A transgender campaigner and journalist from Letchworth is helping to lead the fight against claims that there is a ‘trans agenda.’

After being “battered and bruised” by accusations in the national media, Jane Fae and other members of the trans community hit back on Tuesday with the social media hashtag #MythsAboutTrans.

Stories dismissed as ‘myths’ include claims that trans people want to do away with gender in the national census, support surgery for primary school children and were behind Transport for London’s decision to replace its ‘ladies and gentlemen’ greeting with ‘hello everyone’.

The tag started to circulate on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon after Jane called time on claims that trans people wanted to replace the term ‘expectant mothers’ with ‘pregnant people.’

Responding to one national newspaper seeking clarification as to the supposed trans agenda, she said: “The stories currently making headlines are a mix of gender issues rather than trans issues, spurious reporting – where things alleged subsequently turn out to be not quite as alleged – and poor allyship.

“That is, organisations seek to help the trans community while not actually consulting with us as to what would be helpful.”

Jane said she had contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the ‘pregnant people’ story.

She said it had made clear to her that in proposals to the UN, it had argued not for removing reference to women but for adding reference to trans people.

However, it would not confirm what consultations, if any, it had held with trans organisations – leading Jane to suspect they had not consulted.

She said: “Many in the trans community are seriously upset by these stories, since they create in the public mind a misperception that we are obsessed with petty details of language and dress.

“In fact, the vast majority of trans campaigners are focused on achieving simple rights for trans people such as necessary healthcare, an end to discrimination in education and work, and serious attempts to tackle the violence that all too many trans people still experience while trying to pursue their daily lives in public.”

Jane, recognised in 2015 as one of the most influential LGBT people in Britain, last year summed up any perceived divide as being “artificial, as all divides are”.