“Since Girlguiding moved to exclude trans young women and girls from their membership last week, we’ve heard from many young people and parents on our support line who have already felt the significant emotional impact of this decision. We are deeply saddened and disappointed that Girlguiding, and the Women’s Institute who closely followed, felt compelled to exclude trans girls and women from their organisations following the Supreme Court ruling and the EHRC’s interim guidance, which has now been withdrawn. It is a great shame that young trans women and girls will no longer have access to the vital connection and…
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The NHS yesterday released further information about two new clinical trials into the use and effectiveness of puberty blockers for young transgender people. Jo Hardy, CEO of Mermaids said: “While we welcome the start of the long awaited puberty blocker clinical trial, it is disappointing to see that only a very small number of trans young people who are prepared to take part in an intrusive clinical trial will be able to access this treatment, and others will have to wait a year before their part of the trial commences. Whilst we acknowledge that not all trans young people want…
Trans Awareness Week, which falls every 13th-19th November, is for our community to share their stories and experiences, and for allies to show up and amplify advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that impact the trans community.This Trans Awareness Week is especially important for us, because it marks 30 years of Mermaids. We’ve come so far since 1995, when Mermaids was only a group of parents around a kitchen table. Now, we support thousands of trans children and young people, their loved ones, and professionals involved in their care, every year. We’re celebrating this amazing achievement by sharing…
Mermaids appoints Johanna Hardy as new Chief Executive Officer Mermaids, the UK charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families, is delighted to announce the appointment of Johanna Hardy (she/her) as its new Chief Executive Officer. Jo will be taking up the role in November 2025, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in the charity sector. Her career includes senior roles at Young Minds, Gingerbread, Contact and Mencap, with a strong focus on children, families, mental health and marginalised communities. Over the course of her career, Jo has led national helplines, face-to-face family…
Ahead of National Coming Out Day, Taylor, one of Mermaids’ Youth Advisory Panellists, shares his mixed feelings of disappointment and hope surrounding this calendar moment. As National Coming Out Day presents itself on the horizon once again, I am faced with polarising feelings. One half of my heart takes on a cynical perspective. Have we not progressed enough as a society to leave the need for a day celebrating declaring your identity to the world behind? The geopolitical state of the world grounds me when that question arises, with an atmosphere scarily echoing fascism erupting across the USA and marginalised…
After leading Mermaids for nearly three years, Lauren Stoner will be leaving the charity on 5th September. Lauren joined the charity on an interim basis in 2022 to guide Mermaids through the Charity Commission’s Statutory Inquiry. We are deeply grateful for Lauren’s expertise, hard work and dedication during that challenging period, and we wish her the very best for the future. With recruitment now well underway for Mermaids’ next permanent CEO, there will be a short transition period. We are pleased to announce that, with the approval of the Charity Commission, Kathryn Downs, former Chair of Mermaids, has stepped down…
If I tell you that it wasn’t until I was heading for the train home that I realised I had accidentally dressed in the colours of the trans flag, that should show you how busy, lively and all-encompassing Transcend was as a day! Transcend is an interactive day for trans young people aged 16-19 years to develop their advocacy and campaigning skills, and more importantly connect with each other. It’s attended by young people across the Mermaids community, from our youth forum, to MANGO, to YAP and more. This was my first time volunteering at an in-person Mermaids event, normally…
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently consulting on changes to its Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations. These changes have been made following the Supreme Court Judgment on the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010. We’ve teamed up with TransActual and The Equality Network to produce some guidance to help you respond to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s draft code of practice. We are deeply concerned by this draft and the impact it would have on trans children and young people if implemented as statutory guidance. We are encouraging our communities and…
Following the publication of the final Cass Review, the NHS has committed to implementing its recommendations. Despite this commitment, waiting times continue to grow, with some young people having waited more than 6 years for a first appointment. This is unacceptable. We know there have been many reports and announcements in recent weeks about the future of gender-affirming healthcare for young people so we have provided a short update to help you understand. What’s happening with the opening of new NHS Youth Gender services? The NHS has committed to opening up to 8 young people’s gender services, with 3 currently…
Over the weekend, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published an “interim update” following the Supreme Court judgment. This update isn’t statutory, which means that it’s not the law, and can’t be enforced. It is likely that providers following this update are at risk of unlawful discrimination. We are deeply concerned about this interim update, which will have significant negative impacts for trans, non-binary and intersex children, young people and adults, from where they get changed for PE, to which toilets they use at school or in public and even which youth organisations and clubs they can join. No…