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Mermaids Press

How my favourite teacher helped me to accept myself as a teenager

Johanna (she/her) reflects on how a quiet act of allyship from her favourite teacher made a world of difference to her while she was closeted at school. Quiet support at school made a world of difference to me as a closeted trans teenager. I was 17, aware that I was not cisgender, and absolutely terrified. Although I felt unable to truly come out, I still experimented with my gender expression, namely by maintaining long hair and painted nails. In my sixth and final year of high school I took Advanced Higher Drama and began to show a keen interest in…

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Mermaids Press

NHS England is trying to further limit trans youth’s healthcare: Here’s how you can take action

NHS England is proposing that puberty blockers only be available to trans youth through a mandatory, long-term research study – and only to a small group of people. They have put this idea out for consultation, meaning that the public (you!) can provide feedback. This is a window in which change is possible, but only with public pressure. Access to healthcare is a basic right. Healthcare for trans children and young people in England is already extremely limited, with a 5+ year wait list and appointments virtually at a standstill this year. This is why we need to act now….

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Mermaids Press

Statement

On 25 November 2022 we announced that Susie Green had left Mermaids. Following this, various media outlets reported that Susie has resigned from the organisation due to issues in relation to her leadership of the organisation. This was not correct and this false speculation has been upsetting to Susie, who has been involved with Mermaids for many years. We regret that we did not address this speculation at the time and are sorry for any negative impact this reporting has had on Susie and her family. Throughout her time with the organisation Susie has shown hard work, passion and commitment…

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Mermaids Press

Statement in response to Conservative Party conference

In the last week, senior Conservatives, including the Prime Minister, have used their Party Conference to distract from the real social, economic and environmental issues faced by everyone in the UK by repeatedly sharing transphobic rhetoric and undermining the existence and rights of the trans community. Nothing that has been said is a change to the law, or to the rights of our community, but these statements further legitimise the harassment which many trans young people and their families experience every day in the media, at home, at work, school and online. Trans young people and their families are asking…

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Mermaids Press

Goodbye Twitter, hello TikTok

At Mermaids, we are committed to using our social media platforms to support our charitable aims to embrace and empower trans young people and their families, and educate the wider public on the issues they face. We believe that as a platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, no longer supports these aims.  For some time now, it has been clear that our values as an organisation are at odds with X, as the platform’s guidelines and company ethics do not encourage a safe, healthy or inclusive environment for our community to engage with us in. For these reasons, we have…

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Mermaids Press

Changes to the UK equalities’ watchdog technical guidance for schools: What it means for trans young people

Mermaids’ Policy team looks at recent changes to the EHRC’s technical guidance for how schools should implement the Equality Act, and what it might mean for trans youth. What have the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said? The EHRC have recently made changes to their technical guidance for how schools in England should implement the Equality Act 2010.  Robin Moira White, a barrister specialising in discrimination, has disputed its interpretation of existing equalities law.  It is important to note that the law has not changed, nor is this the long-awaited trans schools guidance promised by the UK Government. In…

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Mermaids Press

New: Mermaids Governance Review by NCVO

Mermaids has been supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse young people to survive and thrive since 1995 and has been a registered charity since 2015. We’ve experienced significant growth and change in that time, and in 2022-23 our income exceeded £2,000,000 for the first time, while we supported over 10,000 individuals.  Given this growth, and following our report into equity, diversity and inclusion, which highlighted significant concerns about governance and leadership at Mermaids, the trustees decided to commission a comprehensive, independent review of our governance. We knew that doing so would invite ever more scrutiny into our organisation at an already…

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Mermaids Press

Becoming a Mermaids Trustee: Frequently Asked Questions

We’re delighted to be recruiting for new trustee roles, including a new chair. In this round of recruitment, we’re looking to recruit people who have historically been underrepresented on our board. To this end, we would like to recruit two trustees aged 18-25 with lived trans experience. Interested but aren’t sure what it involves? We’ve put together a handy FAQ, explaining what it’s like to be a trustee and all the key information you need to know. The closing date for trustee applications is 10 September. Find out more about how to apply by visiting our jobs page. How much…

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Mermaids Press

Statement on the ruling in Mermaids v Charity Commission and LGB Alliance

In June 2021, Mermaids, supported by a coalition of LGBT+ organisations, appealed the decision by the Charity Commission to register LGB Alliance (LGBA) as a charity. We argued that LGBA shouldn’t be recognised as a charity because it was focused on hostile anti-trans activism and not (as it claimed) on the promotion of lesbian, gay and bisexual rights.  The hearing took place over seven days in September and November 2022, and the Tribunal handed down its decision on Thursday 6 July 2023. Their decision is that Mermaids doesn’t have legal standing to bring the appeal. Standing in this context is…

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Mermaids Press

New NHS England guidelines restricting future access to puberty blockers: Our analysis

Mermaids’ policy team explains what the recently published guidelines mean for trans youth in England and Wales NHS England has published guidelines for how the new Hubs replacing GIDS will deliver children and young people’s gender related healthcare, which will be updated based on the Cass Review’s final report. While responses from Mermaids and supporters mitigated some of the most harmful proposals from the consultation, the final version continues to restrict, pathologise and undermine access to care. These guidelines do not come into effect until the new Hubs open, and do not apply to current GIDS patients at this point….

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