A DEMONSTRATION will take place in Oxford in support of the city’s transgender community following a row over transphobic stickers.

During the past few months the stickers - offensive to transgender people - have been appearing on lampposts and street furniture across the city.

READ MORE: Woman's Place UK insists it is not transphobic

Supporters of the transgender community have retaliated by removing them and putting up their own stickers to show support.

READ AGAIN: Sticker fight over transphobic messages

On Friday there will be a demonstration outside the Clarendon Building in Broad Street at 7pm.

Oxford Mail:

This is being timed to coincide with an event staged by Woman’s Place UK, entitled A Woman’s Place Is At The Lectern. The venue has not yet been revealed.

READ MORE: Woman fined thousands after sub-letting council flat

Trans Action Oxford claimed Woman’s Place UK ‘describes itself as a feminist organisation but in reality is a group whose primary aim is to erode existing rights for transgender people’.

Oxford Mail:

The group added that Woman’s Place UK was set up to oppose changes to the Gender Recognition Act which would improve trans people’s lives.

A spokesperson for Trans Action Oxford, who asked not to be named, added: “As a collective, Trans Action Oxford has made the decision not to directly protest the WPUK meeting.

READ AGAIN: Oxford rock band Foals announce city show

“We do not wish to fan the flames of the narrative of false victimhood which is so often spread by groups like WPUK.

"None of our actions aim to prevent them from speaking, or stop their event from taking place.

Oxford Mail:

“Instead, we have chosen to organise a demonstration of solidarity in order to give trans people a voice in discussions of their own rights, and to send out a strong message that harmful and discriminatory views such as those held by their speakers have no place in our city.”

Woman's Place UK was founded in September 2017 to ensure women’s voices would be heard in the consultation on proposals to change the Gender Recognition Act

Thames Valley Police officers are investigating the offensive sticker posting as a public order offence but it is not being treated as a hate crime.

The maximum sentence for threatening behaviour, the most common public order offence, is six months plus a fine.

A hate crime, including hate speech, could attract a sentence of six months to three years’ imprisonment, or a fine.

READ MORE: Posting transphobic stickers is a public order offence

Zayna Ratty, a spokesperson for Oxford Pride, said earlier she was ‘not sure’ why the offence was being categorised as a public order offence instead of a hate crime.

She added: “If it was a racist sticker then I think it would be classified as a hate crime."

Oxford Mail:

The latest crime statistics for the city have revealed the sharp rise from the year before, where only one incident was formally recorded.

From September through to August, 12 transphobic incidents where a crime had occurred were recorded.

In 2016 not a single crime motivated by the fact that someone may be transgender was recorded.

Kiri Tunks, co-founder of Woman's Place UK, said: "Woman’s Place UK was established to ensure women’s voices are heard and their rights are upheld.

"We are not a transphobic organisation and do not accept that rights for trans people must be at the expense of women's hard won rights.

"We are pleased to see Trans Action Oxford accepts our right to meet and discuss our concerns free from intimidation or harassment.

"We look forward to a great meeting on Friday."