Quakers Stand by Trans People and Receive Hate for Their Stance

 

Quakers in Britain have come under fire from trans-exclusionary groups, anti-trans campaigners, and bigots for their refusal to abandon the transgender community following the recent escalation of transphobic rhetoric in the UK.

A Christian group that has long been at the forefront of human rights causes, they've had a reputation for doing what is right even against public pressure for hundreds of years, and have stood against the slave trade, refused to participate in wars, pushed for the equality of women, accept the LGBTQ+ community and equal marriage, and fought for prison reform to name just a few of their better known positions. 

During the Quaker's British Yearly Meeting, which took place on 25th May, officials condemned the interim guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on trans people in single sex spaces which was released shortly after a recent UK Supreme Court case about the definition of woman in the Equality Act 2010. The interim guidance put forward that trans people should not only be banned from single sex spaces that best align with their gender identity, but also their sex as assigned at birth, effectively segregating them into their own spaces, or unisex spaces. This guidance has been largely condemned by human rights groups across the world.

The Quakers have said that the EHRC interim guidance 'goes beyond the scope' of the Supreme Court ruling (which it very much does), and have said that they will not abide by it, something that they are not required to do under law as of yet. They said that 'it is non-statutory and therefore does not have the force of law. We see the Equality Act itself as our primary legal guide when making decisions'.

Paul Parker, the recording clerk, said that the interim guidance 'is already contested and subject to legal challenge'. He went on to say that the British Quakers would 'welcome and affirm trans and non-binary people' in their spaces. 'We must respect the dignity of each person to live with integrity, informed by the truth of their lived experience'.

During their meeting a Quaker trustee said that 'The rights and inclusion of people belonging to our communities and using our buildings are not, and should not be, just about toilets. We will continue to work to make our corner of the Commonwealth of Heaven on Earth a more welcoming and accessible place. This is what Love requires of us.'

This is far from the first time that the Quakers have backed LGBTQ+ rights here in the UK, having previously backed same sex marriage, attended numerous Pride events across the country, and having pledged to support trans people in a public statement in 2023.

The Quakers decision not to follow the highly questionable and difficult to enforce guidance, something that they are well within their legal rights to do, has resulted in them receiving criticism from a number of vocal anti-trans voices.

Helen Joyce, the head of the anti-trans group Sex Matters, who has previously said that trans people are 'a huge problem to a sane world' and expressed her desire for 'reducing or keeping down the number of people who transition', waded into the topic. Joyce has said 'Early Quakers were famously supportive of women’s rights – they would surely be shocked and ashamed if they could see the destruction of that proud legacy'. Personally, I would likely side with the group that has fairly consistently backed decent, moral social change over the woman who made comments that sound frighteningly close to a Nazi.

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Download Festival Policing Toilet Use for Portaloo's Following EHRC Trans Guidance

 

Download Festival, the popular rock and metal music festival set to be held at Donnington Park in Leicestershire between the 13th and 15th of June has been on the receiving end of public backlash when it revealed its toilet use policy.

A post on social media containing an email from the event organisers seemed to reveal that following the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) interim guidance on single sex spaces following the UK Supreme Court verdict on the definition of woman under the Equality Act 2010, the event would begin policing the use of single occupancy toilets. The interim guidance from the EHRC was released shortly following the Supreme Court ruling, and amongst other things pushed to have trans people segregated in most spaces.

The email from Download read 'We do understand the concerns resulting from the recent Supreme Court ruling I would like to reassure you that we will continue to aim to provide the same inclusive environment for all our customers at Download as has always been the case.

'We are proud of the reputation the Download community has in terms of diversity, and will always look to promote the safety and comfort of all festival attendees including transgender and non-binary customers.

'We will be following the interim guidance issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on 25 April 2025 here. Their guidance states that 'trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men's facilities' and that 'trans people should not be put in a position where there are no facilities for them to use'.

'In line with this, we will therefore ensure that there are sufficient gender-neutral toilet facilities available, so that transgender and non-binary customer have access to facilities they feel comfortable using.'

It should be noted that the EHRC interim guidance is not legal, nor compulsory, and that Download made an active choice to follow this. The guidance has been condemned as exclusionary by the trans community, the public, and human rights bodies from across the world who have compared it to racial segregation. It is also worth noting that despite Download claiming that trans and non-binary people attending 'facilities they feel comfortable using' they are, according to the email, excluding them from spaces they feel comfortable using, and could be forcing trans people into spaces they're not. Download did not, however, outline how they will be enforcing these regulations at the event, whether they would have security stationed at the toilets checking ID's, whether judgements on who is allowed in particular spaces would be made on how people are perceived to present, or if physical checks would be involved.

Following the email Download attracted swift criticism online, including from a number of performers at the festival. Noahfinnce, a trans artist, posted on Twitter saying 'Hey @DownloadFest what the fuck are you doing. How have you go the gall to invite trans people like me to play your festival and then ban them from using the toilets? If the only way we can piss is by outing ourselves then you've created an unsafe environment. I had a great time playing last year but will not be attending again if I have to queue up for the ladies’ and my trans sisters have to risk outing themselves in the men’s. All this does is put trans people in danger'

Following Noahfinnce's Tweet a number of other acts from the festival added their voices, sharing his initial post with their own support. Pinkshift said 'what fucking music festival polices gendered bathrooms? crazy, unsafe, disrespectful, dangerous, and a slap in the face to all the queer and trans artists and fans who bring their creativity and innovation to the alternative music space every day @DownloadFest'. 

Witch Fever were quoted as saying the toilet policy was 'a complete fuckin' tragedy' by NME, which resulted in Witch Fever resharing this with 'I said what I said' accompanied by a trans flag emoji, and 'And to be clear - apparently the festival will also be providing gender neutral toilets which is good, but to enforce rules on what person can use what toilet based on their biological sex over their gender identity is not championing inclusivity and diversity'.

In the days following the news breaking Download has been harshly condemned by members of the public, with there having been dozens of posts across social media condemning their decision, and with people expressing their desire to either no longer attend until the policy is changed, ot that the change has left them feeling unsafe and uncomfortable.

Download have now clarified their statement following the backlash. Download's new statement reads as 'At the heart of Download is acceptance – we stand with all members of our community and want everyone to feel safe, supported and welcome at the festival,” the statement reads.

'We want to reassure all of our customers that at Download, the majority of toilets will be gender neutral and available to all. There will also be single sex toilets provided. Download Festival has always been and remains for everyone.

'We sincerely apologise that a previous communication on this was not clear. We are looking forward to seeing you at Download this year.'

According to a follow-up tweet from Noahfinnce, Download told him that the person who initially sent out the email that sparked the entire incident 'should NEVER have used that wording'.

What is perhaps interesting in their responses, both to Noahfinnce and in their public statement, is that they have said that the 'wording' shouldn't have been used, and that the majority of their toilets would be gender neutral. They have not, however, said that they wouldn't be preventing trans people from using the correct facilities. Nowhere in their statement do they say they are not following the EHRC interim guidance, or that they would not be policing toilet use.

It would appear that Download have tried to walk back the backlash to their stance, yet have not changed it. They have apologised that their wording wasn't the best, but not that they're enacting trans exclusionary policies and segregation. Don't be fooled by what they've said today, Download are still enacting transphobic and dangerous practices, and none of us should be okay with that,

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Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Captain America: Civil War: The Art of the Movie - Book Review

 

'Picking up where the blockbuster hit Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, Captain America: Civil War sees Steve Rogers leading the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. Filled with exclusive concept art, production stills, and commentary from cast and crew, this book is a prize for any fan.

'Here is everything you need to know about the making of the movie from all the key players—including returning directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and producer Kevin Feige, along with all the talented special-effects gurus, concept illustrators, visual-effects designers, and storyboard artists who worked on the set and behind the scenes to create the art of Captain America: Civil War.'

Civil War was a divisive event at Marvel Comics. It was a headline, universe spanning initiative that appeared in most of the books being published, and even derailed a lot of stories, changing the way characters interacted with the world and the projection of their planned stories. Add onto that, there were fans who felt that certain characters were handled poorly, or had their personalities and character changed to fit with the plot that they barely felt like who they were supposed to be. As such, when it was announced that the MCU would be doing their own version of the story there were many fans, myself included, who saw this as an attempt to right some of those wrongs, and to craft a much better version than the source material. 

The MCU benefitted from having a smaller world, and a smaller pool of characters to draw from, and as such were able to create a much tighter story. It also helped that they pushed the Registration Act/the Sokovia Accords to the side and made a more personal story the key reason for its two leads, Captain America and Iron-Man, come into conflict. Titan Book's latest entry in the Marvel Studio's Infinity Saga art book series goes into the making of the movie, showing readers how this iconic story was adapted to the big screen. 

As with previous releases, this one breaks things down into nicely sized chapters that take readers through the film in chronological order after a brief introduction that discusses the comic inspiration for the film. The first chapter is 'Showdown in Lagos' and deals with the opening sequence of the film, as well as some costume changes for some of our returning heroes. Beginning with the titular hero, we get some designs for the new Captain America costume, alongside an abandoned concept of a more undercover look that honestly fits the secret agent vibe that Cap has at times that would have been pretty cool to see on the screen.

This chapter also shows off the new looks for the other new Avengers members teased at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, giving us new looks for Falcon that want to try to be as realistic as possible but also convey some of his comic book roots, and the small tweaks to Black Widow, whose design had mostly been fairly unchanging since her introduction in Ironman 2. The character who seems to have gone through the most design changes since their last appearance, however, is Scarlet Witch, whose new costume as seen at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron gets abandoned for a more realistic outfit. It's a shame to hear that the Russo brothers wanted to scale back her look and make it more 'grounded' as out of the returning cast she seems to be the one who lost out the most; and even the few rejected designs here that feature her headband look much better than what we got on screen.

©2025 MARVEL

We also get several pages dedicated to the Crossbones, the new villainous identity for a supporting character from the previous Captain America film. It's interesting to see how the film toyed with giving him a more grounded design, with the white cross that's painted on his chest almost being made with straps and suit components. I like that the film went with the look they did, as it's the much better design, though some of the helmets in the concept art push the skull motif more than what we ended up with, and had a much creepier result. The chapter rounds out with several pages of concept art for the fight that happens in Laos, designs for the lab equipment, and the tragic final moments.

The second chapter is 'The Sokovia Accords', and deals with some of the more mundane designs in the book, focusing on the Avengers compound. Despite being home to a group of fantastical people, their facility is fairly normal, and we get artwork showing us the look of their conference room, offices, and kitchen. There's a two page spread that shows some costume designs for Vision's civilian attire that remind you that it's about super heroes, but for the most part it's one of the most grounded chapters in the book, and whilst interesting will likely be the section most people revisit the least.

Much more interesting in comparison is chapter three, 'Cat and Mouse', which deals with two of the more important supporting characters, Bucky Barnes, and the newly introduced Black Panther. Both of them get several pages given over to their new designs, with the main focus on Bucky being his civilian attire, making sure that he's able to blend in, but able to quickly stand out with the removal of his left sleeve. It's interesting to see how much work actually goes into making 'man with a metal arm' works, as there's definitely a few ways of doing that that end up looking a bit less serious than it should. There's much more attention given over to the look of Black Panther, who was newly added to the MCU with this film, I was hoping that we'd get more designs for him, perhaps ones that showed off some of his more unusual looks from the comics, but it seems that the film had a pretty clear idea of the kind of look they wanted for him, and focused instead on how to make his suit feel real, rather than the look of the suit itself.

Most of the third chapter is given over to the extensive chase sequence that takes place in this part of the film, going from an apartment building to rooftops, and then to a vehicle chase. The sequence gets broken down into a lot of detail here, and the book shows off a number of storyboards that showcase how each moment has to be carefully planned out and crafted, even down to the angle of the shot. Whilst interesting in its own right, when read in conjunction with watching the scene it becomes a lot more interesting as you're able to see just how the art was translated onto the screen, able to follow the moments along and comparing the two pieces.

The fourth chapter, 'Mind Games', is similar to the second in that it deals more with environmental design, this time covering the facility where a captured Bucky and Captain America are taken to following their daring escape attempt. More interesting than the Avengers compound, this chapter at least goes into more detail as it shows off designs for the cell that holds Bucky, the machines used to try to subdue his enhanced body, and a storyboard of Hawkeye fighting Vision to break Scarlet Witch out of custody which was much bigger and more intricate in the initial plans.

The fifth chapter is probably the one most people reading the book will be eager to get to, 'Civil War'. The chapter opens by rounding out the character designs for those who've not yet had it, including Ant-Man and Hawkeye. Little gets changed for most of the characters, though there are a few designs for Hawkeye that draw more heavily from his Ultimates look that feel a bit like a misstep, so I'm glad we didn't end up going that route. After these character pages, we get a couple dozen pages of gorgeous two page spreads showcasing various artists concepts for the airport fight.

©2025 MARVEL

It's interesting to see these segments as they show off that early stages of the script hadn't finalised which size heroes would be on, so there are some match-up's here that never make it to the final movie, such as Ant-Man fighting Hawkeye, Captain America fighting Ant-Man, and Vision fighting Ironman. Whilst the content of the images don't always line up with the final movie the feel of them certainly does, and it feels like the art team were having a lot of fun coming up with concepts for the iconic battle. This is also the only chapter to feature any art of Spider-Man, with him appearing on about five images fighting other characters. I understand that there are certain rights issues surrounding the character that likely lead to him only being able to be used sparingly here, but it's a shame that we didn't get better looks at costume designs as we did the others. 

Chapter six, 'Original Sins', takes us to the final stages of the film, and includes designs for the super soldier facility, as well as the clearest looks at the group of super soldiers that we have; certainly more than we see in the final film. It's nice to see more details like this, as this part of the film felt a little light on details when it actually came to watching it, so seeing how the place worked and what the super soldiers were like here certainly feels like it fills in a number of gaps for me. The latter half of the chapter focuses on the fight between Cap, Bucky, and Ironman, and much like the airport fight art, seems to be concerned more with finding the right kind of tone and style for the scene, rather than necessarily trying to depict moments that would end up in the final product. 

The final chapter deals with the marketing for the film, and there are some interesting looks at how the artwork for the films advertisement gets broken down and crafted stage by stage.

As with other releases in the series there are things that I really loved about this book, such as seeing the various costume designs, and artwork that shows us the way the team tried to craft a tone rather than detail. However, there are moments that are a little less exciting to read, such as seeing how the Avengers kitchen were designed. I've notices with this series that the titles that deal with the more grounded movies will have these ups and downs as they have to convey both the normality of this universe, as well as the fantastical qualities; and whilst this might not be to everyone's tastes it certainly doesn't detract from the overall quality of the book.

For those who are collecting this series this marks a fantastic addition to the collection, and for those who haven't picked one of these books up before but are tempted by this one I think that there's certainly enough here to grab your attention and make you interested in reading more.

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Scottish Police Arrest Trans Children During Protest For Their Rights

 

The UK action network Trans Kids Deserve Better staged a sit-in at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in London and Glasgow on Monday 26th May, with police arresting a number of people, including children, at the Glasgow event.

Trans Kids Deserve Better, are a group that campaign for the rights, freedoms, and protections for trans children across the UK, and have created a number of high profile protests in the past that usually involve their members erecting large banners on the outside of buildings, and their members scaling those structures. The members planned a peaceful protest at the EHRC in response to the Commission's recent attempts at issuing transphobic guidance.

Following the UK Supreme Court ruling on woman in the Equality Act 2010 referring to 'biological women', the EHRC quickly put of interim guidance that attempted to encourage organisations and bodies across the UK to exclude transgender people from single sex spaces, and have even gone on to encourage the full segregation of trans people by barring them from any gendered spaces.

Protestors arrive at the building in Glasgow's West George Street at around 10:30am, where they scaled the front of the building to erect a banner that read 'End segregation, trans liberation', whilst a small number of protestors stood on a small balcony. More supporters were assembled in the street below them. 

Police began to arrive on the scene shortly after, and tried to get the three protestors to leave the balcony. When they refused, several officers entered the building carrying equipment, including a crowbar. At around 12pm officers appeared in the windows behind the protestors, where they struggled to open the windows for a short while. 

Three young trans people on the EHRC office balcony.

When police were eventually able to open the windows two police women attempted to talk the protestors down, but the trans children refused to make eye contact with the women. After this, three male officers came onto the balcony and forced the trio inside the building. Fifteen minutes later two of the three children were lead from the building in handcuffs, and were ushered into the back of a waiting police van.

It was at this point that the supporters began to try to prevent the van from leaving, crowding around in front of it, trying to block off the roadway, and one person even crawled under the vehicle. The crowd could be heard loudly booing, and chanting 'let them go'. Never a group to miss an opportunity to engage in violence, police then swarmed the crowd, pushing people to the ground and shoving them out of the way of the vehicle. One man was violently pinned to the ground by two officers and then handcuffed. A second was held up against a police vehicle and was also handcuffed. 

It is unclear what happened to the third child that was arrested and did not exit the building with the other two, though it is likely that they were removed from the building via another exit. 

It was later confirmed by police that six people had been arrested at the protest, five of them as part of the protest, with a sixth having been arrested for assault. At least two of those related were teens, with one ages 18, and the other 17-years-old. The police have reported that no injuries happened during the incident, despite video of them manhandling members of the public. 

After the incident Trans Kids Deserve Better released a statement saying that this was a 'direct response to the EHRC’s statements which seek to further alienate trans people from groups or spaces that they would have otherwise have been allowed to exist in.

'They’re showing the EHRC that they won’t let their guidance dictate where they’re allowed to exist, in a very literal sense. The young activists are determined to get their rage, anger and sorrow out and this action is the way to do it.' They continued. 'Trans kids deserve to have a right to education without worry of being segregated because of their identity, so change that, go to the protest and be vocal about your anger because Trans Kids Deserve Better.'

One of the protestors on the street, identified as Moat by the Socialist Worker, said 'Police arrived and immediately tried to cordon off the building. They then went inside and violently dragged the protesters who were occupying the offices from the balcony. After they threw the protesters in the van, another two people tried to intervene. 

'One person tried to get under the van where those arrested were being detained. To stop them taking them away. It was so brutal. A girl beside me got punched in the chest and then pushed on to her face.' He continued. 'I was there to support the action. I wanted to show my support for Trans Kids Deserve Better. What they were doing was peaceful. The way the police were treating people was terrible.' This statement from Moat seems to offer a different version of events to those reported by police, who claimed that no one was injured.

Supporters gathered outside of the Govan police station following the arrests, showing their support for those detained by the police. Jess, a trans woman present outside the station said 'The number of people here keeps growing. People are not in a hurry to leave. We will stay here until those arrested have been released. The police were fishing for a confrontation today. There was a lot of anger and we were demanding that they let the people arrested go.'

A second supporter outside the police station, identified as James, told the press on the scene 'Police have acted shamefully—and this is made even worse by what happened over the weekend. Police on Saturday allowed a far right rally in the city to go on for over 10 hours. They were pushing anti-racist activists back, and protecting the far right and Nazis. When we showed police a picture of someone caught on camera doing a Nazi salute, the policeman’s reply was, ‘I don’t have my glasses with me.’ It’s shocking. They protect fascists and attack trans kids.' James referenced an event in Glasgow on Saturday 24th May, as well as several other Scottish cities, where far right extremists were allowed to march and protest for several hours.

Alex, who was also present outside the station told The National 'A lot of people are thinking that it was police brutality, which is completely understandable. At this time, we're obviously just very angry about what's happened. We think it could have been handled better. We think that if there was a lot more like speaking, asking people to move, the whole situation would have been a lot more respectful if there was a bit more communication there, instead of going in straight to force.'

The Trans Kids Deserve Better protest in London was allowed to continue, and police did not take action in that case.

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JK Rowling Pledges to Use Harry Potter Money to Finance Anti-Trans Court Cases

 

JK Rowling, the much disliked author of the Harry Potter series, who has seen her reputation as a beloved children's author left in tatters after becoming vocally anti-trans on social media, has pledged to use her vast wealth accrued from her work to fund court cases that would directly negatively impact transgender people and their rights. 

The JK Rowling Women's Fund was announced by the billionaire writer over 24th May as most regular people were enjoying their Bank Holiday weekend with family and friends. Rowling says that the fund is designed to help with 'fighting to retain women's sex-based rights', including public venues, workplaces, and 'protected female spaces'. She also announced that all of the money for the fund would come from her own finances, which were reported to be at least £945 million as of 2025.

Information from the fund's website says that it is designed to help people who are 'facing tribunals because of their expressed beliefs', referring to people who would have engaged in transphobia in the workplace. It also claims that it will help those 'forced to comply with unreasonable inclusion policies regarding single-sex spaces', which would seem to indicate anywhere that Rowling and her fellow transphobes don't want trans inclusion.

This 'Women's Fund' is not the first time that Rowling has been involved in legal action against the trans population. It was reported that she personally donated at least £70,000 to the legal fund in the For Women Scotland case, where they took a case to the UK Supreme Court to redefine what woman meant in the Equality Act 2010. The case resulted in the Supreme Court, which excluded evidence from unbiased sources that supported trans people, as well as trans voices themselves, defining women in the Equality Act to mean 'biological women'; they have yet to clearly state what they mean by 'biological women', how this is determined, what happens when people do not fall into two neat binary boxes, or how this now acts in conflict with other laws and regulations.

JK Rowling engaged in Holocaust denialism on Twitter

The website for the fund allows individuals to apply for Rowling's money, though it does make it clear that it will not provide a lawyer in legal cases, so those applying must already have sought legal representation themselves. Many people have taken to social media to share the content of their applications, with some pasting the script of The Bee Movie into the fields, whilst others have chosen to write out the lyrics of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, or quotes from film, TV, and books. A lot of people have claimed to have applied this way hundreds of times in an attempt to either overwhelm the system, or waste the time of those who have to examine each application. Whilst I cannot personally advocate for anyone to go to the website now and spam it like this I will say that it would be funny if people did. JK Rowling Women's Fund application form link.

John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister, has said that he's 'not worried' about the fund, or Rowling's continued efforts to erode legal protections across Britain. Swinney didn't express concern about the Scottish Government being sued by women over their laws that protect or include trans people. Swinney has also been one of the voices urging for public bodies not to make snap rulings on trans inclusion following the Supreme Court ruling, asking for clear legal directives to be handed down from the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission). The Scottish Daily Express asked him if he was worried about the fund and if it could lead to legal action being taken against the Scottish Government, but Swinney said 'No, because I always uphold the rule of law. Obviously people are free to set up whatever funds they want to set up.'

This seems to be the latest in a long line of anti-trans actions taken by Rowling, who is incredibly active on Twitter (X), where she frequently brings up trans people, shares comments from anti-trans sources, and has even on occasion made comments that are negative towards the trans community, including Holocaust denialism. Over the past several years Rowling has transformed from a person 'having a middle aged moment' and apparently accidentally liking a transphobic tweet, to now actively trying to finance legal cases against the trans community. And all of this with money that she has made from Harry Potter.

Rowling frequently tweets about trans woman India Willoughby,
possibly indicating some form of obsession with her.

Since Rowling's anti-trans views have become evident many people have outright abandoned the Harry Potter fandom, refusing to buy any merchandise, boycotting new projects, and destroying items that they already have. Many former fans made the decision that they could not support a woman who actively pushed transphobic conspiracy theories (her TERF Wars essay contained many), and used dehumanising language towards trans people. However, there have been some people who claim to support the trans community who still try to engage with Harry Potter, claiming that supporting the franchise and putting money into Rowling's pocket doesn't harm trans people. Well, they can't make that claim any more.

The smart people knew that supporting the franchise would support her views, whether by her seeing the sales as translating to people agreeing with her anti-trans actions (something she has claimed), or by literally being used to finance anti-trans action. Any pretence that that's not happening has been completely stripped away now. Rowling has made it clear that her own money, money she has because of Harry Potter and its fans, has been and will be used to target and harm trans people. If you think you can support Harry Potter and claim to not be against trans people you're a fucking idiot. Stop. Please, just stop one or the other. Either stop supporting her (the preferable option) or stop trying to pretend you're a trans ally. 

Personally, I believe JK Rowling is one of the most damaging figures for the trans community. I think that she's been actively out to harm us for years, and she's been escalating towards action like this for a long time. And anyone who supports her fandom is helping her to do this. If you buy Harry Potter stuff you helped have the Supreme Court rule against trans people's rights, you set the stage for all of these organisations to try to enact trans exclusion and segregation. And if a single trans life is lost because of this Rowling and you have that blood on your hands. 

It's time to choose, what matters more to you, the lives, rights, and dignities of trans people, or a children's story about a wizard; because you can't have both.

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Queer East Festival 2025: Edhi Alice - Film Review

 

Trans people have been moved into the spotlight in the last decade, though not always by choice. Media, politicians, and celebrities have frequently framed trans people, and often the rights and freedoms of trans people, as the hot button topic, pushing us as an 'issue'. As such, it's become increasingly rare to see trans voices actually be given the chance to talk honestly and freely, as we're either forced to defend some small part of our existence, such as toilet access, against a panel of transphobes (purely for 'balance' of course), or we're simply not included at all. Edhi Alice, one of the films at this year's Queer East Festival, centres the experiences of two trans women in South Korea, allowing them to share their stories.

The documentary is really a film in two halves, with the beginning of the film focusing on Alice, a lighting director for Korean film, with the latter part of the film shifting to follow Edhi, a younger trans woman who's navigating her family life and her choices to go through with gender realignment surgery. Because of the structure of th Edhi Alice it's easy to forget that you're going to be following two people, and when the shift in focus comes it does create a slight tonal change that leaves the film feeling a bit disjointed, and more like two shorter films that have been stitched together.

'I'm Alice who is living in the present,' is one of the first things we hear when we meet Alice, a trans woman who's navigating life after coming out as trans. It's a small introduction, and one that doesn't seem to convey much at first glance, though I think that it manages to show the audience a lot about the woman we're going to spend the next hour with. Alice's comment about living in the present almost seems to be her wiping away a past that never felt right to her, yet unsure about her future as a trans woman, forcing her to only be able to live in the present. Alice's story seems to be one that's slightly sad. Over the course of the film Alice tells the audience about how she's been victimised in her work, losing jobs because bosses don't like trans people. She had a marriage that didn't work out, she lives alone in a small apartment, she dreams of being able to dance, and there's a heart breaking scene where she laments being excluded from women's spaces.

There seems to be a trend in documentaries about trans people, where our stories are depicted as either joyous or tragic. Films will either focus on the elation and euphoria that comes when a trans person is able to live freely as themselves, or it will show the tragedy that often comes with being trans in a world so hostile to us. Alice's story comes across as a balance of the two. She makes it clear that in many ways transitioning saved her life, made her so much happier than she was before having to pretend to be someone she's not. But there are quiet moments where you can also see the sadness and trauma that she carries with her.

More so than the second half of the film, Alice's story is one that highlights the tragedy of transphobia. We don't see her experience overt transphobia, there's no scene of her being thrown out of somewhere, of being abused, but you can see the pain of those moments with her in the way she falls back into herself when she's on a film crew in a women's bathhouse, thinking about the fact that despite being a woman she doesn't feel like she belongs there. She want's to dance, to be able to feel comfortable and free enough in her body to express joy in the simple act of dancing, but when she begins her lessons she's stiff, she's holding herself in tight, afraid to draw attention or stand out. These are moments that immediately stood out to me because they're things that I recognised well.

But this isn't to say that there's no joy to be found here, or that Alice is a tragic figure. As the documentary follows her she begins dance lessons, seeking to meet her dream she always saw as being impossible, of being able to put on a dance performance. Whilst she begins very shyly, and you can see that she feels out of place, as time goes on you begin to see a change in her as she becomes more confident and comfortable

I think a lot of trans people will relate with Alice quite a lot, we'll recognise the moments of joy and comfort she finds in getting to be herself, but we'll also recognise the fear and the pain. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trans people who carry trauma with them because of how we've been treated by society simply for being trans; especially those who transitioned older, or are more visibly gender non-conforming. There were times watching Alice where I simply wanted to reach out and give her a hug, to tell her that she wasn't alone, that despite the toughness of being trans there's still a lot of beauty in this world and a community that loves her, despite not having ever met her. Her story draws you in and I think it will probably make a lot of cisgender people watching the film question how tough life is for the trans community.

Edhi makes for quite a contrast to Alice in some regards, and where Alice comes across as introverted, Edhi is extroverted, where Alice seems somewhat alone and uncomfortable in her body, Edhi seems more relaxed and happy. It's a sharp contrast between the two, and there were a few times when the sudden shift in who we were following and the change in their attitudes made the split narrative structure feel somewhat a bit too jarring. It's perhaps a personal issue, but I can't help but feel that going back and forward between the two women and their experiences would have helped the film flow better.

Edhi is younger than Alice, and works for a local LGBTQ+ centre, where she counsels other queer and trans people, using her own experiences to help them navigate their world. We learn a little about her past, more than Alice it feels, and learn that she went through military service before coming out as trans, and about how she came to understand her gender identity through experiences in gay male spaces when she believed that perhaps that was also her own identity. 

Compared to Alice, Edhi seems to have a little more of a stable familial life. Alice spoke little about her family, and when she did it came with the sense that they weren't really in her life anymore. Edhi, in contrast, sees both of her parents a lot, helping her father on his remote farm, and wanting to build a comfortable house for her and her mother to live together in, and she also has a very close relationship with her nephew, who she loves as if he was her son. Family seems to be a  very important part of her life, and they seem to bring her a lot of happiness, even if her parents don't quite understand every aspect of her identity or her life as a trans woman.

There's a moment in the film when her father talks about her as if she's his son, using male pronouns to describe her, and there's a scene where Edhi is talking through her upcoming gender surgery with her mother, something that's been building for years for her, and her mother seems incredibly uncomfortable, asking her about regrets, and safety. The film seems to highlight a generational difference in how family react to someone being trans. Her parents are supportive, even if they occasionally say the wrong thing, and there are some parts where it's hard to tell if their comments are based on fear or discomfort; but they at least love their daughter and still have her in their lives. Her nephew, on the other hand, has no qualms about his aunt at all, and we hear how when she came out to him and told him about her transition he literally didn't really care much. We know children are so much better at accepting things than adults, and are much better at understanding than people give them credit, and that's demonstrated here.

A big part of Edhi's journey over the course of the film is focused on her upcoming gender realignment surgery, or bottom surgery. Edhi travels to Thailand for the procedure, and the film crew get to follow her as she readies herself for the operation, as well as through her recovery. We get to experience some intimate moments with her, seeing her deal with the worry that comes before surgery, as well as the physical and emotional pain of the recovery process. The film is respectful in not showing anything graphic or embarrassing for her, but it's still incredibly personal as we're there for her through dilation procedures, seeing the tears running down her face as her body processes the painful new sensations.

On the surface, Edhi Alice is a decent, if not slightly oddly structured look at the lives of two trans women in South Korea. It's a decent movie, one with very endearing and charming leads who you can't help but become invested in. However, looking at it with a step back, and as a trans person, there are some things that I'm a little unsure of; though I'm not sure if this might be baggage that I myself am bringing to the film. Alice seems to be framed as the more sad and lonely of the two women, whose life as a trans woman is harder, whilst Edhi seems to be the opposite. Alice is less conventionally feminine of the two, and there's a point in the film where she discusses the fact that she chose not to get facial feminisation surgery. I've seen some reviews of the film where people have used some more negative words to describe Alice, talking about how she doesn't 'pass' as much as Edhi, and I can't help but wonder if perhaps this was something that the film may have been going for. Is it trying to show that trans women who can better pass as cisgender and more conventionally feminine have an easier life, and if so, are they simply highlighting this as a common experience, or are they pushing the idea that trans people need to pass?

This somewhat ties into another thought that I had about the film, namely its large focus on surgery. Alice says that she has no interest in things such as facial feminisation surgery, but felt the need to have bottom surgery as soon as she could. She talks about how changing her genitalia made her feel more comfortable in herself, and more a woman. Similarly, Edhi's journey across the film seems to be her getting bottom surgery, her last big goal of her transition. The film seems to have shades of transmedicalism, where it could be seen as pushing the idea that surgery is the main goal for trans people, or that it's the thing that finally makes someone trans. Again, I don't know if this is intentional on their part, purely by chance, or me reading too much into it.

Edhi Alice is a lovely insight into the lives of two women who I'd have liked to have seen more of. I wanted to see more of Edhi's home life, of her work at the LGBTQ+ centre, and new outlook on life post surgery. I'd have also have liked to have seen if dance was something that Alice continued to pursue, and if she found ways of becoming more comfortable and happy in her life. Despite being over two hours long Edhi Alice also felt very light in places, and I can't help but feel some of the long sequences of silently following our two women could have been better spent on more meatier subjects or moments that gave us better insight. Whilst Edhi Alice is a great film in itself, I also feel that there are places where I'd have liked to have seen something a little different, but despite these flaws it offers a great look into the lives of two trans woman in South Korea.

Edhi Alice is playing as part of the Queer East Festival 2025. To find out more about Queer East click here.

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Papers Please! EHRC Code of Practice Calls For People to Challenge Those Using Toilets and Changing Rooms

 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has released its new code of practice following their interim guidance after last month's UK Supreme Court decision on the definition of sex under the Equality Act 2010. Whilst the EHRC's interim guidance has been met with condemnation by decent people, and those that understand how ridiculously dangerous it will be trying to police people's bodies, their new code of practice takes things further after their initial push to have trans people put into segregated spaces. The EHRC is now instructing staff in any place that has gendered spaces, which is literally anywhere with single sex toilets, to challenge those trying to use them that they think might be trans.

The regulatory body, headed up by the notably anti-trans Baroness Kishwer Falkner, has given new guidance updates ahead of a six week public consultation period, an extension on their initial plan to rush the changes through with a two week consultation period. Falkner claims that the new guidance will satisfy 'demand for authoritative guidance'.

According to the code of practice people will legally be allowed to have their usage of single sex spaces challenged if it believed their birth sex does not match. This means that anyone who is suspected of being trans can be asked to prove that they're not, and will need to provide evidence. How places will be able to police bathrooms has long been a question around transphobes insane focus on the issue, and the EHRC seems to think they've cracked the case (they've not).

The EHRC says that staff in these spaces can ask someone to prove they're the sex they are in a 'sensitive way which does not cause discrimination or harassment', something that seems like an impossibility as most people would see a bathroom cop asking them what genitals they have would be harassing. To avoid a system in which these bathroom police will force members of the public to drop their trousers and expose themselves the EHRC has decided that people will need to carry their birth certificates on them, producing them upon request to prove their birth sex.

Anyone familiar with a birth certificate is likely already a little confused at this, or possibly even laughing at the idea as these documents have 'THIS IS NOT A FORM OF ID' printed on the bottom of them in large letters. There's also the fact that trans people can have their birth certificates changed to reflect their new gender. However, the EHRC has also put their best minds at work to figure out this slight flaw in their system. If the person who sees your birth certificate has the right sex listed on it but still thinks you're in the wrong toilets they can ask you to then produce your passport, another document that can have gender markers easily changed.

So what happens if you provide your birth certificate, then your passport, but the bathroom gestapo still think you're not the right kind of person they want in the toilets? Well, they're not allowed to ask you if you may have had a Gender Recognition Certificate to change your birth certificate, but if they think you have they can ask you to provide that. If you have one and have that with you (we're now up to three forms of ID documents you're supposed to have on you at all times) they can prove you're trans and kick you out. But if you refuse to provide a GRC, which most people will as very few folks have one and most people who are going to be challenged are going to be cis people, the person asking for evidence of your sex can decide that you're just lying and exclude you anyway.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner - toilet gestapo

The EHRC are either fucking stupid, or there's people there who know how ridiculous this situation is and are trying to sabotage it from the inside. But based on what 'gender criticals' have demonstrated so far I think the first option seems the more likely. 

Maya Forstater, a woman who turned not getting a contract renewed into her entire identity, has claimed that this new guidance brings 'clarity' to the Supreme Court ruling. With that being her insightful and intelligent takeaway from this car crash of a document I wonder why her employers didn't keep her on. 'The draft EHRC guidance reflects the law as clarified by the Supreme Court, so there can be no more excuses for failing to follow it.

'Its clear language and calm, factual tone are a welcome antidote after weeks in which trans lobby groups have sought to present the ruling as complicated and dangerous. It’s shameful that the UK’s flagship public sector bodies, from Parliament and the civil service to NHS trusts, as well as many third sector organisations and private companies, have dragged their heels.

“The Supreme Court judgment was already completely clear, and there was never any justification for waiting to comply. The guidance will now go out for consultation, but the broad outlines are fixed. Organisations that delayed will now have to scramble to change their policies to comply with the law, as every day they delay increases the risk of legal action.'

Perhaps more laughable that Forstater's reading of this as bringing clarity is Falkner telling the press that 'People with protected characteristics should never be discriminated against or harassed when using a service.' whilst simultaneously pushing for that against trans people any chance she gets. Once again, fuck the EHRC and these people.

The EHRC seems to have crafted a wonderful system where anyone at any time can be accused of being trans, can be harassed and challenged in public, and even if they provide proof when asked for it, can just be called a liar and banned from toilets, changing rooms, and other single sex spaces. I honestly don't know how to respond to this frankly idiotic idea. This feels like it's one of the worst jokes I've ever heard, but it's completely serious and it's going to be used by bigots to try and ruin people's lives.

Pro-trans protests sparked around the UK in response
to the Supreme Court ruling

As the majority of trans people have been saying over and over again for literal years now, the people who are going to get hurt the most from policies such as this are cisgender people. There are weekly news reports of cis people being harassed, challenged, or even assaulted, for trying to use single sex spaces, particularly women's spaces. Women who don't conform to gender stereotypes or conventional beauty standards are much more likely to get harassed than trans people are. Butch women, women with short hair, women who don't dress effeminately, women of colour, women with PCOS, all of these and more are being actively put in danger by the idea that people should be challenged for simply trying to take a piss.

If the EHRC are listened to, if this becomes the legally expected thing, those reports are going to skyrocket. People will he harassed, people will be discriminated against, people will be assaulted, and the group that are being used as the reason for it, the women who need 'protecting' are going to be the victims of this, trans and cis alike. 

It's likely that even if this is put into place that it's hardly ever going to be enforced. Shops, clubs, entertainment venues, ect., aren't going to employ special security guards to check people's papers, regular staff don't have the time to do that, nor will they want to. And let's be honest, it won't be long before we see legal cases springing up against those that do try to enforce this for discrimination. It's stupid beyond belief, it's obviously wrong and un-enforceable, yet we're at the stage where the country is going to be demanding papers just to use the toilet. 

There's not much more to say about this, both because it's clearly ridiculous and because I've reached the point where I just want to swear over and over. If you can, respond to this consultation. This cannot go unchallenged, even if it is clear why this is bad. We need to have our objections on paper, our voices need to be recorded, even if they're going to be ignored completely. Be prepared for this to go through because we've reached the point where Britain is a parody country where bigotry is king. Be angry, be sad, do whatever you need to to process this and deal with your grief, but then fight it every step of the way.

I've been using women's spaces without incident for over a decade, I will continue to do so, and I'm going to laugh in the face of anyone who asks me to produce documents to prove that I belong in those spaces. 

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Downlands by Norm Konyu - Blog Tour

 

'Every street has its stories – those of the living and those of the dead. When James hears of the Black Hound, he finds his own story crosses the boundaries of both.

'After the sudden death of his twin sister, 14 year old James Reynolds becomes obsessed with her tale of a black hound, a folkloric creature that is regarded as a portent of death. Enlisting the aid of his elderly neighbour, who the local children call ‘The Witch’, he delves into the centuries of village history, folklore, and ghosts, until he uncovers a deeper secret beyond his darkest nightmares, beyond the sight of most, and beyond the mortal veil.'

My only previous experience with Norm Konyu was his wonderfully enjoyable children's book A Call To Cthulhu, which put a lovely, whimsical spin on the creations of H.P. Lovecraft that readers of all ages could enjoy. That book, and Konyu's artwork, had left such a positive impression on me that as soon as I was offered the chance to take part in the blog tour for his latest graphic novel, Downlands, I had to jump at the opportunity.

Downlands begins in the quiet English village of Alfstanton in the South Downs, a place rich in local history and spooky stories. It's here that we meet 14-year-old James and his twin sister Jennifer one sunny June afternoon. The two of them are heading home after school, stopping off at the village shop to grab a couple of drinks. When James heads back inside to pick up his forgotten change Jennifer lets out a scream. She tells James that she saw a huge black dog, a frightening hound that seemed to jump through her, leaving her cold and frightened. Dismissing it as simply something unusual, the two of them head back home. But that night Jennifer dies of a brain aneurism.

A couple of months later, whilst attending the wake for his great uncle, James hears a story about how his uncle claimed to have seen a black hound the same day he died. Knowing that there must be some kind of connection between these events, James begins to research into local history, and discovers a wealth of old ghost stories and myths that connect to his home, including a story of a ghostly black dog that brings death to all those who see it. Wanting to know if this ghostly hound was responsible for the death of his twin sister, and hoping perhaps to see her again, James sets out to learn more about the world of the supernatural that's lurking just out of sight.

Downlands is a wonderfully atmospheric mixture of horror and fantasy, all wrapped up in a story of grief and loss. From the first few pages it's clear that Konyu isn't just crafting a story about this one family and the tragic events that come close to breaking it, but is looking to craft a world and narrative that spans decades, centring on this small community, and one street in particular. After being introduced to James and Jennifer there are some brilliant two page spreads that touch upon some of the stranger history of Alfstanton, small clues to larger mysteries that we'll get to explore that lay a solid foundation for a graphic novel that has more to it than you'd first expect.

Konyu sprinkles this history throughout the book, both in events that happen to James, and in small asides that act as nice chapter breaks to the main story. These insights into the history of Alfstanton could be books in their own right, and the stories of ghostly hitchhiker that cause car accidents, the little Edwardian girl found drowned in the river and now haunts the children of the village, or the ghosts of an entire family that exist in their old home, only sometimes seen, feel like the perfect set-ups to their own horror tales. But Konyu uses these to breathe life into the village, creating a place that feels steeped in history, even if we only ever see the one street.

James and his story are the heart of the book, however, and his quest to find answers about why his sister died without warning is subtly heart breaking. The loss of any sibling would be hard, but your twin, your best friend makes it so much harder. The fact that she was only 14, still a child, makes it so much worse. It's awful to see what that sudden loss does to the family, to James' mother and father, who grow more distant and retreat into their own grief. Even James himself, who manages to hold things together and seems fairly normal throughout the book, is barely processing things, not being able to shed a single tear for Jennifer; and the moment he does finally cry is perhaps the biggest gut punch in the entire book.

Norm Konyu has created a wonderful narrative with a richness of both character and setting that comic series with dozens of issues under their belt sometimes fail to do, yet it's been done in a single volume here in a delightful way.

Konyu isn't just the writer for Downlands, though, as he also provides all of the art. Beautiful might be one of the first words that comes to mind when trying to describe his style. Different from the majority of mainstream comic work, Konyu has a style that's unique and eye-catching, art that draws you in and demands your attention. His designs are fairly simple, yet he's able to convey a ton of character with little detail thanks to cleverly and carefully selected design choices. Perhaps my favourite part of his style is his attention to colour, and the way in which it doesn't just convey the emotions of a scene, but sometimes is the scene itself. There are times that lack of colour, that negative space is used to convey characters, or parts of the environment that makes key moments pop on the page. Konyu's art is fantastic, and worth picking up the book for alone.

Downlands is a fantastic book, one that will captivate readers of all ages. It's filled with mystery and horror, drawing from folklore and urban legend, but it also has a very real, human heart to it that will have readers invested. If you come across Downlands on a shop shelf do yourself a favour and give it a try, and I doubt you'll be left disappointed.

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UK Plummets on the European Rainbow Index For LGBTQ+ Equality

 

In 2015 the UK was at the top of the European Rainbow Index, we were leading the entire continent for our progressive ideals, the action we were taking to make life for the queer community better, and were the envy of other nations. It was a time where LGBTQ+ people felt more hopeful, where it felt like the historic hatred and oppression we'd been subjected to was going to be a thing of the past and future fights for our equality would be easier. However, just a decade later the UK has been relegated to 22nd place on this list, and not because we've stayed consistent and other countries have out paced us, but because we've become one of the leaders for rolling back LGBTQ+ rights, protections, and representation in Europe.

The Rainbow Index is compiled by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Europe (ILGA-Europe) each year, and tracks the various laws and legislations of 49 countries to see how LGBTQ+ they are, ranking them based upon the freedoms, equality, and safety of its queer population. 2025 marks the UK's lowest point on this ranking system, with us having fallen from 16th to 22nd place in just a single year.

The UK's score on the Rainbow Index now sits at 46%, with the top countries ranking much higher, Malta at 89%, Belgium at 85%, Iceland at 84%, Denmark at 80%, and Spain at 78% make up the top five countries. The UK has also fallen dramatically on the Trans Rights Map, created by Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU), which has said that the reversal on trans rights in the UK outweighs its progress.

The ILGA spoke on the UK's shocking fall, saying that the recent UK Supreme Court judgement on the Equality Act 2010 in regards to sex specifically referring to sex assumed at birth, and the subsequent rollbacks on trans rights and push for segregation for trans people in multiple spaces across the country, was one of the key reasons for the fast fall. It is worth noting, however, that the UK has been falling on the chart each year even before this event, and that we've been becoming poorer on LGBTQ+ rights for a long while now.

A. Chaber, the Executive Director for ILGA, said 'If left unchallenged these tactics risk spreading further across Europe, undermining a human rights framework that has taken decades to build. The time to push back is now, before the targeted attacks we’re seeing in countries like Hungary, the UK and Georgia become the norm rather than the exception. Political leaders must lead by example and turn their words into action.'

TGEU added that 'Previously a frontrunner on equality, the UK now has a Supreme Court, Prime Minister, and equality body singing from the same hymn sheet as anti-trans campaigners. The UK Supreme Court’s decision, which defined a ‘woman’ for the anti-discrimination law, has severely undermined legal certainty for trans people.  Furthermore, it has reinforced privacy risks and exclusion from essential services such as hospital wards, public toilets, changing rooms, and refuges, as well as reception centres for asylum seekers.'

Kier Starmer at London Pride; all political parties have been banned from major
Pride events thanks to his government's actions against LGBTQ+ rights.

The Prime Minister mentioned in their statement is the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who had previously said that he believed trans women were women, but has appeared to have either lied on those occasions, or has chosen to throw the trans population under the bus in order to advance his party's popularity with anti-trans campaigners after saying that the UK Supreme Court decision brought 'much needed clarity' in regards to trans rights. Following his decision not to challenge this ruling or alter legislation to provide much needed protection to trans people multiple Pride events have banned all political parties from attending them, citing Starmer's betrayal of the trans population as a reason. Starmer has also received sweeping condemnation in the UK this very week, after an anti-immigration speech that mirrored Enoch Powell's famous 'Rivers of Blood' speech from the 1960's.

Speaking about the UK government's refusal to support trans people, ILGA said 'Trans people may now be legally treated according to their sex assigned at birth in critical areas of life, including access to services and protections from discrimination. Legal gender recognition must ensure that trans people are recognised in all areas of life. That is no longer the case in the UK. As a result, we removed all points related to legal gender recognition from this year’s ranking. The law now fails to universally recognise trans people as who they are, with serious consequences for their safety, dignity and equality.’

As well as the reduction in trans rights and protections, the UK lost points for failing to ban conversion therapy, a form of torture that is used to attempt to 'cure' queer people of their sexualities and gender identities if they fail to alight with those of the cisgender heteronormative majority. The UK was also heavily criticised for its ban on puberty blockers for transgender youth. The Labour government banned the use of puberty blockers for trans people in 2024, claiming that it was a dangerous practice; despite this claim puberty blockers are still used to treat cisgender children with precocious puberty, which seems to indicate that they are in fact not actually dangerous to children. The UK's decision to remove trans healthcare from young people came following the Cass Report, a document that has been heavily criticised, and has been cited as 'riddled with flaws' following heavy peer review.

The UK's treatment of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers was also a key point of concern for ILGA. The index referenced media investigations into how the Home Office has a history of rejecting asylum applicants for not being 'truly gay', including cases where judges have claimed people are trying to fake being gay to escape persecution and claimed that applicants didn't act gay enough for the judges to believe them. Despite only making up 2% of asylum claims, queer asylum seekers having their claims rejected has risen to as high as 78%, an increase in previous years 58%.  

The UK in 2015 feels like a different country to the one that we have now. As an openly queer trans woman I felt a lot of hope in 2015. My life had been through some massive changes that year, not all of them good. I lost my job through transphobic discrimination, I left my home town because I'd been repeatedly verbally and physically assaulted for being trans. But I moved to a nicer place, I found better, more accepting places to work, I started living as my true self full time, and I started a relationship that I've been in ever since. I was filled with hope because despite the darkness things seemed to be getting better. Trans people were making headlines for positive reasons, transphobes were treated as fringe bigots, and we were top of the Rainbow Index. 

But I don't recognise my country now. In the last month I've been stripped of rights and protections, I've seen places call for trans people to be segregated, the government has refused to help, racists and transphobes are given airtime and treated as reasonable positions. We're living in a much darker world now, every marginalised group are suffering for it. All we can do is fight this every step of the way, and maybe then we'll prevent things from getting even worse.

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