Trans Aid Cymru
 | |
| Abbreviation | TAC |
|---|---|
| Formation | June 2020 [1] |
| Type | Nonprofit |
Area served | Wales |
Key people | Shash Appan |
| Website | transaid |
Formerly called | South Wales Trans and NonBinary Mutual Aid Fund |
Trans Aid Cymru is a mutual aid organisation based in Wales, that aims to support transgender, intersex, and non-binary people in Wales with grants and local events.
History
[edit]Trans Aid Cymru was founded in June 2020 after a protest was held outside Cardiff Castle, in response to the UK Conservative government scrapping reform of the Gender Recognition Act.[1][2] Originally named the "South Wales Trans and NonBinary Mutual Aid Fund" (SWTN Mutual Aid), the organisation rebranded to Trans Aid Cymru in 2021.[3] Since its formation, Trans Aid Cymru has provided transgender community in Wales with financial grants. Initially this was to support transgender people who lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This continued, with Trans Aid Cymru providing around £2000 of grants every month during 2023.[4]
In September 2020, Trans Aid Cymru held a second protest outside the Senedd, after the Sunday Times reported that proposals to allow people to self-identify their gender through the Gender Recognition Act had been dropped. The report also confirmed that a diagnosis of gender dysphoria would still be needed to apply for a gender recognition certificate. This angered protesters, who pointed out that over 70% of respondents to the reform consultation agreed that the medical requirement should be removed.[5] Organisers for Trans Aid Cymru called on the Welsh Government to listen to what the trans community had to say regarding future reforms.[6]
Around 100 people attended a protest held by Trans Aid Cymru outside the UK Government's Tŷ William Morgan in April 2022. The protest was held after the UK government announced that a proposed conversion therapy ban would not extend to protest transgender people in the UK. One of Trans Aid Cymru's founders, Shash Appan led the protest by speaking about her own experiences with conversion therapy. Later the same day, the Welsh Government's Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, Hannah Blythyn, shared that the Welsh Government would be taking steps to ban all forms of conversion therapy across Wales.[7][8]
In 2022, the organisation worked with Tai Pawb and Neil Turnbull from Cardiff University, to research LGBTQ+ experiences of homelessness in Gwent. This research was commissioned by the five local authorities that cover Gwent to better understand and develop policies around LGBTQ+ experiences of homelessness in Gwent.[9] The research won the LGBTQI+ Champion, Initiative or Campaign of the Year award at the 2022 Wales Online Diversity & Inclusion Awards.[10] Drag group Cŵm Rag ran a fundraiser for the organisation in 2022, climbing Snowdon in dresses and heels.[11] The climb was filmed by S4C and released as a documentary that premiered at that years Iris Prize film festival.[12] Trans Aid Cymru received funding in 2022, through the LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund. This funding was provided by the National Lottery Community Fund, Comic Relief, Barrow Cadbury Trust, and LGBT Consortium. [13]
In February 2023, they stuck fake birth, death, and marriage certificates to Tŷ William Morgan to protest the UK Government blocking the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. The group explained in an online statement that they were intended to represent "trans people across the UK who are unable to get married, have children, or even die without being misgendered."[14] In response to the protest the, Welsh Government minister Hannah Blythyn, stated the Welsh Government supported simplification of the Gender Recognition Act and that Wales was committed to seeking the devolution of the act.[15] In 2023 the organisation acted as consultants for the play Joseph K and the Cost of Living by Emily White.[16][17]
In 2024, the UK government invited Trans Aid Cymru's to submit an opinion regarding the proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers.[18]
Trans Aid Cymru held a protest march in Cardiff on 21 April 2025, following the UK Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a "woman" as referred to in the Equality Act 2010. The event attracted over a thousand attendees, who chanted and sang as they marched through the city centre.[19] Protesters included both transgender and cisgender people who disagreed with the ruling.[20][21][22]
Funding
[edit]The group is funded through donations, fundraisers held by community members, and one off funding from charitable organisations.[23][24] Previous community fundraising events include live music hosted by Cardiff University's Live Music Society, and 313 Presents at The Moon, Womanby Street, Cardiff.[25][26][27] The group distributes their funds using Open Collective, with Social Change Nest acting as their fiscal host.[28]
Awards
[edit]- In 2022, the group was nominated for the Community Group of the Year award at the PinkNews Awards.[29]
- In November 2022, they were awarded the Trans Charity of the Year from Trans in the City at their first annual Trans in the City Gala.[30][31]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "About us". Trans Aid Cymru – A mutual aid, helping trans, non-binary and intersex people across Wales. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Ali, Joseph (17 November 2020). "Transgender awareness week: Inspirational people making a difference in Wales". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Wilks, Rebecca Marie (21 December 2020). "Change Makers: The Cardiff people fighting for a better future". The Cardiffian. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Cook, Rhian (18 April 2023). "In Wales, Trans People are Fighting Back Against Erasure and Poverty". Institute of Welsh Affairs. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ Balogun, Bukky; Fairbairn, Catherine; Pyper, Douglas (10 July 2024). "Gender Recognition Act reform: consultation and outcome". House of Commons Library. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Ali, Joseph (22 September 2020). "Protesters criticise UK plans to scrap self-identifying policies". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Ali, Joseph (26 April 2022). "'Torture won't fix me' Protestors gather against transgender conversion therapy". Wales Online. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ Taylor, Ivy (30 April 2022). "Trans Rights Activists Send Message Of Resistance To UK Government In Cardiff -". HOME. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "The Outside Project: Providing LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces and Support". Tai Pawb. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Rutherford, Rachel (14 July 2022). "Welsh champions revealed at WalesOnline Diversity & Inclusion Awards". Business Live. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ Ali, Joseph (18 May 2022). "Team of drag queens climbed Snowdon in heels". Wales Online. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "Queens Cwmrag". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ Civil Society Consulting CIC. "The impact of the Equity Fund on LGBT+ organisations and intersectional communities they serve" (PDF). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "@Transaidcymru". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Lemarie, Jasmin (21 February 2023). "Trans Aid Cymru protest against Westminster's gender reform block". CJS News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ White, Emily (27 April 2023). Joseph K and the Cost of Living. Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-38500-3.
- ^ Zakarian, Abi; Zegerman, Alexis; Josephine, Charlie; Rhys, Elgan; Azouz, Josh; Owen, Sian; Halder, Titas; Barnes, Luke; Adebayo, Mojisola (27 June 2024). National Theatre Connections 2024: 10 Plays for Young Performers. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-45006-6.
- ^ "Government's response to the targeted consultation on proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers". GOV.UK. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Cardiff protest rally over Supreme Court gender ruling". BBC News. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ Francis, Bryana (21 April 2025). "Thousands of trans rights activists take to streets to protest court ruling". Wales Online. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ "'How are they going to police this?': Cardiff reacts to Supreme Court gender ruling amid protests". Sky News. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ Atkinson, Chloe (22 April 2025). "Transgender women's rights protesters gather in Cardiff". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ "Financial Reports – Trans Aid Cymru". Trans Aid Cymru – A mutual aid, helping trans, non-binary and intersex people across Wales. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund Awards". Consortium. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY BATTLE OF THE BANDS HEAT 1". The Moon, Cardiff 2017-2024. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "TRANS AID FUNDRAISER: ENABLING BEHAVIOUR, MAY SWOON, FREYJA ELSY, ROMA LANE, AMETHYST PHOENIX, DJ LUNA TUNES". The Moon, Cardiff 2017-2024. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "TRANS AID CYMRU FUNDRAISER: RAZKID + MINAS:JUNK + RAINYDAY RAINBOW + IVOR WOODS + PAPA JUPE'S TAURUS CLUB + CASPER JAMES + RIGHTKEYSONLY". The Moon, Cardiff 2017-2024. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ "Spotlight: Trans Aid Cymru – The Social Change Nest". The Social Change Nest. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2025.
- ^ Hansford, Amelia (17 May 2022). "Meet the community leaders, role models and trailblazing groups nominated in PinkNews Awards 2022". PinkNews. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Trans in the City Gala 2022". Trans in the City. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Wakefield, Lily (15 November 2022). "Trans trailblazer Roz Kaveney shares 'most basic, but most important' form of activism". PinkNews. Retrieved 10 July 2024.