, reveals she wears a breast binder but that it is causing her medical issues. Dr Ronx advised that she needs a breast binder a couple of sizes up.

Breast binders are worn by women to make them appear more masculine by compressing the chest in an attempt to hinder breast development.