Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh

2025 Gender Diverse Events in Edinburgh Details on upcoming events and shows in the Edinburgh area that celebrate trans voices, gender diversity, and non-conformity from trans and non-binary creators to drag, androgyny, and beyond. If yo…

We've launched a page of upcoming events in Edinburgh, including trans+ fringe events!

rtie.org/2025/08/10/u...

"A Shameful Chapter": How Anti-Trans Disinformation Drowned Out Science and Gripped the Mainstream — Assigned A pipeline of pseudoscience funded by powerful right-wing hate groups has undermined medical truths with the help of big media.

Disinformation fomented by the radical right is behind the administration’s attacks on all of our healthcare. Mainstream media led by the nyt and Weiss, parroted this pseudoscience and put us all in danger.

www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

It has been six years since the Gender Autonomy Act was passed in Iceland. In those six years, none of the usual fears that anti-trans advocates warn against have manifested - and trans people, non-binary people and intersex people have enjoyed increased rights and protections.

trans rights isn't a single issue, it's an indexing issue

a politician willing to dump all evidence & get behind anti-trans rhetoric for votes, they're showing you something important. they're showing they'll give up any principle at all for political expediency

are you so sure you won't be next?

I mentioned free clothes swaps on my stream recently! We held one locally and it was a big hit! Love the idea of pay what you can haircuts too :) hope more areas do this instead of donating to goodwill, just give your unwanted clothing back to the community that needs it!

The same influencers that Amnesty identify here have been driving the anti-trans narrative in the UK for the past few years.

🤎If you have any cold or flu symptoms, feel ill or unwell, please do not come to the event to protect immunocompromised and vulnerable folks.

Thank you for following our housekeeping rules and keeping everyone safe. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.

💜FFP2/N95/KN94 quality masks will be available, and masking is MANDATORY. Backup surgical masks will be available in case that stock runs out, but we understand that they are much less effective.

💙HEPA air filters will be used in the venue, we are still determining the number. Air ventilation will be maximised, and we will be ensuring good airflow through opening openable doors and windows.

Venue Accessibility: www.augustine.org.uk/about-us/acc...

We will be using the Swiss Cheese Model for Covid Safety as advised by ‪@edinmaskbloc.bsky.social

💚Leather care and basic shoe repairs - do you have leather pieces that need a lather and a scrub? Do you have shoes that need to be shined? Looking for some shoe cement, but finding your options pricey? We’ll have a table for you!

💛On-site mending for damaged clothing - reusing is important + good for the environment and your pocket!

🧡Trans+ individuals prioritised for Pay What You Can (PWYC) haircuts. We will have 1 hairdresser, and 1 barber on site.

❤️Clothes Swap: no fees, changing rooms will be set up. No need to bring any clothes, but welcomed if you do.

Clothes swap Haircuts - PWYC - £0+= Sun. 20th July 3:30 - 7:30 pm AUC Sanctuary Trans+ prioritised pwyc haircuts! Free! clothes swap - mending - show repair - leather care Table with some shorts and a hat on it, as well as a box labelled "scarfs." There is another box under the table, and a clothes hanger in the background. Art by @artbleps Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh rtie.org

FREE Clothes Swap event - no entry fee, no need to bring anything, just yourselves! Accessibility info + Covid policy in the thread.

When: Sunday 20th July, 3:30 - 7:30 pm.

Where: Augustine United Church, The Sanctuary. 41-43 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.

The EHRC FOI release reveals a disturbing pattern: trans people — especially trans women — are repeatedly framed as inherently dangerous, deceptive, or a safeguarding risk. The EHRC didn’t challenge this once.

tacc.org.uk/2025/07/13/t...

An important note to @theguardian.com @richada.bsky.social about Sullivan’s ‘report’.

13.1.6 In the context of a gender-affected activity (read paragraph 13.1.2), the Act allows trans people to be excluded from an event or treated differently, which would otherwise constitute unlawful gender reassignment discrimination, when necessary for reasons of safety or fair competition. If it is not necessary for these reasons, it is likely to be unlawful to exclude trans people.

Competitive sport – sex and gender reassignment 13.43 For sporting competitions where physical strength, stamina or physique are significant factors in determining success or failure, the Act permits separate events to be organised for men and for women. 13.44 If the physical strength, stamina or physique of the average person of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to the average person of the other sex as competitors in a sport, game or other competitive activity, it is not unlawful for those arranging the event to restrict participation to persons of one sex. 13.45 The Act permits the organisers of such a sport, game or other competitive activity to restrict participation of a transsexual person in that activity but only if this is necessary in a particular case to secure fair competition or the safety of other competitors.

Note, according the EHRC's new Code, sports can still only exclude trans people from M/F activities if it's justified due to safety/fairness.
Otherwise, it's unlawful.
www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equ...

This is the *exact same* as the 2011 Code:
www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/defaul...

Possibly something worth mentioning in any emails to the committee...
bsky.app/profile/itsl...

I think it is worth writing to the committee chair about Duffield's tweet and arguing it brings the committee into disrepute

Admitting you're flouncing out of a meeting *you're paid to be in* because it's too intersectional.

Girl Power✌️

For anyone who would like to follow up with the @commonswec.parliament.uk - their email address is womeqcom@parliament.uk

bsky.app/profile/phil...

I hope both committees will tell the government that she would be an inappropriate choice for chair of the EHRC.

Committee members spoke a lot about the letters they’re receiving from the public on this, so keep writing!

Stephenson really showed her true colours here. She was visibly flustered when asked to explain her anti-trans campaigning and asked to condemn anti-trans activism.

Thread of questions the Women & Equalities Committee at Westminster asked of Labour's proposed new head of the EHRC yesterday, and her answers (and non-answers).

I’ll be liveposting this so you don’t have to watch it.

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson has a history of involvement in the anti-trans movement in the UK, from signing the Let Women Speak letter, to attending A Woman’s Place conferences.

Let’s see if the committee ask her about any of that 👇

I just cannot believe that you are going to pick another "Gender Critical" person after years of horrific attacks on trans people from the current one. Falkner has completely destroyed the EHRC and you want more of that?! What is going on in this country. It's a disgrace

Spent the entire evening writing up the EHRC response for @rtie.org

And that’s with members’ feedback already collated.

That guidance and the consultation are trash - lengthy, confusing, mired in bigotry - and I feel like my eyes are bleeding.

Helpful:
bsky.app/profile/tran...