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Blog — News

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

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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Annabel Mulliner

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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Annabel Mulliner

A day with the UN’s Independent Expert on SOGI

Elijah, a member of Mermaids’ Youth Advisory Panel, had the opportunity to give evidence to Mr Victor Madrigal Borloz, the United Nations’ Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), during his visit to the UK.  Victor Madrigal-Borloz visited the UK to listen to a range of stakeholders, including Mermaids, as part of his report into the human rights of LGBT+ people in the UK.  Now that the Independent Expert’s end of mission statement (TW: references to suicide) is released, Elijah recounts his experience and what the day signified for him personally. As…

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Mermaids Press

Trans youth call for UK Government to step up on LGBTQIA+ rights at the United Nations

A member of Mermaids’ Youth Advisory Panel recently spoke at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on the UK Government’s LGBTQIA+ rights record. What’s happened and why does it matter? Every four to five years, each UN Member State undergoes a review of their human rights record with other countries presenting their recommendations to the UK this year. The recommendations to the UK Government on LGBTQIA+ issues grew fivefold – especially on trans healthcare, legal recognition and banning conversion therapy.  What did Mermaids do? Mermaids and Stonewall submitted evidence on the UK Government’s LGBTQIA+ rights record and presented our…

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Mermaids Press

Statement on EDI at Mermaids

In 2022, Mermaids decided to carry out a frank and honest appraisal of our internal culture and how we measure up in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion and to understand oppression which our staff experienced. We thank our staff for their honesty and bravery throughout this process. An independent external report which we commissioned has highlighted a number of significant challenges for us. Today we are sharing the recommendations from this report and the next steps which the team are already taking.  We know we must do better and we are absolutely committed to doing so, and are implementing…

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Mermaids Press

Mermaids v Charity Commission and LGB Alliance: hearing transcripts

Thank you to everyone who has supported our challenge to the charitable status of the LGB Alliance. As outlined previously, the case is a complex one, but we believe we have presented a strong case and are grateful for the opportunity to have made our arguments in full at tribunal last year. The hearing transcripts are now available to download below. 9 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September Thank you for continuing to stand with us as we await a judgement in this case. Notes to editors 1. Read the appeal grounds in full as filed here as well…

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Mermaids Press

Scotland leads the way on Gender Recognition Reform in the UK

In a huge win for trans people, the Scottish Parliament has passed a landmark Bill removing barriers to legal recognition We are delighted by the news that the Scottish Parliament has passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill by 86 votes to 39. At a time when trans people in the UK are facing growing hostility, Scottish MSPs have shown bravery and a commitment to equality in supporting this long-overdue legislation, and we send our gratitude and admiration to the Scottish campaigners who have tirelessly fought for reform for over six years.  The reforms mean a trans person can more easily…

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Mermaids Press

Mermaids appoints interim CEO

Mermaids has appointed an interim CEO, who will be joining the charity this week.  Lauren Stoner (she/her) has spent most of her career working in health and social care with a focus on person-centred support, rights, and voice. Her career to date has focused on fundraising and policy change, ensuring that disabled people and abuse survivors have the right support. Lauren has also been involved in developing and supporting partnerships with providers, commissioners and others across the statutory, voluntary, and community sector. She lives in Nottingham with her partner and their pet rats. In a letter to staff, supporters and…

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