Trans Advisory Group
The Stonewall Trans Advisory Group supports the integration of trans equality across all of our campaigns and programmes. The group reflects a diverse range of trans voices and experiences, with members representing a range of ethnic backgrounds, religions, experiences and trans identities. Going forward, the group will help shape our work with, and for, trans communities.
Helen Belcher
Helen has been campaigning on LGBT rights for over a decade, working on sector funding and same-sex marriage as well as various trans issues. She fought Chippenham for the Liberal Democrats in the 2017 General Election, retaining 2nd place, and has been re-selected to fight the seat at the next General Election. She has been called one of the rising stars of the party, and works with many MPs and peers. As well as being a member of STAG, she is the Chair of Consortium, a charity working with LGBT charities, is the secretary of the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity, and is one of the founders of Trans Media Watch – on whose behalf she gave evidence to both the Leveson Inquiry on press standards in 2012, and a parliamentary inquiry into trans equality in 2015. She owns a growing software company which she has built up from scratch, has been happily married for 25 years and has two adult children of whom she is inordinately proud.
Zach Brookes
Zach is a sports student at Queen Alexandra College in Birmingham. He is currently transitioning and is really passionate about increasing awareness of his journey. His hobbies include playing, and coaching, tennis.
Sarah Brown
Sarah is an LGBT+ equality activist. She started TransDocFail, highlighting the injustices trans people face in the healthcare system. Sarah enjoys climbing, sailing, and keeps snakes.
Aimee Challenor
Aimee is a trans equality campaigner from Coventry. She came out in 2014 aged 16 as she left school. She speaks openly about her experiences as a young transgender woman. She’s previously had articles in the Guardian and the Huffington Post, as well as other websites from around the world. She’s also a Trustee of Coventry Pride and in her spare time enjoys photography, gaming and reading. Visit her website. Photo credit: The Oxford Union.
Alex Drummond
Alex is a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist with research and clinical interests in ADHD, and accredited as a specialist in Gender and Sexual Diversity. She also works as a photographer.
Victoria Gigante
Victoria is an actress, make-up artist and backstage manager of the Philippine Theatre UK. She is a graduate of Sunderland University with a degree in Business and Management.
Charley Hasted
Charley is the LGBTQ officer at Lambeth College Student Union and Further Education rep for the NUS LGBT+ committee. They are a law graduate with a lot of experience working with young people and disabled people. They are also a Dr Who fan and an avid reader.
Ayla Holdom
Ayla served in the RAF for 13 years, spent seven years as an operational Search and Rescue pilot and now flies for the National Police Air Service. She has worked with All About Trans, Stonewall and the RAF Freedom Network and independently advocating for positive trans representation and role models. Ayla was recently portrayed in the critically acclaimed stage production 'Still Point Turning' by the Sydney Theatre Company and features as one of many RAF Stories at the RAF Museum London. She lives in Dorset with her wife, Wren (an ITU doctor), their cats and numerous chickens.
Suzanna Hopwood
Suzanna is an LGBT Soho History guide for Centred and co-organiser of Age UK Camden’s Opening Doors LGBT Outings in Art Project. She works as a “greeter” and mentor at cliniQ, a sessional support worker with the Outcome LGBT Mental Health Support project and has provided mentoring support for LGBT people with PACE Health.
Surat-Shaan Knan
Surat-Shaan is a trans campaigner, international presenter, LGBTQI heritage manager and member of the Stonewall Trans Advisory Group. He works for the UK charity Liberal Judaism and is the founder of the landmark oral history projects Rainbow Jews and Twilight People: Stories of Gender and Faith Beyond the Binary.
Carolyn Mercer
Carolyn has held many leadership positions that promote LGBT equality. She is the current Chair of Lancashire LGBT, the inaugural Chair of Lancashire Constabulary's Stop and Search Scrutiny Panel, and a member of IAG. Carolyn is a retired secondary school headteacher and is passionate about education, equality and diversity.
John Lucy Muir
John Lucy is a civil servant in the public sector. Outside of work, John Lucy loves playing guitar, writing and performing songs, keeping fit, travelling, reading, cinema, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr Karl Rutlidge
Karl is a 31-year-old trans man currently living in Birmingham and training to be a minister in the Methodist Church. He has a PhD in mathematical physics and was heavily involved in his employer’s LGB&T network.
Brandon Yeadon
Brandon is 45 years old and Zimbabwean-British. His first love is sports, and he has represented both Zimbabwe and Great Britain in the international sporting arena. He is a keen cyclist and until very recently was part-owner of a small business building custom road bikes.