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EmailThis Trans Awareness Week, we celebrate the incredible trans people in our lives and the activists, organisations and groups that provide vital advocacy, support and services. Like many marginalised communities these are often provided by trans people, for trans people.
I am still in my first weeks as CEO of Stonewall and as we mark this week, I am acutely aware of the demonisation and dehumanisation trans people across the UK and the world experience. This includes lack of and withdrawal of high-quality affirmative healthcare services, health inequalities and rising transphobia and hate.
Since 2020, anti-trans hate crime has risen by over 70 per cent. Despite official figures showing a slight drop in reported anti-trans hate crime over the last year, this is only part of the picture – many trans people don’t report their experiences to the police. That is why Stonewall is campaigning for a safer society for all LGBTQ+ people with our Hold my Hand campaign – which thousands of people have already supported.
When I was growing up as a gay teenager, I learned that at best, gay people were not considered normal, and at worst we were dangerous and predatory. Our lives were up for debate. From the classroom to the workplace and the streets, the discrimination we experienced was blatant and expected.
Now, as then, trans people face similar demonisation and people debate the rights and needs of trans people without including trans voices in discussions. So often, people from different parts of the LGBTQ+ community are ‘othered’ – that is, they are viewed or treated as intrinsically different to other people. This has been particularly intense for trans people in recent years.
Tackling misinformation - whether deliberate or accidental - is critical, and empowering allies to recognise and challenge this can move us toward positive and fact-based engagement that reflects the actual lives of all trans and non-binary people.
I know from my early conversations as CEO that, since Stonewall became trans inclusive in 2015, despite some good work and the best intentions our work hasn’t always empowered and uplifted trans voices and the many organisations that directly support trans people and lobby for change as well as we and others hoped. As we move forward, I look forward to candid and honest feedback about how we play our role effectively and amplify trans voices and organisations effectively.
Awareness weeks are important and they must drive action. Trans people and allies are delivering vital services for, with and to trans people; from mental health support, to advocacy and legal advice. Organisations such as Gendered Intelligence, Mermaids and TransActual exist alongside smaller community groups and individuals. Together they have created a vibrant sector to champion trans rights and improve lives, and it’s more important than ever that this critical work is recognised and appreciated.
One of the privileges of my role is thinking about how we as a sector can reset the relationship with our new government and the national conversation about the importance of all LGBTQ+ people living free with dignity and respect, from prejudice and harm and to think about how all the different players in the sector work together to advance LGBTQ+ equality for all.
I am excited to be having conversations with trans and non-binary people, trans-led and trans-inclusive organisations to understand how, as we build our new strategy and approach, we at Stonewall play our part in securing a fairer, just and equal world.
The more candid the conversations, the stronger the learning, partnerships and alliances will be – even when where there are sometimes different perspectives, strategies and roles.
Partnerships deliver change and our TRANSforming Futures programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund demonstrates that. We have had the enormous privilege of working with community groups and organisations to support trans people and allies to provide creative, participatory, trans led solutions to issues and challenges. The first step was to commission research to help us understand the experience of trans people in healthcare and the criminal justice system, as well as the experiences of trans young people. This research informed the commissioning of 18 national and local projects.
One of these projects is the Black Trans Foundation’s funding to provide free therapy to Black trans and non-binary people. The evidence shows that those who experience multiple inequalities often lack specialist support services and cannot access charged-for services. Through this programme the Black Trans Foundation supported 57 Black trans people with four to six months of free therapy.
This is just one of the projects that demonstrate the power and importance of trans-led initiatives. Designed and delivered by trans people, for trans people.
This Trans Awareness Week we must start moving from awareness to action. In the face of hostility and prejudice, trans and non-binary people and their allies continue to resist through acts of joy and demonstrate resilience, rising time and again, and showing that change is both essential and possible.
As I said back in 2021 as I stepped down as vice chair of the Board, the Stonewall I love will always be at the vanguard of change. The Stonewall I love will always be a place that stands up for all LGBTQ+ people. The Stonewall I love is driven by a deep understanding of the importance of solidarity across and beyond our LGBTQ+ communities.
We won’t always get it right, but we will always act with good intent and do all we can to amplify trans voices. A fairer, just and more equal world where trans people can live freely and safely can only be achieved through collaboration and partnership. We will always be stronger together.
