The CEO of Trans in the City says the British government has a ‘vendetta’ against transgender people -TGN

Members of Trans in the City helped lead the Pride in London 2023 parade. (Mark Case/Getty Images

The CEO of Trans in the City has stressed that trans and non-binary people are “not going away”, while accusing the UK government of waging a “vendetta” against the community.

Bobbi Pickard, who co-founded the trans business integration group in 2017, took aim at the Conservative government during an impassioned speech at Pride in London on Saturday (July 1).

Opening proceedings on the event’s newly introduced Soho Square Stage, which featured performances by trans and non-binary artists, Pickard highlighted the shocking rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts within the trans and non-binary community, stating, “I’m lucky to be here, you’re lucky to be here – because so many trans people aren’t.”

The campaigner urged all LGBTQ+ people to stand up and count as she criticized the media and politicians for their continued demonization of the trans and non-binary community, stating: “Being trans is such a blessing. Being trans is beautiful. Being trans is valid. We have these problems because we have a media that puts out seven and a half thousand anti-trans stories a year.”

She continued: “We have a government that has a vendetta against trans and non-binary people. We must say that enough is enough. We must stop being politically apathetic. You have to write to your MP, you have to visit your MPs, you have to complain to the media and they say ‘enough is enough’.

Pickard concluded: “Trans and non-binary people are valid. We are here. We’re not leaving. We’ll be here this year, next year, every damn year, until they recognize our rights and give us a place in our society.

This year’s Pride in London came with the companion campaign ‘Never March Alone: ​​Championing Trans Allyship’, which puts trans and non-binary equality firmly at the center. That mission was evident as members of Trans in the City helped lead Saturday’s march across the city.

In 2022, PinkNews announced a three-year media partnership with Trans in the city to further enhance LGBTQ+ awareness in global business.

Pickard was greeted at the start of the parade route by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who, in an interview with PinkNews on the day, demanded Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologize for a leaked video mocking transgender people.

Not only has the ruling Conservative Party declared its anti-transposition on multiple occasions, institutions across the UK have made matters significantly worse for the community.

Statistics show that hate crimes against trans people have risen 56 percent in the past year — an increase that several human rights organizations attribute to a mix of anti-trans media coverage and policies of right-wing institutions.

In addition, a recent UN report highlighted “deep concerns” about Britain’s treatment of LGBTQ+ rights under the Tory government.

In a statement to PinkNews on Monday (July 3), Pickard criticized the media for sidelining trans voices, arguing that trans and non-binary people in the UK are currently “living in a media vacuum.”

“It was such an honor, and a big thank you to Pride in London, to lead the parade and so important for trans and non-binary visibility to share that with other groups like Not A Phase,” said Pickard.

“The media blackout of trans people continues, with little acknowledgment of the role Trans in the City played on the day, no acknowledgment of the attention, visibility and love we sought to share with every trans and non-binary person on the march route (and) no coverage of the first-ever and hugely successful Trans Stage in Soho Square, or my speech or other words from trans and non-binary people.

“Right now we are living in a media vacuum. We need all our allies to help us fill that with our voices and experience. We need all of them to help us.”

More than a million people flocked to the capital this weekend to celebrate London Pride, which has taken place in the city in various forms since 1972.

Controversy erupted at the event after Just Stop Oil activists blocked the parade’s route to protest Pride in London’s commercial links with major corporations. The Met Police have confirmed they have charged five people aged 22-68 under the Public Order Act, who have been released on bail to attend Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 4 August.

Elsewhere, the cast of Netflix’s hit teen drama Heart stopper continued to gain fans after giving the middle finger to anti-LGBTQ+ religious protesters from their float during the parade.