London Trans+ Pride

London Trans+ Pride is a pride march advocating transgender rights held in London, England, United Kingdom.

History

London Trans+ Pride was founded in 2019 by a collective group of trans+ people including artists Finn Love and Lucia Blayke, inspired by Trans Pride Brighton.^[1] It was founded in part due to a rising climate of transphobia in the UK and across the world, as well as in response to an anti-transgender protest controversy that occurred at the Pride in London march in 2018, where eight anti-trans activists took the lead of the march without authorisation.^[2][3][4] The event was originally scheduled to take place in Hackney, East London but was moved to central London and has remained there in subsequent years.^[5] The 2019 march was held in September and saw attendance of around 1500 people.^[6][7]

The 2020 march saw attendance of 4000 people, with a number of COVID-19 safety measures put in place by the organisers, and called for legal recognition of non-binary identities and a ban on intersex genital mutilation.^[8] It also included a memorial to Elie Che, a prominent transgender London activist and performer who died in August of that year.^[9]

The 2021 march was held in June, and included calls for a ban on conversion therapy, greater access to healthcare for trans people, and a ban on intersex genital mutilation.^[10] The event included speeches by Munroe Bergdorf, Ki Griffin, Bimini Bon-Boulash, Abigail Thorn, and Kai-Isaiah Jamal.^[11][12]

The 2022 march was held in July, with attendance of over 20,000 people.^[13][14] The event called to "celebrate the memory of trans lives taken and uphold the next generation of trans revolutionaries," and included speeches by Yasmin Finney and Charlie Craggs.^[15][16] Abigail Thorn said at the event that "legally and politically", trans people in the country "are not allowed to control our own lives". In 2024 it was estimated 25,000-35,000 people attended the march.^[17] The organisers emphasised the event was still a protest in what was called the "biggest ever" call for trans rights in the UK.^[18]

Since 2021, London Trans+ Pride has been run by a volunteer organising committee which includes Em Williams, Sweatmother, Janeway, Mars, Lulu-Belle as well as many who have wished to remain anonymous.^[19][20] In addition to the yearly protest, London Trans+ Pride march, they also hold additional events for trans advocacy including a takeover of the NOMAD stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2023.^[21]

References