December 22nd 2023.
Stepping into the Trans Secret Santa grotto, I couldn't help but grin. Our elves were dressed in festive 'Santa says trans rights' jumpers and humming along to Christmas tunes, while busily packing boxes with pronoun badges, queer books, posters, beauty products, and sweets.
I was in awe of the beautiful scene, and it was exactly what I needed after an incredibly difficult year for the trans+ community in the UK. Unfortunately, hateful and dehumanizing headlines have become unavoidable. In the last five years, there has been a shocking 217% increase in these types of stories.
It's hard to feel festive, hearing of the immense struggles of the many young trans people that I work with delivering LGBTQ+ education in schools. Our own Prime Minister is denying the reality of trans people and by doing so, is giving others permission to do the same. Comments from the Conservative Party Conference are being repeated in virtually every classroom Q&A. This is having a direct – and detrimental – effect on trans+ children.
That's why I decided to do something to help – I wanted to spread some joy to trans youth in the UK. I contacted my friend, trans artist Mister Samo, who designed a special Christmas card with the words 'Trans Youth You Are Loved', and joined forces with Think2Speak, a social enterprise supporting LGBTQ+ children, young people, and their families.
With the help of my friends and contacts, I was able to send signed Christmas cards, and fundraise for gifts and postage. Jessica Kingsley Publishing sent 400 books, including Fox Fisher's Trans Teen Survival Guide and Juno Dawson's What The T, and The Body Shop generously donated beauty products. The fundraiser raised over £11,000 in two weeks, and was met with an overwhelming response. Hundreds of people left messages of solidarity and hope.
It was a reminder that there is so much love and support for the trans+ community. It showed us just how needed this service was, and made me realise that it's our moral obligation to protect our youth. This Christmas season, they need us more than ever.
I had the luck to step inside the Trans Secret Santa grotto and I couldn't help but have a wide smile on my face. Our elves, dressed in ‘Santa says trans rights’ Christmas jumpers and humming along to the Christmas tunes, were busy packing pronoun badges and queer books into gift parcels, while others were wrapping posters, beauty products and sweets.
It was a lovely scene, and it was precisely what I needed to lift my spirits after a difficult year for the trans+ community in the UK. It's hard to avoid the hateful and dehumanising headlines these days, and unfortunately, there has been a 217% increase in them in the last five years.
I'm especially worried about the younger members of our community. Through my work in delivering LGBTQ+ education in schools, I've had the chance to meet young trans+ youth and hear their struggles first-hand. Our own prime minister is denying the reality that trans people exist and by doing so, it gives others permission to do the same. Students have repeated the comments made by the PM at the Conservative Party Conference in virtually every classroom Q&A I've been in.
This week, the government released a concerning transgender guidance for schools which rules that schools will no longer have to respect trans kids’ pronouns. The statistics are worrying; 78% of trans students are being bullied at school and nine out of 10 of them have had suicidal thoughts. We have a duty to protect them.
That's why, Trans Secret Santa UK was created - to show trans youth all the love and support that exists for them. The idea was born during a residential trip I was invited to by Think2Speak, a social enterprise supporting LGBTQ+ children, young people and their families. I contacted trans artist Mister Samo, who designed a special Christmas card with the words ‘Trans Youth You Are Loved’.
Once the portal was launched on the Think2Speak website, trans youth could request gifts and we could fundraise for them. Trans+ icons like writer and star of Feel Good, Mae Martin, author Juno Dawson, and stars of Sex Education Anthony Lexa and Felix Mufti, all shared heart-warming messages of solidarity and hope on the card.
We had an overwhelming response; hundreds of gift requests from young trans people all over the country and the fundraiser raised over £11,000 in two weeks. Jessica Kingsley Publishing sent 400 books, The Body Shop donated beauty products, and we were able to cover even more gifts like sweets, queer posters, bracelets, pins, stickers and T-shirts, and postage.
It was so lovely to see the amount of love and support out there for the trans+ community. Hundreds of people left messages for trans youth on the crowd-funder, and one anonymous donor wrote: ‘A gift at Christmas won’t change the world but it might provide some light relief and proof that people care.’
That's all we wanted to achieve, and it looks like we did.
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