Consortium

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Getting to know our Acting Chair Carina

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One of the joys of being part of the Consortium family is seeing the impact we have across the sector. Whether that be from Consortium’s grant-giving work, or its support for Members in numerous ways seen and unseen. I joined Consortium as a trustee in 2019. I am passionate about infrastructure work and immensely proud to play a part in the valuable work of Consortium in supporting LGBT+ communities. It can feel – particularly at the moment – that the onslaught of challenges is unrelenting. Yet I do believe we are stronger when we come together, and I see that so clearly in Consortium’s mission and work. One of my favourite aspects of being a trustee is reading the annual Insight Report, and the reports and case studies following a grant-giving round. I am naturally curious and get a great deal of pleasure finding out what Members around the country are up to!

I have a long history working as a Solicitor. I used to tell myself that my mother wanted me to be a lawyer and I had little choice in the matter.  I confess that’s not entirely true – in later life I have come to make friends with my inner governance and regulatory geek. I enjoy pouring over Constitutional documents, the finer points of data protection law and a nicely-constructed contract.  Nor is my legal background all I have to offer. Life is a journey, and my journey has had some bends in the road. I bring with me all those twists and turns: legal knowledge and skills, experience of working with young people, experience of working and volunteering in LGBT+ communities, coaching, passion and training for mental and emotional wellbeing. Being a trustee is a legal responsibility but also deeply rewarding.

So who am I?  I am passionate about ecotherapy and spend a great deal of time worrying about climate change. I was indoctrinated from a young age to support Spurs, which I have found to be a lifelong exercise in patience and resilience. I am often found trampling in woodland undergrowth foraging for edibles accompanied by Olive, my exceedingly patient Labrador. My favourite meal is toast with real butter, and a decent cup of tea. I love Marmite. I am a lesbian. I am a governance geek. I love Star Trek (TNG) and West Wing. I am an intersectional feminist. I am someone friends turn to for a non-judgemental, friendly ear. I am also a good person to have in a pub quiz team only if there is a round on Capital Cities.  We have a challenging year ahead, but I am excited about future developments for our sector.

Consortium’s response to Government’s announcement on GRA reform

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After months of delay the Government have announced details of minimal administrative changes to improve the process for legal gender recognition of trans people in England and Wales. Less costly and bureaucratic processes in relation to obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate are of course welcome and create a small form of improvement. Read the Government’s response here.

However, Consortium and its Member organisations are disappointed that the Government have reneged from their responsibilities to implement positive and meaningful reforms—something that had been promised. Trans and non-binary people, from all backgrounds and identities, have been subjected to relentless attacks on their own identity and this is unacceptable. All trans and non-binary should feel dignity and respect just like others in society are afforded on a daily basis. The missed opportunities through today’s announcement means this simply won’t be the case.

The UK is once again at serious risk of moving further behind other more progressive countries in terms of Trans Equality. The UK is now clearly lagging behind other countries including Ireland, Denmark and Norway. The Republic of Ireland have had a de-medicalised, self-determination system for gender recognition since 2015 without any arguable repercussions. We have now missed our opportunity to reclaim our spot as the most LGBT-inclusive European country.

The Government has consistently boasted about achieving over 100,000 responses in its 2018 LGBT Survey, and how this is the largest government-level survey of its kind. More than 70% of respondents were in favour of positive reform yet the Government will only pursue minimal administrative changes. This is all at a time when trans people continue to face huge inequalities across all areas of life as highlighted through the together. campaign.

It is not only Trans+ and LGBT+ organisations calling on the Government for positive and transformative change. The British Medical Association has also called on the Government to permit trans people to be recognised for who they authentically are without a medical diagnosis.

Trans+ and LGBT+ organisations across the country have been united in trying to secure these positive reforms. Thousands of trans people in England and Wales have been let down and this has clearly made their lives much harder. We will continue to fight and stand #TogetherWithTrans for positive reforms.

The news of additional Gender Identity Clinics is sorely needed and welcome, and our hope is these are opened without delay. Waiting times for Gender Identity Services have grown considerably longer, adding further stresses.  Trans healthcare is an incredibly important area of need. However, this shouldn’t be seen as an and/or. Better healthcare, tackling hate crime, positive reforms of the GRA—they should go hand in hand and all be progressed.

Consortium and its Trans Organisations Network (TON) would like to thank everyone who has made their voices heard. We remain committed to working with our wider membership and ally organisations to better understand the impact of the Government’s decision on the GRA reforms, whilst maintaining work with the Government Equalities Office LGBT team to understand how this affects future policy direction and services provision for trans people.

We encourage everyone to join our #TogetherwithTrans campaign that has launched today. Over 50 LGBTQ+ organisations and allies have already joined together for the first time to change the way trans and non-binary lives are being represented in the UK. The www.togetherlgbt.com campaign hub offers everything you need to know about the together. partnership, and helps individuals and organisations wishing to declare their support.

We will stand firm with our Trans members in defending the human rights, dignity and safety of all in our communities as we stand #TogetherWithTrans.

Tapping into Peer Power at Trans Organisations Network Conference

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Last Saturday, Consortium’s Trans Organisations Network (TON) member organisations came together for a Learning Day in London.

The Conference, which brought together 30 representatives from across the UK, was designed to support Consortium Members running Trans Groups.

The day kicked off powerfully with businesswoman Antonia Belcher from The Antonia & Andrea Belcher Trans Fund, sharing her inspiring story and invaluable insights around bringing new resources into the trans movement globally.

The delegates enjoyed a range of practical and interactive workshops run by the Consortium engagement team – boasting imaginative titles such as ‘Show me the Money’ (how to get your trans group ‘fit for funding’) and ‘Unleash the power of Volunteers’ (exploring ways to broaden your volunteer pool and build partnerships). 

The Day concluded with a ‘World Cafe-style’ Peer Power Hour, where delegates discussed topics including ‘sharing solutions to key issues affecting our work’ at several tables, switching tables periodically and getting introduced to the previous discussion at their new table by a ‘table host’ (with special thanks to our table hosts from Gendered Intelligence and CliniQ!).

Shaan, TON coordinator, said: ‘It was great to see how much eagerness there is to share experiences, and a great need to develop skills and expand knowledge around the practicalities of running a trans group or charity. And we started exploring some exciting ideas around the future of TON, so watch this space!’

Consortium team: Vicky and Shaan presenting an exercise on measuring outcomes

Trans Groups Scope Opportunities at London Round Table

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Consortium’s Trans Organisations Network (TON) member organisations & associates joined up last week for a second strategic roundtable at the Bridge in Southwark, London.

The event, which brought together a range of representatives from Greater London trans groups and programmes, focused on scoping new opportunities for action.

One of the aims of the roundtable was to explore how London trans networks can work collaboratively in order to fill gaps in provisions and strengthen communities.

Martin, Consortium’s London Engagement Officer, presented the highlights from last month’s launch of a London-wide LGBT+ services mapping tool, stressing the neeed for further trans-specific data.

Shaan, TON coordinator, said: “It was great to see how much enthusiasm there is to work together, and a great need to exchange information and share expertise.”

We are truly inspired and feel encouarged by the outcomes of these first two London round tables. We are planning further activities – both in London and across the UK – to help create more resilience and sustainability in the trans sector.

Putting the T first at Trans Pride in Brighton

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Shaan Knan, Consortium’s trans-specific worker, reports back from Trans Pride Brighton

 

Spending a sunny day at the 7th Trans Pride in Brighton last Saturday was an absolute joy.

It was an amazing turnout for #TransPrideBrighton. According to the organisers, around eight thousand people took to the streets of to celebrate Trans Pride – two thousand more than was anticipated.

This year’s mile-long parade kicked off at the Marlborough Pub and Theatre in Prince’s Street,and finished at Brunswick Square Gardens in Hove where we could enjoy community and food stalls, a stage featuring trans bands, musicians and spoken word artists as well as sports in the park programme.

The slogan for this year’s festival was “putting the T first” – a reference to the LGBT acronym in which Trans appears near the end.

I felt the huge amount of love and pride all around, and I was also very pleased to see so many visible allies from all walks of life.

Armed with a brand new set of Trans Organisations Network business cards and a Consortium staff member rainbow lanyard, I meandered from one stall to the other, chatting with members old and new about – of course – all things trans. I was keen to keep everyone up to date with Consortium and TON activities, including current campaigns such as ‘Ask your MP/MSP to support GRA reform’ and our ongoing London strategic roundtables and mapping exercises.

It was inspiring to see so many new local initiatives springing up such as a support group in Ashford, and I was happy to tell them about the many benefits of a Consortium/TON membership.

This year, Northern Ireland held its first ever Trans Pride, and London will hold a Trans + Intersex Pride in September.

It gives me hope for a better future for trans communities in the UK.

Stronger Together at Pride in London

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Shaan Knan, Consortium’s trans-specific worker, reports back from Pride in London.

 

Fifty years on from the Stonewall uprising in New York, up to 1.5 million people took to the streets for London Pride march last Saturday.

I was delighted to march alongside many of our Consortium members including Stonewall, Mermaids and Sparkle (see picture).

A year on from an incident that saw 2018’s Pride in London parade derailed by anti-trans protests, it felt empowering marching as part of the ‘Together in Pride’ coalition alongside other groups reflecting the diversity of the LGBT+ community.

In fact, trans people were definitley at the front of the parade this year, with trans/non-binary people and their allies carrying a huge banner #LwiththeT right behind London Mayor Sadiq Khan. A Twitter post says: We came, we lead, we drowned out hate. This is what solidarity looks like! #LwiththeT

The most powerful moment for me personally was seeing the joy on the faces of the many trans and non-binary young people and children on the Mermaids bus (see picture), just behind our marching group. They were cheered on by the colourful crowds from the side of the parade, and even some celebrities such as girl band Little Mix showed up expressing their support as trans allies.

This resonates strongly with our Trans Network’s mission ‘to be a unified voice to ensure external stakeholders listen to the needs of trans communities.’

I know we still have a long way to go, but the message is out there: Together we are Stronger.

Image credit (Shaan at march): Brandon Yeadon.