Jaron Soh (he/him) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Congrats @tomdolphin.bsky.social !

Budapest Pride shows us: the more they try to suppress us, the stronger we become Budapest Pride has given me hope, because I believe it to be the trailhead towards a stronger LGBTQIA+ movement.

New op-ed with @attitudemag.bsky.social: This weekend, I joined over two hundred thousand people at Budapest’s 30th Pride march.

This was the city’s biggest ever Pride; and it was more than a celebration, this march was a defiant act of resistance against oppression.

✅ Vote & organise: Laws change because people demand them to.

✅ Protect each other: Mutual aid, support networks, and direct action keep us safe.

They want us to believe oppression is inevitable, but history tells us otherwise.

How do we fight back?

✅ Stay visible: They want us erased, so our visibility is an act of resistance.

✅ Challenge bad science: LGBTQIA+ healthcare and mental health care is a fundamental human right.

✅ Educate & archive: They cannot erase history, try as they might. Keep our legacy alive.

We are also not the first to resist.

Our history also teaches us how powerful our collective solidarity is, and how the millions of us will persist despite the odds.

Perhaps most comfortingly, one lesson is that there is inherently nothing wrong with us, no matter what narrative the oppressors try to spin.

We can also recognise that we are not the first generation to face this kind of oppression.

Left: Oppression today
Right: Oppression back then

1️⃣ Pathologisation: Framing LGBTQIA+ identities as illnesses.

2️⃣ Legislation: Using laws to control our bodies, relationships, and existence.

3️⃣ Censorship: Banning LGBTQIA+ book and public expression.

4️⃣ Moral Panic: Claiming we are a "threat to children or women” to justify discrimination.

History can teach us how to fight back against the "LGBTQIA+ oppression playbook". The playbook comprises 4 tactics, which historically has been used to marginalise us. What are they?

Across history, LGBTQIA+ people have faced systemic oppression from laws criminalising our sexuality to the pathologisation of our identities.

In 2025, rising anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments follow a very similar playbook. The attacks we’re seeing today are not new.

What LGBTQIA+ history can teach us about oppression today - there's a lot we can learn from the past for our resistance against injustice today.

Voda, the LGBTQIA+ self-care app, is "App of the Day" again!

Check us out on the app store xx

apps.apple.com/story/id1780...

Voda | The LGBTQIA+ Mental Wellbeing App The LGBTQIA+ mental health app designed by leading LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists. Derived from evidence-based therapy modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and mindfulness.

Find it on voda.co!

Happy launch day!! We're excited to launch our free therapist-led module today, "Coping with Hate Speech" for those experiencing online hate as a result of platforms' policy changes!

Please share with those who might be able to benefit from this free resource.

#queertech #lgbtqia 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

bsky.app/profile/uklg...

Government’s response to the targeted consultation on proposed changes to the availability of puberty blockers

The Labour Government has confirmed they invited numerous known hate groups and pro-conversion orgs to give evidence for their closed consultation on the puberty blocker ban, including Bayeswater Support, LGB Alliance, CAN-SG, Transgender Trend and Sex Matters.

Never let them forget this choice.

Voda | The LGBTQIA+ Mental Wellbeing App The LGBTQIA+ mental health app designed by leading LGBTQIA+ psychotherapists. Derived from evidence-based therapy modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Th...

I recently shared the founding story of www.voda.co, the world's leading LGBTQIA+ mental health app with the Daily Mirror here - www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Coming out was one of the most significant moments in my life. It took me until I was in my late 20s to tell my parents.

But soon I realised the journey after coming out was just as complex as the decision itself - a journey led that me to eventually starting Voda, the LGBTQIA+ mental health app.

Trans+ Therapy Library: The world's largest free mental health resource for trans and non-binary communities The world’s largest free mental health resource created for the trans+ community.

And if you’d like to explore the world’s largest free mental health resource for trans+ communities - check out Voda’s Trans+ Library! 🌍

www.voda.co/trans-library

Voda | State of Trans+ Mental Health Report 2024 The 2024 State of Trans+ Mental Health Report by Voda, highlighting critical mental health challenges faced by 2,300+ trans+ individuals worldwide. Download the full report to explore insights, key fi...

To every trans+ person who shared their story, thank you. 🙏

To every employer + mental health provider reading this: there is work to do.

If you’d like to learn more or how you can support trans+ mental health, check out the full 34-page report here: www.voda.co/trans-report...

7️⃣ Love and community still exists.

We often focus on "what’s broken" but 1 thing we've learned 2.3k voices is that community saves lives.

Over 50% said they rely on p2p resources like forums and support groups. Even while living in a difficult world, trans people find and support each other.

6️⃣ 84% of trans+ people want mental health services with trans+ people in it.

It sounds obvious but many healthcare systems simply don't involve trans people in their service design or delivery.

There's a huge need for resources created by people who get it - and have lived it.

5️⃣ Family rejection is one of the most painful obstacles.

59.9% of trans people list family rejection as one of their main challenges.

For many, home is supposed to be a refuge but the reality is far from it. The impact of this also leaves a lasting mark on self-worth and relationships.

4️⃣ Mental health outcomes are concerning with over half (51.3%) of trans+ people report their mental health as "poor" or "very poor."

That's significantly higher than the general population, and is likely because being trans in a society that shames and isolates you takes a toll.

3️⃣ Non-binary people have distinct mental health needs.

Non-binary respondents reported higher levels of anxiety about social acceptance and face distinct mental health challenges related to erasure.

2️⃣ The healthcare system is failing trans people.

49% of trans+ people said they struggled to access mental health services that were inclusive of trans needs.

This isn't just a "UK problem", it’s a global one. In most countries, mental health providers have zero training on trans issues.

1️⃣ Social acceptance is THE biggest mental health challenge.

Gender dysphoria or difficulty accessing healthcare are big challenges too but social acceptance was the most common challenge named.

80%+ of trans+ individuals reported anxiety about social acceptance as their #1 mental health challenge.

I lead a LGBTQIA+ mental health platform, and we surveyed 2,300+ trans+ people on their mental health this year.

🧵 Here are 7 things we learned about how systems globally are failing trans people:

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

I wish people knew that trans+ people's greatest need is social acceptance, at times the distress can be even greater than gender dysphoria.

(We surveyed 2.3k+ trans people, so we know this to be true).

Today we remember the lives of trans people lost x

TDOR poster with candle in hands

Today our university community will gather to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance.

We come together to read the names and remember those who died this year because of transphobia, hate and intolerance.

We come together to commit to challenging transphobia in all its forms #TDoR