Trans+ History Day
Why Trans+ History Day matters
6 May was chosen as Trans History Day because it commemorates the anniversary of a Nazi raid on the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute of Sexology) in Berlin – the world’s first trans+ clinic. Tens of thousands of books, papers and ephemera were taken from the clinic and burned – a deliberate signifier of destruction designed to instil fear and exert control. Ninety-three years later, the trans+ community continues to be stigmatised and brutalised. It is in these times, as then, that the act of recording and remembering retains its power to galvanise – it is a necessary and essential act of resistance.
Stonewall took its name from an historic night of radical activism. On 28 June 1969, an uprising took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City following a police raid of the bar in the early hours. Three nights of unrest followed as the LGBTQ+ community fought back against police brutality and corruption. The founders of Stonewall honoured their bravery when setting out in 1989 to campaign for the rights of lesbian, gay and bi people, who at the time faced significant legal and social discrimination in the UK.
By the middle of the 2010s it was clear Stonewall’s remit had to broaden: trans rights were increasingly being discussed in Parliament, in the LGBTQ+ community, in the media and by the public, and it was urgent and necessary – and right – for us to respond to a growing call for solidarity. The inclusion of trans rights in Stonewall’s work evolved through structured dialogue with trans+ communities, legal experts, policymakers and supporters and was made ‘official’ in 2015 with the unanimous approval of our Board.
The Supreme Court ruling: One year on
More than a decade later, that solidarity and support is more vital than ever. It is now twelve months since the Supreme Court ruling that determined that for the purposes of the Equality Act, ‘woman’, ‘man’ and ‘sex’ refers to biological sex – the sex assigned to a person at birth. In handing down the judgment, the Deputy President of the Supreme Court Lord Hodge emphasised that it must not be read as ‘a triumph of one or more groups... at the expense of another.’ That message has not been heeded. Instead, there has been a year of toxic and febrile discussions around the ruling, played out in both public and private, which has created anxiety and fear for trans+ and non-binary people and those who love them.
Earlier this year the advocacy and education organisation TransActual published their report ‘Community Living in Fear’ which detailed the real-life experiences of trans+ people over the last year: verbal abuse in the workplace, on the street and at home, and a significant uptick in anti-trans violence. Some are making plans to flee the country, hide their identity, avoid going to hospitals or find new jobs. Data from the national LGBTQIA+ support line Switchboard shows that the day after the ruling was published they received almost quadruple the number of calls than usual. Across the whole of April 2025, almost a third of all the calls they received were related to gender / trans+ identity.
In this context, the wait for an updated Code of Practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that will offer practical guidance on how the ruling should be applied has felt unbearably long. Trans+ people and those who love and support them remain in limbo, anxious and uncertain. When it is published, the Code must have inclusion as its vital starting point, and must balance the needs, rights and dignity of all people, across all protected characteristics.
The importance of dignity and respect
And just as important is the unwritten code we live by that invites us all to treat everybody with dignity and respect. We can make positive choices at the ballot box as well as in our own engagement with colleagues, friends and family... and strangers. It has become too easy to shout our opinions from the place of anonymity our phones afford us. It is time for positive conversations, for honest discussion, for nuance and for empathy. Crucially, it is time for listening and understanding so that we can hold true to the very real needs of the trans+ community.
For too long the conversations around trans+ people have been driven by misinformation and fear, and without trans+ people at the centre – which only serves to hurt us all. Dialogue has remained polarised and divisive, and truth elusive. If there’s one lesson that history teaches us over and over again, it is that dividing us is the quickest way to conquering us. We are all one community, and we are – always – stronger together. It's written in the history books.
Find out more at https://www.transhistoryweek.com/
