Nurse accused of making ‘derogatory’ anti-trans comments tells discipline hearing she’s ‘not transphobic’
The friends and family of a trans woman who was shot and killed are calling her death a “hate crime.”(Credit: Getty Images)
A nurse from British Columbia, Canada in the midst of a discipline hearing over “derogatory” anti-trans comments has insisted that she is “not transphobic”.
Amy Hamm has been accused of unprofessional conduct over social media posts, podcast appearances, and videos in which she misgenders transgender women and alleges that they could be a danger to cisgender women and children.
In her hearing, conducted by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, Hamm argued that she kept her personal beliefs and work life completely separate, CBC reports.
However, the B.C College of Nurses and Midwives has warned that her anti-trans advocacy could discourage transgender individuals from seeking healthcare, potentially putting them at risk.
A notice from the college accuses Hamm of making “discriminatory and derogatory statements regarding transgender people while identifying [herself] as a nurse” between July 2018 and March 2021.
The college’s discipline panel had originally proposed a settlement that would see her agree to a two-week suspension of her license and see her undergo social media training. But Hamm rejected this proposal.
During her hearing, Hamm stated that she “never claimed to be a representative of my profession.”
However, the college pointed out that, in a number of articles that Hamm has written about transgender issues, she notes that she is a nurse. Hamm said that this was simply “a small biographical detail.”
Elsewhere in her cross examination, Hamm insisted that she was not transphobic, but was simply campaigning to keep transgender women away from female-segregated spaces like changing rooms and prisons.
“I’m not transphobic. I don’t have any issue with trans people — it’s the infringement on women and children’s rights,” she told the disciplinary panel.
She also shared her belief that pro-trans activists were “infringing on the rights of women and pushing institutions to adopt what are false and delusion beliefs.”
In social media posts and videos, seen by CBC, Hamm regularly, purposefully misgenders trans women and claims that they are a danger to cis women and children.
Tweets from the nurse have described non-binary adults as making “an extremely embarrassing display of narcissism and low intelligence.”
Hamm has also stated that she entirely rejects the idea of gender identity, describing it as “anti-scientific, metaphysical nonsense.”
Despite her harsh anti-trans beliefs, Hamm has insisted that, at work, she will always use people’s preferred pronouns.
She said: “Whether or not I agree with certain policies, I limit my advocacy for changing policies to outside of work.”
As part of the hearing, panel chair Edna McLellan asked Hamm whether her employer had ever raised concerns about what might happen if a transgender patient was made aware of her personal beliefs and advocacy and was uncomfortable working with her.
Hamm retorted that she has already agreed to remove herself if any patients express discomfort with her, but that her job rarely involves front-line nursing care.
Throughout her hearing, Hamm has continued to post anti-trans sentiments on social media. The hearing is set to wrap up on Wednesday (8 November).
