Thomas/Rebecca Gordon

Thomas/Rebecca Gordon, a violent male who identifies as a transgender woman, was convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in April 2023 of causing an animal (a cat) unnecessary suffering. Gordon, 30, was fined a total of £245 and banned from keeping or owning animals for the next two years.

Newspaper reports indicate that on January 4, 2021 Gordon had been caught on a neighbour’s CCTV ‘viciously drop-kicking the defenceless animal following a row with her [sic] mother’ but disingenuously claimed it was because the cat had bitten them – as if that would be justification for such shocking violence against a small animal. Violence against a family pet is included on the the internationally established CAADA-DASH risk checklist which is used by professionals working with victims of domestic abuse to help identify those who are at high risk of harm.

Media reporting regarding Gordon’s identity was predictably dismal, including “Edinburgh local kicked her own mother’s cat after row outside her home” and “Edinburgh woman banned after shocking animal cruelty footage captured on neighbour’s CCTV” – both articles used female pronouns throughout. Every reader comment on the Edinburgh Live piece pointed out that the offender is male and berated the editor for going along with the pretence that Gordon is a woman.

See this tag for other violent trans-identified individuals who have committed offences involving cruelty (including sexual abuse) towards animals.

Image via Edinburgh Evening News

Media reports

Edinburgh Live https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-local-kicked-mothers-cat-26630543 archive

Edinburgh Evening News https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/edinburgh-crime-thug-filmed-drop-kicking-her-mothers-cat-banned-from-keeping-animals-after-video-goes-viral-4092585 archive