Viva Brighton Issue #65 July 2018

COMMUNITY
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Trans Pride
‘Here to enable, empower and support’
Trans Pride is
for anyone who
identifies as trans
or non-binary. We
want to show that
everybody’s supported
and we want to
be visible for trans
people who haven’t
yet come to terms
with their identities.
It’s also open to allies and everyone who supports
or wants to learn more about trans communities.
We are here to enable, empower and support
the trans community, through a variety of events
including a protest march and a conference, as
well as the main stage at Brunswick Park, which is
followed by our DIY gig. We also have a film and
poetry night, a sporting event and an after party
club night with Traumfrau.
It’s important to have an event for trans
people, run by trans people. We support what
we call ‘Big Pride’ as well, and we work together
where we can. But we always wanted Trans
Pride to be separate. So we just picked the third
weekend in July, many years ago, because it didn’t
clash with anything else. And it’s become a tradition,
a trans tradition! We had several hundred
people at the first one; this year we’re expecting
more than 6,000.
It’s always been a protest. Because Pride is a
protest, you know? I think the mainstream LGBT
movement has kind of forgotten that along the way.
I’ve heard a lot of local Brighton people saying the
event feels like Pride did 20 years ago, and that’s
definitely the vibe we’re going for.
I think local attitudes have got better, absolutely.
But I am surprised and disappointed about
the national media
coverage over the
last year or so.
There’s a definite
downward trend
and it’s become
overtly transphobic,
questioning whether
trans people have
the right to exist in
our chosen gender.
We hope that Trans Pride becomes an event
in every city. Since we started, numerous other
Trans Prides have felt empowered to pop up
around the country. We’re so pleased because
there are hundreds of thousands of trans people
in this country, and having one event, down
south, wasn’t really ever going to work.
We’ll be looking for volunteers right up until
the date. You can never have too many volunteers!
Especially for the protest march, we need
lots of stewards. The police didn’t want us to
march on the streets the first time, but last year
there were about 2,000 people. It was huge! And I
expect it to be even bigger this year.
Brighton is such a trans-accepting place. I
would really love to see Trans Pride take over
more of the city - it would brilliant if we could
grow to Brighton Fringe level. We’ve found
an amazing home in Brunswick Square. It’s so
Brighton, isn’t it? It fits the grassroots theme of
the event really well. Having a wide spectrum of
events that specifically empower trans people – I
think that’s what keeps our sense of community,
our sense of being in this together. As told to Ben
Bailey by Trans Pride trustee, Sarah Savage
Trans Pride Brighton, 20th-22nd July
transpridebrighton.org
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