The Queer Youth Network has expressed its "concern and disappointment" at the nomination of Guardian journalist Julie Bindel for a Stonewall Award.

It comes following her arguments in recent articles that transsexuals are "damaged" by surgery and that transsexuality is an "unhelpful ideology" that leaves people worse off.

Earlier this year Bendel [pictured] was banned from speaking alongside the NUS LGBT Campaign as a result.

The Queer and Trans Youth Networks believe her views to be "upsetting and deeply offensive" and that the nomination could be damaging to some of the most vulnerable people within the trans community.

"We believe her views to be upsetting and deeply offensive to many sections of our diverse LGBT community and have concluded that such recognition could prove damaging to some of the most vulnerable people (including transgender, transsexual, gender-queer and intersex young people) who already face great hardship and discrimination due to their gender identity," the group said in a statement.

In an open letter addressed to "fellow members and supporters of our community" and copied to Ben Summerskill, the chief executive, Stonewall, the Queer Youth Network founder and director David Joseph Henry called into question the credibility of the Stonewall Awards themselves.

"I accept these nominations do not represent the views of Stonewall, which leads me puzzled as to who exactly they do represent," it says.

"Despite our dismay at the nomination of Julie Bindel I have tremendous respect for many of Stonewall's past accomplishments which have been supported by ourselves and many often unsung activists and advocates, it is these are the people who should in fact be receiving recognition."

"We will continue to lend our expertise and guidance to them through our involvement in Stonewall's Education for All coalition of which we are a member," it adds.

The group state that there needs to be a greater sense of unity between the "LGB" community which Stonewall is a part of and the extended Trans and Queer communities who it says Stonewall are not actively engaging with.

Trans Youth Network has produced a poster to compliment the existing resources offered by Education for All, in particular the 'Some People are Gay – Get Over it' posters produced by Stonewall.

The TYN's poster reads 'Some People are Transgender – and we're over it!' which is available to download from the Trans Youth Network website at http://www.transyouth.org

"By adding balance and reason to the debate which has been tainted by cruel and inaccurate perpetuated by Julie Bindel and individuals who subscribe to her inflammatory beliefs we hope to eradicate Transphobic attitudes both within the LGBT community and beyond," the Trans Youth Network said.

"Although we may not posses the same level of resources as Stonewall and the dominant figures who speak on our behalf, we believe the way to overcome further ignorance is to educate our communities, friends and families on the all too often ignored but critical issue of gender identity that affect us all," they add.