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Mermaids Press

Sector statement on Emergency Prohibition of Puberty Suppressing Hormones

As organisations that provide support to our LGBTQ+ community, we are extremely disappointed at the introduction of emergency legislation to ban the prescription of puberty-suppressing hormones (also known as GnRH analogues) in England, Wales and Scotland. This legislation has been drafted and will be implemented from 3 June 2024 without a full impact assessment, and we are already seeing the harm and distress this is causing amongst trans young people and their families.  We are reviewing the legislation with experts to understand the implications and will provide factual information for those affected once we have it. We recommend that any child…

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Mermaids Press

Joint statement with trans and LGBTQ+ organisations on proposed changes to NHS Constitution

Everyone deserves timely access to holistic, high-quality healthcare and to be treated with dignity, privacy and respect throughout their treatment and care.  This includes trans, non-binary and intersex people who already face significant barriers and inequality when accessing NHS care.The consultation closes on 25th June 2024, and will inform changes to the NHS Constitution that will be in place until 2035.  We have concerns about some of the changes proposed, particularly those likely to impact trans patients and healthcare professionals.  In the meantime, we’d like to remind everyone that these proposals are under consultation, and will not change how NHS…

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Mermaids Press

The Cass Review: Mermaids’ response

Everyone deserves access to timely, supportive and holistic healthcare. However, across all of the UK, the NHS is failing trans youth, with appalling waiting lists of more than six years, virtually no first appointments offered for over a year, and increased politicisation of the support offered to children and young people.  Trans youth tell us they want services which are accepting and respectful, which offer supportive spaces to explore their gender, and provide access to medical transition if and when they need it.  The Cass Review, an independent review of NHS England gender services for children and young people, published…

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Mermaids Press

NHS puberty blockers policy change: Mermaids’ statement

NHS England has today (12 March 2024) announced that from 1 April they will no longer routinely prescribe puberty blockers. They will be available in the future, but only through a mandatory research trial. This announcement is deeply disappointing, and a further restriction of support offered to trans children and young people through the NHS, which is failing trans youth. There were virtually no first appointments offered in 2023, with ever-growing waiting lists of over five years. Those currently prescribed puberty blockers won’t see any changes to their treatment, and this is a pause on prescribing – not a ban. It’s also…

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Mermaids Press

Mermaids appoints Lauren Stoner as permanent CEO

Lauren Stoner has been appointed permanent CEO of Mermaids on a two-year fixed term basis.  An experienced charity professional with a background in health and social care, Lauren (she/her) joined the charity as Interim CEO in December 2022 and has successfully steered the organisation through challenging times. Her leadership will see us into our 30th anniversary year in 2025.  On Lauren’s appointment, incoming Chair of Trustees Kathryn Downs (she/her) said: “Lauren has demonstrated impressive leadership, implemented new working practices and, in particular, begun the crucial process of improving the culture at Mermaids. “Her leadership on EDI matters has been strong…

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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

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

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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