21/11/2025
Thank you all who attended our candlelight vigil at Market Cross last night. We are building a strong community here. A member of the Freedom-Fighting Ulverston Radical Qu**rs delivered the sp*ech below.
"My name is [REDACTED], and I am a trans woman. More importantly, I am a human being. Someone who deserves to live with dignity and safety. The UK government does not believe that. Prime Minister Keir Starmer does not believe that, the EHRC does not believe that. And Wes fu***ng Streeting certainly doesn’t believe that.
We just read you the names. That is the cost of the culture war. The more laws they make that steal or restrict our right to exist, the longer that list gets. That’s just the truth of it. We are in a battle for our very existence, while living in a perpetual state of terror.
The Supreme Court’s ruling defining s*x and the subsequent EHRC guideline based on it were acts of terror against the trans community. Being removed from gendered spaces deeply impacts our ability to live public lives. Trans people are 4 times more likely to be physically or s*xually assaulted than the general population.
Every time I leave the house, I am subjecting myself to the hostility and potential violence of British society. When I walk along the street, even here right on Market, I don’t make eye contact with anyone. I literally go dead inside so I don’t have to mark all the looks of disgust as I pass, so I don’t risk having them laugh in my face. And even still, it happens to me all the time. Nearly every time I go out. I have been shouted at, insulted and belittled, and even threatened right here in this town. Sometimes right in front of my kids.
I know many transgender people who live in Cumbria who have been stalked and had death threats made against them. People who have called upon Cumbria's Finest for protection and were met with deaf ears.
The attack is everywhere all the time and at once. I can’t p*e without risking my own safety. I can’t participate in sport…even fu***ng fun runs. I can’t get the same healthcare as everyone else. I am discriminated against at work without recourse. I am doxed and harassed online.
Right now the Dalton Mosque Protest page run by Donna Hill has a post up with my picture calling me a tr**ny, which to be clear is a horrible slur, and there’s over 2k comments on it of people saying the same. There are people discussing my living situation over here, where I work, where they’ve seen me, where my kids go to school…
It’s something that is impossible not to internalize. It also stands in stark contrast to the way I feel about my lived experience. I never loved myself before I transitioned. This journey has been the most fulfilling and validating experience in my life. It has allowed me to grow into a person that I am truly proud of.
It goes deeper than just changing my phenotypic traits. I am a more complete human being now. I have grown emotionally and spiritually. I am able to connect to others on a deeper level. I have become more understanding, accepting….and radical. None of this was possible without taking the first step. I look in the mirror and I love me. This is the happiest I’ve ever been with myself. I should be absolutely thriving.
But the sorry truth is, we don’t live in a vacuum. We have to share the world with rabid terfs who are backed by a billionaire. We have to live with Wes Streeting’s genocide against trans youth. We have to live with people like Donna Hill in our community who make bigotry and hatred their whole sense of purpose. We have to live with all this unsurmountable hatred…until we don’t. Until it becomes too much and we add another name to the list.
..or until enough people join the fight and Trans Rights becomes undeniable. Trans people make up less than .6% of the population. We can't fight billionaires or a hostile government alone. We absolutely require your help.
I want you all to look around you and notice who is standing beside you. If they are a member of the trans community, will you see them here next year? If they are cisgender will you see them at the next protest? One thing I know is the trans community shows up for each other. Y'all might have been reading my name tonight if it weren't for my kids and my community.
Standing here now and seeing all you lovely people has reaffirmed my conviction. I love you all dearly and you are worth fighting for. The world is a better place with you in it. We are building a bigger and stronger community together. There is a place for everyone. If you are struggling, if you are isolated and alone please reach out. Please find your community, even if it's just online. Community saves lives. The work we are doing saves lives. We are here waiting for you and we love you already. "
