Transgender Awareness Month

4,732.

That is how many hate crimes against transgender individuals were recorded from April 22 to March 23. An 11% increase from the previous year.

There are currently 96000 reported trans men and women in England and Wales, statistically speaking, this means 4.92% of the transgender population in 2022/23 reported enduring some sort of hate crime towards them for no fault of their own, for being their authentic self. This unfortunately does not include the crimes that go unreported and not investigated.

For hate crimes across the board (transphobia, racism, etc.), completed prosecutions in 22/23 was 7.4% according to the CPS data summary.

(CPS Data Collection, Q1-4 22/23)

This is unacceptable.

We need to speak out and speak loud for the people that feel like they have no voice, that are scared to be themselves, the individuals that deserve to be unapologetically themselves. They should not be scared to walk out their front door to be attacked or harassed because of transphobia.

Easy actions for you to support a trans child, student, friend, colleague, or family member:

Respect their pronouns and any name changes.
Recognise not all trans individuals are the same, one experience and transition may be different to another you’ve heard about.
Be supportive so they know they have a safe space to be able to speak about any concerns they have. Transitioning can be a scary, isolating place.
Speak out and challenge any transphobia you hear or report any hate crimes that you see.
Their fashion and the way they dress may change to reflect how they want to look. Same with hairstyles and makeup. It is best to not mention how “different they look” as this is how they feel they should have looked for some time before this.
Do not question how “sure” they feel about their transition. Trust people on their identities, it is not just a single thought process.
Avoid assumptions about their identities by how they sound, look or any other aspects about them.

If anyone is affected by trans hate crimes and feel they need to speak to somebody, you can speak to Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468, or if you are in immediate danger, you can call 999.

Written by Tyler Jones.