Mermaids (charity)

British charity that supports transgender youth

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Mermaids

Founded| 1995[1]
Type| Nonprofit advocacy organisation
Registration no.| 1160575
Purpose| Transgender rights
Location|

* Offices in London and Leeds

CEO

| Lauren Stoner
Revenue| £902,437[2] (2020)
Expenses| £1,041,326[2] (2020)
Staff| 18 employees, 7 trustees, 31 volunteers[2] (2020)
Website| mermaidsuk.org.uk
Part of a series on

LGBTQ rights
in the United Kingdom
By location

United Kingdom

|  |  Scotland

|

|  Northern Ireland

Crown dependencies

|  |  Guernsey

|

|  Jersey
|  Isle of Man

Overseas Territories

|  |  Anguilla

|

|  Akrotiri and Dhekelia
|  Bermuda
|  British Virgin Islands
|  Cayman Islands
|  Falkland Islands
|  Gibraltar
|  Montserrat
|  Pitcairn Islands
|  Saint Helena, Ascension and
Tristan da Cunha
|  Turks and Caicos Islands

Same-sex marriage by territory

|  |  United Kingdom

|

|  Scotland
|  Northern Ireland
|  Guernsey
|  Jersey
|  Isle of Man
|  Akrotiri and Dhekelia
|  Bermuda
|  British Antarctic Territory
|  British Indian Ocean Territory
|  Cayman Islands
|  Falkland Islands
|  Gibraltar
|  Pitcairn Islands
|  Saint Helena, Ascension and
Tristan da Cunha
|  South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands

Policy aspects

Sexual orientation

* Adoption
* Age of consent
* Blood donation
* Christian nation
* Civil partnership
* History of violence
* HIV/AIDS
* Military policy
* Same-sex marriage

Gender identity, sex and intersex

* 21st-century anti-trans movement
* Transgender rights
* Intersex rights
* NHS Gender Identity Development Service
* Gender Recognition Panel

Legislation

Criminality

* Buggery Act 1533
* Offences Against the Person Act 1828
* Offences Against the Person Act 1861
* Labouchere Amendment
* Wolfenden report
* Sexual Offences Act 1967
* Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
* Homosexual Offences Order 1982
* Section 28
* Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
* Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
* Sexual Offences Act 2003
* Policing and Crime Act 2017
* Alan Turing law
* Merchant Shipping (Homosexual Conduct) Act 2017
* Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Act 2018

Protection and recognition

* Public Order Act 1986
* Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999
* Adoption and Children Act 2002
* Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
* Civil Partnership Act 2004
* Gender Recognition Act 2004
* Equality Act 2006
* Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
* Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
* Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
* Equality Act 2010
* Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
* Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014
* Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019
* Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019

Litigation

* Corbett v Corbett (1969)
* X v United Kingdom (1978)
* Dudgeon v United Kingdom (1981)
* R v Brown (1993)
* Sutherland v United Kingdom (1994)
* Smith and Grady v United Kingdom (1999)
* Goodwin & I v United Kingdom (2002)
* HJ and HT v Home Secretary (2010)
* National AIDS Trust v NHS Service Commissioning Board (2016)
* Bell v Tavistock (2021)
* AB v CD and others (2021)

Culture

By city

* Brighton
* Cardiff
* London
* Liverpool
* Leeds
* Manchester

Gay villages

* Birmingham Gay Village
* The Calls
* Canal Street (Manchester)
* Old Compton Street
* Pride Quarter, Liverpool
* Vauxhall

Gay male

* Polari
* Saunas
* Cruising

Organisations

LGBT advocacy and support

* Stonewall
* Hall–Carpenter Archives
* Black Gay Men's Advisory Group
* Akt
* Naz and Matt Foundation
* FFLAG
* LGBT Foundation
* LGBT Network
* Outright Scotland
* Switchboard (UK)
* NUS LGBT
* LGBT+ Liberal Democrats
* LGBT+ Conservatives
* LGBT+ Labour
* Labour Campaign for Trans Rights
* Mermaids
* Press for Change
* The Gender Trust

Pride events

* BiCon (UK)
* Big Gay Out
* Birmingham Pride
* Bourne Free
* Brighton Pride
* Bristol Pride
* Doncaster Pride
* GFest – gayWise LGBT Arts Festival
* Glasgay! Festival
* Homotopia (Liverpool)
* Leeds Pride
* Leicester Pride
* LGBT History Month
* BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival
* Manchester Pride
* Mr Gay UK
* Mr Gay Wales
* Northern Pride
* Nottinghamshire Pride
* Pride Cymru
* Pride Glasgow
* Pride in Hull
* Pride in Liverpool
* Pride in London
* Pride Scotia
* Reading Pride
* Swansea Pride
* Worthing Pride

Former groups

* OutRage!
* Campaign for Homosexual Equality
* Homosexual Law Reform Society
* Gay Liberation Front
* Gay Rights Working Party
* Order of Chaeronea

History

Topics

* Timeline
* List of politicians
* First LGBT officeholders
* Violence against LGBT people
* HIV/AIDS crisis
* Death penalty

Timeline

|  342|  MSM activity made illegal

|

1533|  Death penalty introduced for MSM activity
1543|  Buggery Act extended to Wales
1828 |  Offences Against the Person Act 1828
1835|  James Pratt and John Smith executed
1861|  Death penalty for buggery abolished
1885|  Labouchere Amendment introduced
1889|  Cleveland Street scandal
1895|  Oscar Wilde found guilty of gross indecency
1912|  The Cave of the Golden Calf opens
1921|  Plans to make lesbian activity illegal defeated
1936|  Mark Weston transitions
1952|  John Nott-Bower begins crackdown
1954|  Pitt-Rivers, Montagu, Wildeblood imprisoned
1954|  Alan Turing commits suicide
1957|  Wolfenden report released
1967|  MSM activity made legal (England & Wales)
1972|  First British Gay Pride Rally
1976|  Jeremy Thorpe resigns as Liberal leader
1981|  MSM activity made legal (Scotland)
1981|  First case of AIDS reported in the UK
1982|  MSM activity made legal (NI)
1983|  Gay men barred from donating blood
1984|  Chris Smith elected as first openly gay MP
1987|  Operation Spanner begins
1988|  Section 28 comes into force
1989|  Stonewall UK forms
1994|  Age of consent for MSM becomes 18
1997|  Angela Eagle becomes first openly lesbian MP
1998|  Bolton 7 found guilty
1998|  Lord Alli becomes first openly gay Lord
1999|  Admiral Duncan bombing
2000|  Gay men allowed in HM Armed Forces
2001|  Age of consent equalised to 16
2001|  MSM activity involving multiple men legal
2002|  Same sex couples granted equal rights to adopt
2003|  Section 28 repealed
2004|  Civil partnerships introduced
2004|  Gender Recognition Act 2004
2006|  Discrimination made illegal
2008|  Equalised access to IVF for lesbian couples
2008|  Incitement to homophobic hatred made a crime
2009|  Public apology to Alan Turing
2010|  Equality Act 2010
2011|  Gay men allowed to donate blood (1 yr deferral)
2013|  Nikki Sinclaire becomes first openly trans MEP
2013|  Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
2014|  First same-sex marriages take place
2016|  MSM activity not grounds for military discharge
2017|  Turing law implemented
2017|  Blood donation deferral 3 months (excl. NI)
2019|  MPs legislate for gay marriage in NI
2020|  Gay marriage legal across UK, incl. NI
2020|  Blood donation deferral 3 months (incl. NI)
2021|  Blood donation deferral equalised

* LGBTQ portal
* UK portal

* v
* t
* e

Mermaids is a British charity and advocacy organisation that supports gender variant and transgender youth.[1][3] It also provides inclusion and diversity training.[4] Mermaids was founded in 1995 by a group of parents of gender nonconforming children[5] and became a charitable incorporated organisation in 2015.[6]

## History

[edit]

### Formation and leadership

[edit]

Mermaids was founded in 1995 by a group of parents of gender nonconforming children, originally acting as a small helpline.[5] It aims to provide support for transgender youths up to 20 years of age.[1][7] Mermaids became a Charitable incorporated organisation in 2015.[6]

Susie Green was the chief executive from January 2016 until 25 November 2022 when she was dismissed because the trustees had lost confidence in her ability to lead the organisation.[8][9] Previously she worked as an IT manager at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Leeds. Green was a trustee of Mermaids for four years from 2011. Her daughter is one of the youngest individuals in the UK to have transitioned surgically.[10][11]

Lauren Stoner was made interim chief executive in December 2022[12] and was appointed CEO for two years in February 2024.[13]

In August 2023, it was announced that Belinda Bell would be stepping down as chair of the charity, while remaining as a trustee.[14] Kathryn Downs, who is transgender, became chair in February 2024.[13]

### The Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service

[edit]

In the years from 2000, Mermaids alongside another campaign group, GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society), lobbied clinicians at NHS Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) to allow children access to early treatments such as puberty blockers.[15][16] GIDS began prescribing blockers from 2011 onwards, making them widely available in response to demand from families.[16][15][better source needed] Green said: "...we don't have any say on how they operate, how they prescribe, what they do in terms of the process."[17]

In July 2022, NHS England decided to close GIDS and replace it with regional healthcare centres, following the publication of the independent Cass Review.[18] In response to the decision, Mermaids CEO Susie Green said she was "cautiously optimistic", but expressed concerns that priority would be given to psychological treatments over medical care.[19] She said: "We would not want any further barriers to be put in place in terms of access to medical intervention."[19]

### Online harassment of staff

[edit]

In 2017, Mermaids reported that it and its volunteers had been the victims of online harassment. CEO Green stated that she had been falsely accused of forcibly castrating her transgender daughter, Jackie. Her daughter said, "If my mum had not helped me, I would not be here today". Journalist Paris Lees, who is transgender, wrote: "Susie Green is saving lives and I wish my parents had known about Mermaids when I was growing up." Green raised concerns "that the social media backlash may put people off coming to the charity for help".[20]

### National Lottery funding

[edit]

In December 2018, the charity was allocated £500,000 in funding by the Big Lottery Fund, to create a national network of local groups.[21][22] The funding was subsequently put under review after criticism of the charity, including by anti-trans activist Graham Linehan,[23] who created a post on Mumsnet calling for members of the forum to email their concerns to the National Lottery.[24][25] In response to this, on 18 January 2019, YouTuber Hbomberguy began a livestream attempting to 101% complete the video game Donkey Kong 64, with a goal of $500 to be donated to Mermaids. The stream became popular and raised over US$350,000 for Mermaids.[26] Among other guests, the stream featured an appearance by American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[27] On 19 February 2019, the National Lottery concluded its review into the charity and said it would proceed with the promised donation, stating that it "did not find any grounds to withhold the grant".[28] In October 2022, National Lottery funding was paused again due to an investigation by the Charity Commission.[29]

### Media

[edit]

The 2018 ITV drama series Butterfly, about a young transgender girl, was substantially informed by Mermaids and its CEO, Susie Green, who worked with creator Tony Marchant as a consultant on the series.[30] Marchant and cast members Emmett J. Scanlan and Anna Friel also met families involved with Mermaids to inform their creative processes.[31][32]

In July 2020, the charity complained that the BBC had no longer included links to themselves on BBC LGBTQ advice pages, alongside two other organisations.[33][34] The BBC said that Mermaids was removed after complaints were made about the information it provided, and for impartiality reasons.[34]

### Data breach

[edit]

In June 2019, The Times revealed that they had discovered a data breach by Mermaids in which confidential emails had been made readily available through their website.[35] The Times said that these included names of transgender children and their parents, together with contact details and intimate medical information. The newspaper reported that there were internal emails from the trustees which criticised the leadership by Susie Green, as well as criticism from parents.[35] Mermaids issued a press release on the same day, which acknowledged that a data breach had occurred, and that they had informed the Information Commissioner's Office and had corrected the breach. The press release stated that the breach was limited to internal emails and that no emails to and from families were part of the information leaked; The Times disputed this.[7][35] After an investigation, Mermaids were required to pay a £25,000 fine.[36]

### Training

[edit]

This section may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help to create a more balanced presentation. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message. (March 2022)

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Some pressure groups, including Safe Schools Alliance and Transgender Trend, have argued that resources used by Mermaids in training sessions reinforce rigid gender roles and might cause non-conforming children to identify as transgender.[37] Writer Kate Lister said that the resource is "a visual representation of gender identifying markers ... At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans."[38] Mermaids released a statement saying that they have never encouraged teachers "to state that 'tomboys' should be transgender", and that they do not provide classroom talks or lesson materials for schools, contrary to what had been reported in some newspapers.[4]

Following the commencement of the regulatory compliance case by the Charity Commission in 2022, the Department for Education removed Mermaids from its mental health and wellbeing resources for schools.[39]

### Government policy

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2021)

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The charity criticised the UK Government's April 2021 decision to disband the LGBT advisory board without a planned replacement, describing the move as "very concerning".[40]

### Challenge to LGB Alliance charitable status

[edit]

Main article: LGB Alliance § Challenge to charitable status

In June 2021, Mermaids and other charities, including Stonewall, began raising funds to appeal the awarding of charitable status to LGB Alliance, describing the latter group's activities as "denigrating trans people".[41] The case began in September 2022,[42] and concluded in July 2023. The judges ruled that "the law does not permit Mermaids to challenge the decision made by the Charity Commission to register LGB Alliance as a charity".[43]

### Conference at Great Ormond Street Hospital

[edit]

In March 2022, Susie Green was due to speak on a panel regarding support for transgender youth, alongside Stephanie Davies-Arai, of Transgender Trend, a "gender-critical" website. The panel would have been part of an event, eventually postponed, for an expected 100 to 150 trainee child psychiatrists organised by Great Ormond Street Hospital and Health Education England.[44] Paediatrician Hilary Cass, journalist Helen Joyce, psychotherapist Stella O'Malley, and academic Lisa Littman would also have participated.[45]

Following complaints to the organisers by Mermaids and a trainee doctor, Davies-Arai's appearance was cancelled. Susie Green said that Mermaids "cannot be a part of a conference that gives a platform to Transgender Trend" and advised the organisers to "stay clear of anyone involved with anti-trans pseudo-medical platforms that have been set up with the sole intention of attacking trans people (especially trans youth) and their healthcare." Davies-Arai said that it "should concern everyone that the NHS has allowed unsubstantiated claims of 'transphobia' to influence their decisions."[44]

### Standards of Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People

[edit]

In September 2022, Susie Green co-authored the 8th edition of the standards of care issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.[46][47]

### The Daily Telegraph investigation

[edit]

In September 2022, Mermaids was the subject of an investigation by The Daily Telegraph, which accused the charity of offering chest binders to transgender youth without parental consent and to have told users they believed to be as young as 13 that puberty-blocking medications are "totally reversible".[48][49][50][51] The investigation relied largely on an anonymous adult pretending to be a 14-year-old named "Kai" in order to access services from Mermaids.[49] The Telegraph, posing as "Kai", exchanged emails with the charity, during which the charity staff agreed to offer them a chest binder.[49] The Daily Telegraph criticized the charity for not investigating the fictional Kai's mental health and for not requiring that "Kai" inform an adult, despite "Kai" describing their parents as unaccepting in the email exchanges.[49]

Mermaids responded by saying that they take "a harm reduction position with the understanding that providing a young person with a binder and comprehensive safety guidelines from an experienced member of staff is preferable to the likely alternative of unsafe practices and/or continued or increasing dysphoria".[49]

### Charity Commission Inquiry

[edit]

On 29 September 2022 the Charity Commission opened a regulatory compliance case into Mermaids, based on complaints made about the charity as a result of The Daily Telegraph's investigation.[52][53] Mermaids subsequently submitted a number of serious incidents reports to the commission in relation to issues raised in the media, and also closed its helpline temporarily due to what it described as "intolerable abuse" received by staff and volunteers.[54] Funding from the National Lottery has been paused during this investigation.[29]

On 2 December 2022 it was announced that the Charity Commission had opened a statutory inquiry on 28 November and that the charity's management and governance were now being looked at.[55][56] The Charity Commission said the opening of the inquiry was not a finding of wrongdoing.[57][58] This followed the departure of CEO Susie Green, in November 2022.[56][57]

As at July 2024, the inquiry was still ongoing. Mermaids said that this was "significantly impacting our services, staff and volunteer wellbeing, our reputation, and our finances".[59]

The Charity Commission report was released in October 2024. The investigation found that Mermaids had provided 15 breast binders to minors between the ages of 13 and 16 without the knowledge of their parents or guardians between January 2021 and September 2022.[60][61] The investigation also found that the charity had failed to carry out sufficient due diligence checks when recruiting trustees, and should never have appointed Jacob Breslow as a trustee. The report found no evidence that Mermaids had inappropriate connections with the controversial GIDS service at the Tavistock Centre or with private medical practices, nor had they failed to implement proper safeguarding policies.[60] Additionally, there was no evidence that Mermaids had given medical advice or issued medical referrals to children without parental approval.[60]

The inquiry issued "regulatory advice and guidance" to the charity telling them to further consider the Cass Review's findings and conclusions as well as review the guidance and positions on their website regarding puberty blockers, particularly relating to claims of reversibility.[61] Mermaids was also told to get consent from the parents or guardians if they ever resume providing breast binders to minors.[60]

Orlando Fraser, the chair of the Commission said: "We have carefully scrutinised Mermaids' activities through a statutory inquiry and have found mismanagement in a number of areas. Mermaids cooperated with our investigation and has been actively addressing the various concerns raised. Additionally, following the Cass review, we have required Mermaids to present a more accurate picture on its website as to the risks involved in the use of puberty blockers, and to follow Cass review findings on the involvement of parents in social transitioning as regards any future provision of chest binders to children."[9][61]

Kathryn Downs, the chair of the trustees of Mermaids, said: "We are relieved that the Charity Commission inquiry which began nearly two years ago is finally over. The report states, as we anticipated, that there is no finding of misconduct at Mermaids. The commission has also confirmed, as we have repeatedly asserted, that we have not provided medical advice or acted improperly in our work with children, young people and their families."[60][9]

### Resignation of trustee

[edit]

In October 2022, Dr Jacob Breslow of the London School of Economics resigned as a trustee of Mermaids after it was revealed he had spoken at a conference organised by B4U-ACT, a paedophile support group, as a PhD student in 2011. In a statement, Mermaids described the organisation as "completely at odds" with its values, and said that "Once notified we took swift and decisive action to investigate ... Safeguarding is of the utmost importance to Mermaids and the safety of the young people we support is our highest priority."[62] Belinda Bell, the chair of trustees, apologised for the distress caused by the news of Breslow's links to the group, and said that he should never have been appointed to the board.[63]

On 12 October 2022, Miriam Cates MP used Prime Minister's Questions to ask for a police investigation into Mermaids.[64] In response, the charity said that her "attitudes to LGBT organisations are well-documented and this is not the first time she has criticised Mermaids".[65]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "About Us". Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
2. ^ a b c "Charity Details". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
3. ^ "Mermaids (National)". Birmingham LGBT. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
4. ^ a b "Statement in response to coverage of DfE guidance in the Mail on Sunday". Mermaids. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
5. ^ a b "'Pictures of me as the Child Catcher were posted online'". www.thirdsector.co.uk. 21 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
6. ^ a b "MERMAIDS - Charity 1160575". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Charity Commission for England and Wales. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
7. ^ a b "Trans charity Mermaids UK 'deeply sorry' for data breach". BBC News. 16 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
8. ^ Wakefield, Lily (25 November 2022). "CEO of trans youth charity Mermaids leaves after six years". PinkNews. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
9. ^ a b c Gentleman, Amelia (24 October 2024). "Trans children's charity told to rewrite guidance on puberty blockers". theguardian.com. Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
10. ^ Dixon, Hayley (25 September 2022). "Exclusive: Trans charity Mermaids giving breast binders to children behind parents' backs". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
11. ^ Hill, Amelia (20 March 2019). "Mother drops action against woman who said she 'mutilated' trans daughter". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
12. ^ Whitehead, Harriet (13 December 2022). "Mermaids' new interim CEO pledges to tackle 'root causes of our challenges'". Civil Society. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
13. ^ a b Whitehead, Harriet (9 February 2024). "Mermaids appoints Lauren Stoner as CEO on two-year basis". civilsociety.co.uk. Civil Society. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
14. ^ Preston, Rob (31 August 2023). "Mermaids chair to step down amid 'hostile external environment'". civilsociety.co.uk. Civil Society Media Ltd. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
15. ^ a b Turner, Janice (17 June 2022). "What went wrong at the Tavistock clinic for trans teenagers?". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
16. ^ a b Barnes, Hannah (2023). Time to think. Great Britain: Swift. pp. 363–364\. ISBN 9781800751118.363-364&rft.pub=Swift&rft.date=2023&rft.isbn=9781800751118&rft.aulast=Barnes&rft.aufirst=Hannah&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mermaids+(charity)" class="Z3988">
17. ^ Siddique, Haroon. ""Mermaids: why has the trans charity been in the news?"".
18. ^ "NHS to close Tavistock child gender identity clinic". BBC News. 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
19. ^ a b Ghorayshi, Azeen (28 July 2022). "England Overhauls Medical Care for Transgender Youth". New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
20. ^ Marsh, Sarah (27 August 2017). "Police investigate online abuse against charity for transgender children". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
21. ^ Cooney, Rebecca. "BLF to review £500k grant to transgender children's charity Mermaids". Third Sector. Archived from the original on 12 September 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
22. ^ Gilligan, Andrew (16 December 2018). "Child sex-change charity Mermaids handed £500,000 by national lottery". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
23. ^ "NSW Liberal candidate likens anti-trans activism to opposing the Holocaust". The Guardian. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022. "Appearing alongside British television writer and anti-trans activist Graham Linehan last year..."
24. ^ "'Massive shame' as Big Lottery Fund announces review of £500,000 funding grant to Leeds' Mermaids UK transgender support charity". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
25. ^ "Funding row charity's Donkey Kong boost". BBC News. 22 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
26. ^ Wells, Adam (21 January 2019). "Marathon Donkey Kong Stream Raises Over $350,000 For Transgender Charity". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
27. ^ Greenwald, Will (21 January 2019). "Ocasio-Cortez drops in on Donkey Kong 64 Twitch stream". PC Mag. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
28. ^ Mohdin, Aamna (19 February 2019). "National Lottery to give grant to transgender children's group". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
29. ^ a b Bannerman, Lucy (6 October 2022). "Lottery pauses cash for trans charity Mermaids during investigation". The Times. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
30. ^ "Mum of Leeds transgender woman who inspired ITV's Butterfly opens up about daughter's suicide attempts after bullying". Yorkshire Evening Post. 25 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
31. ^ Percival, Ash (14 October 2018). "'Butterfly' Writer Tony Marchant On Changing Attitudes To Transgender Children And The Importance Of Trans Representation On Screen". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
32. ^ Harrison, Ellie (28 October 2018). "Paris Lees: 'Butterfly is the best thing to happen to the trans community for years'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
33. ^ "A joint complaint to the BBC on behalf of UK LGBTQ+ organisations". Mermaids. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
34. ^ a b Brown, David (30 July 2020). "Mermaids and other trans groups dropped by BBC Advice Line service". The Times. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
35. ^ a b c Gilligan, Andrew (16 June 2019). "Parents' anger as child sex change charity Mermaids puts private emails online". The Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
36. ^ Elliot, DAC Beachcroft-Camilla (27 July 2021). "£25,000 ICO fine is no drop in the ocean for Mermaids". Lexology. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
37. ^ Thomas, Kim (29 September 2020). "What are the new rules for teaching identity in schools?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021. "As the number of children identifying as transgender has increased, schools have consulted trans charities such as Stonewall and Mermaids about how best to approach the topic. These charities have, however, come under criticism by campaigners, including Transgender Trend and Safe Schools Alliance, for reinforcing a rigid belief in gender roles, and for encouraging children who don't conform to gender stereotypes to believe they might be trans....A large number of the organisations providing training and resources to schools on trans issues use non-conformity to gender stereotypes as evidence that a child is transgender. Mermaids, for example, regularly uses a chart showing gender identity on a 12-point spectrum from a Barbie wearing a pink dress to GI Joe in military fatigues."
38. ^ "Activists Hit Back at The Sunday Times for Transphobic Fear-Mongering". Attitude. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021. "The discussion is on how we socially see gender expressions. In psychology, these archetypes are called 'hyper masculinity' and 'hyper femininity' - mermaids have just renamed them to be more accessible. This isn't new or unique to Mermaids. The 'jelly baby' spectrum being used in the lecture is basically a visual representation of gender identifying markers. In academic terms these are 'gender identity', 'gender expression', 'biological sex' and 'sexual orientation'. At no point does anyone suggest children who act in ways that do not conform to a gender are trans. At no point does anyone suggest gay children are trans. In fact, the woman taking the session self identifies as lesbian - and FULLY understands she is not trans."
39. ^ Gentleman, Amelia (25 November 2022). "Head of trans children charity Mermaids resigns after six years". theguardian.com. Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
40. ^ "Youth campaigners hit out at decision to disband government LGBT panel". CYP Now. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
41. ^ Ames, Jonathan; Baksi, Catherine (2 June 2021). "Transgender legal battle: Stonewall backs Mermaids against LGB Alliance". The Times. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
42. ^ Gentleman, Amelia (9 September 2022). "Judge to consider trans charity's appeal to strip LGB Alliance of legal status". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
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## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

LGBTQ topics in the United Kingdom

Rights by location|

| United Kingdom|

* UK (whole)
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland

|

Crown Dependencies|

* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey

British Overseas Territories|

* Anguilla
* Akrotiri and Dhekelia
* Bermuda
* British Virgin Islands
* Cayman Islands
* Falkland Islands
* Gibraltar
* Montserrat
* Pitcairn Islands
* Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
* Turks and Caicos Islands

Law|

| Rights|

* Adoption
* Age of consent manifestations
* Civil partnership
* Intersex rights
* Military policy
* Same-sex marriage
* Transgender rights
* 21st-century anti-trans movement in the United Kingdom

|

Legislation|

* Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
* Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
* Civil Partnership Act 2004
* Gender Recognition Act 2004
* Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (2007)
* Equality Act 2010
* Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
* Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014
* Alan Turing law (2017)
* Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019

Human rights precedents|

* Dudgeon v United Kingdom
* Goodwin & I v United Kingdom
* Sutherland v United Kingdom
* X v United Kingdom

Past laws and
superseded precedents|

* Buggery Act 1533
* Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980
* Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885
* Homosexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 1982
* Labouchere Amendment (1885)
* Section 28 (1988)
* Sexual Offences Act 1967
* Corbett v Corbett

Standing key precedents|

* R v Brown (from related police Operation Spanner)

Organisations|

| Current|

* All About Trans
* Beaumont Society
* Black Gay Men's Advisory Group
* Campaign for Homosexual Equality
* FFLAG
* Hall–Carpenter Archives
* Labour Campaign for Trans Rights
* LGBT Foundation
* LGBT Network
* LGBT+ Conservatives
* LGBT Labour
* LGBT+ Liberal Democrats
* Mermaids
* Outright Scotland
* Stonewall (Diversity Champions)
* Switchboard (UK)
* Trans Safety Network

|

Past|

* Homosexual Law Reform Society
* Gay Left
* Gay Liberation Front
* Gay Rights Working Party
* Order of Chaeronea
* OutRage!

Culture|

| Topics|

* Gay cruising in England and Wales
* LGBT culture of Brighton and Hove
* LGBT culture in Cardiff
* LGBT culture in Leeds
* LGBT culture in Liverpool
* LGBT culture in London
* Polari

|

Events|

* BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival
* BiCon (UK)
* Big Gay Out
* Birmingham Pride
* Bourne Free
* Brighton Pride
* Bristol Pride
* British LGBT Awards
* Doncaster Pride
* The Gender Trust
* GFest – gayWise LGBT Arts Festival
* Glasgay! Festival
* Homotopia (festival)
* Leeds Pride
* Leicester Pride
* LGBT History Month
* Liverpool Pride
* London Trans+ Pride
* Manchester Pride
* Mr Gay UK
* Mr Gay Wales
* Northern Pride
* Nottinghamshire Pride
* Press for Change
* Pride Cymru
* Pride Glasgow
* Pride in Hull
* Pride in London
* Pride Scotia
* Reading Pride
* Swansea Pride
* Trans Media Watch
* Worthing Pride

Gay villages|

* Birmingham Gay Village
* The Calls (Leeds)
* Canal Street (Manchester)
* Old Compton Street (London)
* Stanley Street Quarter (Liverpool)
* Vauxhall (London)

Economy|

* Pink pound
* Stonewall Workplace Equality Index

Other|

* Boy Meets Girl (2015 TV series)
* History of violence against LGBT people in the United Kingdom
* List of LGBT politicians in the United Kingdom
* Museum of Transology
* My Transsexual Summer
* PinkNews
* Rainbow plaque
* Timeline of LGBT history in the United Kingdom
* The Well of Loneliness

*[MSM]: Men who have sex with men
*[NI]: Northern Ireland
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template