Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending Mermaids’ third TRANS(CEND) event, an interactive day for trans youth with workshops, guest speakers, and most importantly, community. I was blown away by the positivity, intelligence and laughter in the room. What really stuck out for me though was the strength of the young trans adults in the room. In the face of adversity, they stood firm, speaking their truth and imagining a better future. Yet despite this strength, I know they needed to rest too. Today, within minutes of the Supreme Court’s ruling, my phone was abuzz with messages of…
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We are devastated for young people in the USA following the executive order that seeks to ban gender affirming care for under 19s. Right across the globe, extremist politicians are trying to deny trans youth the right to freely express themselves, despite clear evidence of the benefits of gender affirming care. We stand in full solidarity with the young people and their loved ones affected by these measures. This order reminds us that the right to healthcare is hard won but easily taken away. We will support our international partners who stand resolutely against the global anti-gender movement and continue…
From Monday 7th October, we will be reducing our support line opening hours to 1pm-8:30pm on weekdays, instead of 9am-9pm on weekdays. We have made this decision so that we can continue to support our community to the best of our ability through this difficult and uncertain time. The ongoing Charity Commission inquiry, which was opened almost two years ago, has left Mermaids’ future as an organisation more uncertain than ever. This process has come at a great cost. We’ve already been forced to make other difficult decisions about our staff team and the ways that we work, pausing vital projects…
Our Trans Youth Manifesto, which we published in June, outlines what young people need from their elected representatives, and their message is clear: they want to feel safe, welcome and protected, and to live in a world where they are celebrated, not debated. We hope the new Prime Minister will be true to his word, treating trans people with dignity and respect, and call on his new government to centre the needs and voices of trans young people in conversations that affect them. We will do all we can to make sure the voices of young people are heard in…
Cameron (they/them) reflects on their second Family Day as a volunteer with Mermaids. It’s the night before my second Mermaids’ Family Day. I am sitting snug on a couch with a cup of tea and some trifle, watching the Barbie movie with another Mermaids volunteer, her partner and their dogs. It seems unthinkable at this point that I had only met these people for the first time just a few hours earlier. It felt like I was reconnecting with some old friends, or that despite never having actually met before, we had always been connected in some way. This feeling…
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…
There’s been a lot going on with legal gender recognition reform over the past weeks. We know this has left many trans young people and their families feeling worried about the implications of the recent statement made by Kemi Badenoch, Minister for Women and Equalities, as well as reports that the UK Government may block Scottish gender recognition reform. Here we answer some of the most pressing questions raised by our community: What changes have been announced to the UK’s Gender Recognition Act (2004)? The UK Government has announced its intention to update the list of countries whose Gender Recognition…
On Saturday 9th July, Mermaids staff, volunteers and friends marched at Trans Pride London with over 20,000 others. View this post on Instagram A post shared by London Trans+ Pride (@londontranspride) In 30-degree heat, the trans community along with its allies shut down the roads of central London from Wellington Arch to Soho Square through to Piccadilly Circus. Along the route, there were chants calling for “trans rights now,” “trans people are valid” and cheers from both the marchers and people lining the pavements. We marched for trans visibility, for trans inclusion in the Ban Conversion Therapy bill, for better…
Today (31 March) is Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) a day where around the world we celebrate the accomplishments of trans, gender non-conforming and non-binary people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans liberation. Over recent years, we’ve seen a rise in anti-trans rhetoric from legislation to the media. At Mermaids, we wanted to look towards the future and ask the trans community and our allies what their hopes are and what they commit to doing to make the world a better place for trans people. Our Helpline Service Officers play a…
Mermaids Director of Legal and Policy, Lui Asquith on the need for the EHRC, institutions and allies to do more. (This article discusses issues around homophobia, transphobia, racism, self-harm and suicide) Last Thursday we signed a letter, along with other leaders of trans* and LGBTIQ+ organisations to express our frustration and disappointment at the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) recent record on LGBTIQ+ people’s rights and trans people’s rights specifically. During the week of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) we are reflecting on the last 12 months which has resulted in further suppression, marginalisation, policing…