Tom Cowie, Funding Manager for A Fairer Future, shares how trans and non-binary communities are building joy and connection through challenging times this LGBT History Month.
The history of LGBT life in the UK has been shaped not only by protests on the streets, but by the homes and lives we have built for each other. Yet, across this history we have arrived at a difficult time. The rights of trans and non-binary people are being diminished, debated, and delayed. There is no need to list the ways; if you're part of or are connected to these communities, you already know. If you are not, news reports will tell you soon enough.
But headlines won't often speak to the joy and connection being built within LGBT communities, alongside not despite, the hostility that surrounds us. Sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, sometimes soundtracked by Cher, but always led by the people who know this work best: trans and non-binary people themselves.
Esmée supports organisations that are working to create the conditions in which trans and non-binary people can genuinely thrive, holding lawmakers to account and ensuring that those most affected are centred in the policies that shape their lives. However, this work sits alongside a different kind of resistance, one that refuses to wait for permission to exist, and instead chooses to exist fully.
This LGBT History Month, I wanted to use this moment to open the front door, inviting you inside to see the work of two organisations that Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funds. Esmée commits funding to organisations that work to recognise and protect trans and non-binary people's rights. We fund work that is driven and shaped by trans and non-binary people, that challenges harmful narratives, builds understanding, and supports a movement for change.
Right, come on in … and, err, take your shoes off if you wouldn't mind.
The Kite Trust
"At The Kite Trust, we are working hard to support the right of all LGBTQ+ young people to thrive. Alongside our campaigning, policy and advocacy work, we believe one of the most important things we can do is to support trans+ young people to live and grow authentically and happily. Trans+ young people tell us consistently that they rarely see themselves represented positively at school, in the media or in other mainstream spaces. This means that alongside our work supporting trans youth to have their voices heard, now more than ever it is vital that there are spaces to celebrate and elevate the joys – large and small – of trans+ life. At The Kite Trust we will continue to fight for the rights, dignity, and respect for the trans community and ask others to do the same. We believe an inclusive society is a fair one, that trans+ young people deserve to see themselves and that a joyful trans future is possible."
From community groups to dancefloors, Esmée are supporting organisations that are creating spaces where trans and non-binary people can be fully themselves, joyfully.
Good Night Out Campaign
The Good Night Out Team at the launch of our new online platform: Nightlife Navigator. Photo Credit: Leigh Arthur
"At Good Night Out, we believe that nightlife should be about fun and freedom, not fear. This extends to all people, be they trans, non-binary, or cis. In recent years we’ve seen attacks on the most marginalised from those at the top increase rapidly, but our toolkits provide free practical guidance in running safer venues and events, while advocating for sensible approaches to gender inclusion and preserving every hard-won protection from discrimination. We are proud to quite literally fight for the right to party!"
Writing this as a gay cis man who shares a home with my trans and non-binary siblings, this LGBT History Month I am thinking about how the joy we share is itself a form of resistance. Whether at a protest, on a dancefloor, or in the quiet of our living rooms, our LGBT community have built something worth seeing. So, stop lurking in the doorway and get yourself in, there is so much joy here.
