Yesterday, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the ‘legal definition’ of a woman should be based on biological sex, and not gender identity, in a move that has been widely-criticised and said to have put trans rights back by 20 years.
Helen Belcher, chair of trans advocacy group TransActual said: “The Supreme Court has made a ruling which appears to contain a number of contradictions. Irrespective of the small print, the intent seems clear: to exclude trans people wholesale from participating in UK society.
“Today, we are feeling very excluded.”
Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive at human rights charity Amnesty International also said: “All public authorities in the UK need to unequivocally enforce protections for trans people against discrimination and harassment.”
While we don’t know the full extent of how this will impact trans people’s lives, it’s clear that trans people’s rights are under threat in the UK and we have a lot of work to do as allies.
How to help trans people in the UK
How to support on a community level
Speaking to HuffPost UK in 2023, Gabbi Tuft, former professional wrestler and one of WWE’s first transgender women, said: “Allies can help by simply being decent human beings. Using someone’s pronouns, as strange as it may feel to you, can make a massive difference in that person’s day and even their quality of life.”
It costs nothing and it’s basic decency, really.
Additionally, trans advocacy charity Advocates For Trans Equality advises that when pushing for support, don’t settle for ‘tolerance’, saying: “Push for support and inclusivity, not just “tolerance.” A baseline of tolerance—allowing transgender people to exist—is an important start, but we can do more. If your school brings outside speakers or hosts events, make sure that some of them include transgender people and topics.
“If your business donates to nonprofits, look into partnering with organisations that support the transgender community. If your organisation posts community events on social media, include some from the transgender community.
How to support trans charities
Of course, donating to charity is always a great idea if you can afford to. In the UK, we have The Gender Trust, Mermaids, LGBT Youth Scotland, Engender, Gires and Depend, just to name a few.
Alternatively, you can sign up to donate £5 a month to FiveforFive, which is goes towards five transfem causes in the UK. According to the organiser, this is broken down into:
- Three fifths (60% total) to transfem crowdfunds within the UK, randomly chosen from a list people can submit themselves or others to
- One fifth each (40% total) to two trans/LGBT organisations/groups doing work with trans girls, women and transfem people, with the caveat that any donation is specifically earmarked
Of course, this isn’t possible for everybody and we are still experiencing a cost of living crisis so if you can’t afford to donate, you’re still not powerless and even sharing trans charity’s social media posts, raising awareness of the work they do and even volunteering now and then makes a huge difference.
Write to your MP
Now is a great time to remember that your local MP works for you and represents you. Getting in touch to let them know how you feel, what you hope that they’ll do in the coming months and years to support trans people and that this is something you’re closely following is completely free.
It’s understandable if you feel daunted by this and the prospect of writing such a formal email but needn’t be. Use your voice, no matter how unpolished you may think it is and make sure that you are heard.
The website WriteToThem offers a free service for writing to your local MP’s. Simply enter your postcode to find your local MP, click on their name and write what you want them to read.
Speak to the trans people in your life and ask how you can help
More than ever, we need to be listening to the trans people around us, and asking how we can help. Whether it’s helping with groceries, joining marches or even just sharing resources with cis allies, community is essential.
Help and support:
- The Gender Trust supports anyone affected by gender identity | 01527 894 838
- Mermaids offers information, support, friendship and shared experiences for young people with gender identity issues | 0208 1234819
- LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest youth and community-based organisation for LGBT people in Scotland. Text 07786 202 370
- Gires provides information for trans people, their families and professionals who care for them | 01372 801554
- Depend provides support, advice and information for anyone who knows, or is related to, a transsexual person in the UK
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