Trans identities have become a huge news topic in recent years. Despite only 0.5% of the population reporting their gender identity and sex to be different than when registered at birth*, the media often leads us to believe that trans people pose a risk to the wider society, while trans people are rarely given a voice.
To learn more from the community themselves, we put some questions to Nottingham organisation The Pastel Project, to hear how they are looking to make Nottingham a Trans Sanctuary City, and understand their perspective on topics such as safety, law-making, healthcare, and education.
*respondents in the 2021 UK census
It’s been a while since we last caught up, can you tell us about The Pastel Project and what you are currently doing?
To catch up those who don’t know us, hi! We’re Nottingham Pastel project, a grassroots organisation led by trans people for trans people, hoping to make Nottingham the best city to be a trans, non binary, or gender non-conforming person. We’re still less than a year old, but it’s been a busy one - already we have established ourselves amongst other passionate and dedicated LGBTQ+ groups in Nottingham. We have settled on our core values of community, healthcare, and education to drive towards the goal of a Trans Sanctuary City.
Unfortunately, our work with the council has stalled slightly due to the introduction of the new commissioners, however we continue to maintain a strong working relationship with the council and support a positive future there. We recently recruited new voluntary team leads who are already using their incredible talents to further the project, and our recent fundraiser with local community theatre group Encore! Performing Arts at their stunning performances of Rent has raised over £400! This is so helpful for us to continue our work for the trans community of Nottingham. We were also recently honoured to have been invited to speak at Nottingham’s first ever Trans Pride event organised by the team at Nottingham Against Transphobia. We hope this is just the start of spreading more trans joy across our city and beyond!
What would making Nottingham a Trans Sanctuary City entail?
A Trans Sanctuary City is one in which trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people are accepted and respected, pertaining to all aspects of their lives. This includes governmental and healthcare agencies, employee and housing rights, and a zero-tolerance policy to anti-trans hate speech. To do this we work on three main areas: community, healthcare, and education. We want to encourage interaction not only between all members of Nottingham’s vibrant trans community, but also with the public at large to create a sense of belonging and togetherness across the board. We want local healthcare agencies such as GPs to understand the needs of their trans patients, and for those patients to be able to advocate for themselves, to make the medical side of transitioning a smooth and easy process. Finally, we wish to educate people who may not know much about the trans community, to dispel any myths and fear-mongering statements they may hear about us.
Media coverage to do with trans issues seems to involve a lot of fear-mongering, and we rarely get to hear from the trans community themselves. For those who have never met a trans person, can you talk about some of the challenges that trans people face in day to day life?
First of all - you almost definitely have met a trans person. You may not have noticed it, but we are everywhere, simply going about our lives. In day-to-day activities we don’t shout our identities from the rooftops, we just want to get through our work day, run our errands, spend time with our loved ones, the same as everyone else. Unfortunately, these things are far more daunting for a transgender person than they may be for our cisgender peers. When was the last time you hesitated before using a toilet? A changing room? Simply leaving your house to walk down the street? This happens to us every day, particularly with the constant fear mongering and hatred spread by anti-trans activists. Our worries aren’t unfounded. Hate crimes against transgender people rose 11% between April 2022 - March 2023. It’s a scary world out there, and this is why we need the vocal support of allies more than ever.
Rates of people identifying as transgender in the UK have grown significantly in recent years, particularly in young people. Why do you think this is?
Simply put, people feel more and more safe to explore their identities, and as such come out to the world. The more acceptance spreads in society, the more comfortable someone will feel to share who they really are. If you look at graphs over time of left-handedness, it seems that numbers suddenly began rising in the early 1900s. This isn't to say that people weren’t left-handed before this time, but being left-handed was seen as evil, children were punished for writing with their left hand, and so they struggled through with their right. When society realised there was nothing inherently wrong with being left-handed, the punishment stopped, and so the rates rose and people weren’t pretending to be something there were not. The same is happening with trans people - they realise the world is a safer place to be themselves.
We find ourselves being used as a political football, when all we want is to live our lives
For anyone struggling to understand, why are chosen pronouns and self-ID important?
Again, this is something that can seem much more complex than it really is. Being transgender is just something that you know about yourself. It may take a long time to understand it, to realise it, or you may have known it all along but not known the words. You wouldn’t need a doctor to sign off on your sexuality, or your favourite music genre, it’s just a facet of who you are, and only an individual them self is best equipped to understand how they feel inside. Showing respect for each other is a key part of what keeps society going, and this respect should be inclusive of trans people in their identities. One of the simpler everyday examples of that is using the correct pronouns for that person – it just signifies you have listened and offer the same considerations you would to anyone else.
There are currently 20 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay) that have self-ID with no undue issues recorded - it simply allows trans people to live their lives freely. Having self ID removes admin from trans peoples’ lives. Currently trans people have to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate, in that process an unknown review panel judges evidence of trans people living their lives to see if they are genuine or not. If it is decided they are then they are able to change their birth certificate, including sex marker, get married and eventually die with their correct self recorded. Anything else in a trans person’s life, access to public facilities, hospitals etc is essentially self determined and ensured under a protected characteristic as stated in the Equalities Act 2010
Part of The Cass Report, published in April, recommended the restriction of access to hormones for under-18s. Many people worry about the implications of young people questioning their gender taking medication to prevent puberty. Can you talk a bit about this and some of the misconceptions around trans health care?
Firstly, ourselves, along with many other individuals and healthcare agencies, are appalled by the implications of the Cass Report, that trans healthcare is dangerous to children. This is simply not the case. Puberty blocking medications are used on cisgender children with no issue - why not trans children? Gender dysphoria (the medical term given to those who need to transition due to a mismatch between their body and sense of self), is defined as the strong and persistent assertion that the patient's gender is different to that of their sex assigned at birth. Puberty blockers simply allow the patient and their clinician time to establish whether this is the case, and hence figure out the best course of action, letting them decide what it is they truly want, without being rushed into a decision.
The Pastel Project has spoken with parents who are deeply worried about their childrens’ wellbeing when their options are being stripped away from them, the NHS guidance itself admits that this will cause distress and can damage childrens’ mental health. To us, that is a clear violation of the hippocratic oath of ‘first, do no harm’. The community response was immediate, which concerned parents rushing to offer each other support, and find ways they can help their children whilst remaining within the letter of the law. It should be noted that rates of regret for transition are incredibly low, at only 5-8% by most estimates. This is lower than regret rates for cancer treatment, at 14.4% by one study. Of those who regretted their transition, 62% are reported as restarting their transition at a later date, often citing societal pressures, rather than their own feelings, as one of the biggest factors in that decision to stop their transition.
HR policies need to be clear in their support and protection of trans people, and any anti-trans abuse should be taken seriously and those responsible should be punished appropriately. A small change, such as inclusive bathroom and changing room facilities, can be easily implemented and yet have a huge impact in the wellbeing of trans customers and workers alike
With the General Election coming up this month, there are some huge implications for the trans community - in relation to safe spaces, hormone therapy, the Equality Act, and education. What are the dangers of taking trans rights backwards, and who is offering alternatives?
The general election has caused a massive uptick in falsehoods about trans people being thrown around, and we find ourselves being used as a political football, when all we want is to live our lives. There seems to be a split between the parties, with Conservatives and Reform claiming they will ‘protect single sex spaces’, while The Green Party and Liberal Democrats claim they will support trans rights by bringing in self-identification, and legally recognising non-binary identities. Labour seems to be at odds with itself, claiming that they will support trans people, whilst protecting single-sex spaces, and implementing the suggestions laid out in the Cass Review.
Whoever comes into power, we hope that they will support trans rights, improve access to trans healthcare, review the Cass report, which healthcare professionals around the world have raised concerns about, and to not amend the Equality Act in such a way that it removes the current protections offered to trans people. The most important thing we could say about the general election is to get out there and vote, make your voice heard, whichever party it is you’re choosing.
What can businesses, venues and workplaces do to become welcoming and accommodating to gender non-conforming and trans people?
This can be very simple - treat trans people like anyone else. Show them respect, stand up for them when they express concerns or are unfairly treated by others. HR policies need to be clear in their support and protection of trans people, and any anti-trans abuse should be taken seriously and those responsible should be punished appropriately. A small change, such as inclusive bathroom and changing room facilities, can be easily implemented and yet have a huge impact in the wellbeing of trans customers and workers alike.
For anyone who wants to learn more about the trans community or who may have questions surrounding their own gender identity, what resources do you suggest?
There are many resources a person could use to learn more about trans people, so it’s hard to narrow down to just a few. TransActual is a good place to start, their information is easily accessible. Also, wherever you are in the UK there are sure to be local LGBTQ+ groups that would help you learn more about yourself and support your gender journey, in Nottingham the most prominent are Notts Trans Hub (for adults), and Genderphoria (for those aged 13-18). There is also a helpline service available through Gendered Intelligence if you are reticent about meeting face-to-face. If someone is particularly struggling and this is causing mental distress, they should always reach out to medical professionals such as counsellors, who can help them unpack their issues and find the path that’s right for them.
Nottingham recently celebrated the city’s first Trans Pride Festival. What do you think the city is doing right surrounding trans rights and spaces?
The turnout for Trans Pride was absolutely wonderful to see, so many trans people and allies showed up, despite the appalling weather, to send the message that we will not be erased, that we are proud of who we are. That in itself shows the level of support Nottingham has for its trans community. Further to that, engagement with our work has been incredible, with places such as Nottingham Women's Centre, the local council, local MPs such as Nadia Whittome, the police, and numerous businesses showing their open acceptance and love for trans people.
What have you got coming up for The Pastel Project and how can people get involved?
We will, of course, be attending Pride on 27 July, and anyone is welcome to come down and ask us about who we are and what we do, and to join in celebrating the LGBTQ+ community of Nottingham. With the money raised from fundraising with Encore! Performing Arts production of Rent, we are able to secure our own stall, which is very exciting for us. We’re also continuing to work alongside local government to ensure trans rights are being truly addressed in Nottingham, with hate crimes being taken as the serious issue that they are posing, but also we want to spread trans joy within our community. We’re always welcome to comments from local people on what we’re doing well, but also what you would like us to change - we’re here to represent you after all.
To keep up with The Pastel Project head to their Instagram page. You can also donate to their fundraiser at this link.
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