Spectra witness the transphobia being played out in the media, in the NHS, and in politics. We stand in solidarity with our trans and non-binary colleagues, service users, Board members and volunteers, and with all trans and non-binary people globally.
Through the barrage of negativity on social media, we also see the trans allies who are stepping forward to protect and amplify trans existence: thank you for standing with us. The right to exist as transgender and/or non-binary people is a fundamental basic human right that should not be put through this constant questioning, degradation and abuse; all trans and non-binary identities are valid.
At Spectra, we deal with the impact that this transphobia has on our community everyday through the trans empowerment programme and the support services that we offer. We also bear witness to how transphobia sits within wider systems of oppression, including racism, ableism, and sexism.
As commentators such as Nim Ralph and Amrou Al-Kadhi have observed, the history of transphobia in the UK is tied to the history of white supremacy, and with this the logics of biological determination, eugenics, and scientific racism. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a historic reckoning with the legacies of slavery and anti-Blackness, the current spread of anti-trans narratives could not be more inappropriate.
As an inclusive organisation, we are open to help educate trans allies on the issues at hand, we are not here to debate people’s very existence. We commit to re-doubling our support for trans and non-binary people: particularly our trans siblings who are Black, Asian, disabled, and/or women.
June 11, 2020