1. Seek out people who have different life experiences to yours and listen when they talk. It sounds simple, but it's probably the most effective thing you can do as an individual! Take an interest in the causes of marginalised groups, even when the issues doesn't affect you personally.

2. Be curious and take responsibility for your own unlearning. Don't rely on other people to educate you, and ALWAYS use reputable sources! If you don't understand why something is offensive or upsetting, look online or read a book. Question your own sexuality and gender, and notice what emotions come up for you. Take time to investigate your own internal biases and reflect on how they might be influencing your actions.

3. Ask your GP if they offer shared care arrangements for gender-affirmative treatments (and if not, why not). Press them to commit to adding LGBT+ healthcare to their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by sharing TransActual's resources for healthcare professionals.

4. Respect people's identity and stand up for them, even when they're not in the room. If you're unsure how someone identifies, use "they/them" pronouns until you've asked them what they prefer. If you consistently struggle to use someone's chosen name and pronouns, reflect on why this is and whether you would have the same trouble remembering a change of surname and prefix (Mrs, as opposed to Miss or Ms) due to marriage.

5. Be consistent! Make sure others know they can rely on you to continue being an ally, even when things get uncomfortable for you. Check on us during hard times to see if we need anything, and please don't send us upsetting news (guaranteed we've already seen it!).

6. Boycott anything (or anyone) that either; a) actively pursues an anti-LGBT+ agenda, or b) refuses to take accountability or responsibility when they DO make mistakes. Yes, this will probably hurt, especially if you have a strong emotional connection to the person, place, or franchise in question! But unfortunately, if you allow these entities to continue unchallenged, they will take this as implicit approval of their actions (and in some cases they will use your hard-earned money to hurt as many LGBT+ people as possible). The only way to break the cycle is to make sure they know that their actions are wrong, and that you are choosing not to be associated with them until they have taken corrective actions.

7. Use your priviledge for good! Follow LGBT+ advocacy and activist accounts on social media, and take part in advocacy and activism where you can. Write to and meet with your MP, and uplift LGBT+ voices, and any others who might not otherwise be heard; for example, women, people of colour, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers (yes, these three are all different groups), travellers, anyone in a low-income bracket, those with disabilities or chronic illnesses, the neurodiverse... the list goes on.

8. When elections are called, make your vote count. Carefully compare each candidate's history and campaign points, both with each other AND with their party's official stance (you can use Who Can I Vote For, Vote Compass, and The Electoral Commission as a starting point). Avoid tactical voting unless it's very clearly necessary! This approach is exactly why the Green Party haven't had nationwide success until recently. Always take the opportunity to vote if you have it, and make sure you vote in the best interests of the most vulnerable members of society.

9. Call out queer-/homo-/transphobic behaviours whenever you see them, and ask others why LGBT+ people were not included when you notice our absence. Make it abundantly clear through your actions that you're a safe space for vulnerable people.

10. Learn to be comfortable with your own discomfort! You will make mistakes. There will be spaces where you don't belong, no matter how much of an ally you are. You will need to take things on trust, because there are many experiences you will not be capable of having yourself. And if your marginalised friends do honour you by inviting you into their spaces, you will almost certainly hear generalised opinions about e.g. white/male/straight/cisgender/able-bodied/rich/British people that will initially make you feel defensive. Remember the experiences that these opinions are based on, and ask yourself if they hold some truth. Remember that whilst intention IS important, the key factors are whether harm was done, and whether the correct repair was made afterwards. And make sure that you are truly confident in your commitment to allyship so that when you hear generalised statements about your race/gender/sexuality etc., you KNOW it's not directed at you. Use it as an opportunity to identify things that you (as a person who doesn't have the same barriers) could potentially do to make their current lived experience easier. You can find TED Talks and other professionals' videos on this subject below:

Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Lexy McDonald, Tom Urbanek, Jeremy Goodwin

There are a vast number of resources out there on social justice and the ways to effect change, just as there are any number of paths to take part. Deepa Iyer has created an excellent infographic outlining the roles needed within social change (the Social Change Ecosystem Framework, kindly reproduced on socialchangemap.com).

If you need any other resources, ask us!

We have a DONATE button in the top right of the page if you want to contribute to the running costs of the group or maybe help some of our less-privileged members join in with events that cost money.

You could also donate to Vic's fundraiser for gender confirmation hormones!

And if you want to publicly show your support, we have a merchandise range including tops, hoodies, cloth bags, jewellery, keyrings, and pretty much anything else you might want our logo on.

Contact us for more info!

Right now, our trans and non-binary siblings are in need of extra support.

Following the recent supreme court ruling (see our Home page for full details), an increasing number of trans-exclusionary measures have been put forward in an attempt to deny the existence of trans people and strip away their human rights. Many of these have been successfully thrown out or significantly scaled back through legal challenges, but the attacks keep coming. The constant misinformation in our traditional and social media outlets is fuelling a hostile environment for many trans people, especially our vulnerable women, which is currently affecting all aspects of their daily life.

In light of this, we have put together a collection of fundraisers benefiting the legal challenges to the ruling, activist groups you can support, and links to advice from various charities on how you can best effect change.