Today is a dark day for rugby, with both @TheRFL and @RFU telling trans people that they are not welcome on the pitch. Our thoughts are with all those affected by today’s announcements, and who are now facing a future on the sidelines of a sport which should be for everyone. While this is a huge blow for those who support trans inclusion in sport, it is not the end. Rest assured we will pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and keep working towards a world where all kids are free to play, free to dream, and free to be who they are.

We welcome the news that NHS England plan to provide a more resilient and robust gender identity service in 2023 by expanding provision and improving the quality of care received by trans, non-binary and gender diverse young people 🧵⬇️ The current provision is not fit for purpose, with waiting times of more than 2.5 years for an initial appointment and inadequate mental health support, and we have been calling for drastic improvements for many years.

🚨LAUNCHING TODAY🚨
Over 2,000 individuals and organisations signed our open letter urging the UK’s four national sporting bodies to support trans-inclusive policies across all sports.

More here: bit.ly/3cOavWt As the fifth sporting body looks set to announce a ban on trans women, we are already seeing the effects at a grassroots level. We have heard stories from children as young as nine who are being refused permission to join swimming clubs or take part in their school's sports day.

“Mermaids are excited to see the inclusion of trans weightlifter Laurel Hubbard from New Zealand in the Tokyo Olympics team and wish her every success in her competition during the games. This is a great step forward from the Olympics committee to show inclusion and diversity to show trans women are women and can compete as women. Policies have been in place since 2004 and it has taken till 2021 to see this major step for inclusion and equality.

Deep breath everyone: what *SHOULD* be the headline today: We as trans people are protected by equality law and this decision in the Maya Forstater case does NOT give anyone the right to unlawfully harass, intimidate, abuse or discriminate against us because we are trans. 1/

https://twitter.com/mlothianmclean/status/1402924859945017345

From the judgment: “This judgment does NOT mean that those with gender-critical beliefs can ‘misgender’ trans persons with impunity…The Claimant, like everyone else, will continue to be subject to the prohibitions on discrimination and harassment under the Equality Act 2010.” 2/

Today the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is being discussed in Parliament. We believe it presents a serious threat to civil rights. Protesting has been an instrumental tool for the advancement of LGBT rights, Black Civil rights, Women's rights, and others. These struggles are interconnected, and we stand in solidarity with all of them. The #BlackLivesMatter protests last summer highlighted the way the current policing system negatively impacts Black people and people of colour disproportionately...

⚠️Important clarity on the Bell v Tavistock ruling⚠️

The High Court’s Order from the Bell v Tavistock case - and what do they mean when they say the judgment is 'stayed'?
THREAD (1/5) The Order being ‘stayed’ means the High Court paused the carrying out of its decision until (whichever would be the later date) 4pm on 22nd Dec or the decision of the appeal, should permission be granted. i.e. nothing had to be done immediately to implement the decision. (2/5)

THREAD: We hear the Tavistock are *already* cancelling appointments for young people who have waited 2+ years to be seen for life-saving hormone blockers. This reckless Amendment by @NHSEngland means they are now effectively being refused treatment. 1/
england.nhs.uk/wp-content/upl… The chilling @NHSEngland amendment, effective immediately, reads:
a) Patients under 16 must not be referred by GIDS to paediatric endocrinology clinics for puberty blockers unless a ‘best interests’ order has been made by the Court for the individual in question. 2/

BREAKING: High Court ruling deals a potentially devastating blow to trans under 16s seeking access to life-saving puberty blockers. We will respond in full and expect an appeal from GIDS. This is a betrayal of trans young people. The summary judgment in full: Statement from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. They will appeal, though the immediate implications for our young people now are concerning. We will update with a full response.

THREAD: Today's @DailyMailUK article will be remembered as one of the most infamous, transphobic and inaccurate articles printed by the British press. This week has been choreographed to undermine trans organisations & trans lives. We will stand strong 1/
mermaidsuk.org.uk/news/statement… No teacher has ever been encouraged by any LGBTQ+ organisation to state that ‘tomboys’ should be transgender. The suggestion is discrediting to the teaching profession and to us and we demand the Mail on Sunday explain its journalistic basis for this assertion. 2/

Statement in response to the @GEOgovuk announcement on #GRAReform.
A small & welcome step in the right direction. The Equality Act stands strong against those who would see it weakened. Still, our young service users can draw little from today's news.

mermaidsuk.org.uk/news/response-… QUOTE: "Many of our supporters feared that trans and non-binary lives would be negatively impacted by new barriers, so we are pleased that the extraordinary effort of LGBTQ+ organisations and allies has prevented such harm." #GRAReform
#TOGETHERWITHTRANS
consortium.lgbt/togethercampai…

🧵THREAD: Former gender-critical campaigner, Nora became a trans ally simply by meeting & listening to trans people. 👏👏👏 A powerful story of acceptance from @IndyVoices.

independent.co.uk/voices/transge…

Do you #ListenToTransKids ?
1/ At first...“I read everything I could find that validated my instinct that the increase in transgender identity was a millennial fad, mental health issues, trauma, social contagion, fashion, patriarchy, you name it, I clutched at it.”
2/

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT THREAD: we're excited to be recruiting a full-time, salaried role for a transgender person of colour youth engagement officer.
mermaidsuk.org.uk/recruitment-gr…
#Transjob
1/ In June 2020, we were proud to stand as an ally to the #BlackLivesMatter protests. At the time we pledged to turn our words into action. Since then we've been working to acknowledge past failings and identify ways to grow and improve. 2/

If you've come across us recently, you might not know what we do. Grab a chair and let's get into it!

First of all, we support trans, non-binary, gender diverse and gender questioning young people up until their 20th birthday. We also support parents, families and professionals involved in their care to make sure young people are in an understanding and supportive environment

We provide:
- moderated forums for peer support
- local groups for families
- training to a variety of organisations
+ more!

PARLIAMENT LIVE: @trussliz MP- "We will not be rolling back the rights of trans people. Important they are able to live their lives without fear and we will be making sure that is the case." CONTINUED: @NadiaWhittomeMP tells the House: "Leaked reports have caused alarm – hate crime against trans people is up 40% - her (the Minister) quibbling is fanning flames of hate against an already marginalised group."

If you are losing friends and work because of your transphobic views, it's not because you are a victim, it's because people can see that you're attacking vulnerable people with your hate. There's a simple solution: stop. Let's do a poll actually. Could be interesting. Have any of you ever lost work or friends or family relationships for saying "I support trans rights"?