Our staff and volunteers are receiving threats, our funders are being intimidated and our community is under attack from anti-trans activists. We will NOT be bullied. Donate to our fightback fund and stand with us against transphobia.
Since 1995, Mermaids has provided life-saving support to the trans community. We’ve helped thousands in their time of need, and hear all the time how vital our work is.
Despite being one of the most respected and recognised LGBTQIA+ charities in Europe, we now find ourselves branded “controversial” by an anti-trans campaign which seeks to discredit the organisation.
This latest attack has shown us the desperate lengths anti-trans campaigners will go to remove support from the trans community.
We have received hundreds of abusive phone calls. Funders and supporters are being intimidated and other organisations are being pressured to cut ties with Mermaids.
It’s hard to grow up trans, and without us it will be even harder, with many families and young people left rudderless. We cannot let that happen.
This latest attack on Mermaids began in September 2022, sparked by an “investigation” published in The Telegraph where a journalist posed as a 14-year-old in need of support.
In the weeks that followed, we’ve seen a slew of articles with an anti-trans agenda which misrepresent Mermaids and our mission.
Anti-trans campaigners are using social media to coordinate complaints about Mermaids en masse to the Charity Commission and putting pressure on local authorities to remove our resources and services from their websites.
These campaigners have even called on the Prime Minister to support a police enquiry into Mermaids.
This has sparked thousands of abusive and threatening messages, emails and phone calls, leaving us with no option but to close our helpline for several days in October, and reduce our hours going forward.
For almost three decades, Mermaids has been providing support for trans young people and families across the UK.
We’ve grown from a small group of concerned parents around a kitchen table to a leading LGBTQIA+ charity, with supporters including politicians, celebrities, and businesses big and small.
We’ve come a long way from that kitchen table. But visibility is a double-edged sword, and with it comes increased hostility.
Transphobia is nothing new – we’ve spent years fighting it. And we’ve seen this moral panic playbook before, in the 1980s when gay people were portrayed as a menace to society.
Trans people have always been here. We will always be here. We will get through this.
But only if we stand together, and show the bullies that we won’t be silenced, we won’t be intimidated and we won’t back down.
Mermaids is a UK charity that provides support for trans young people and their families.
We know that not everyone shares our vision of a world where trans young people can be themselves and thrive.
But trans people exist: that’s a fact. We don’t want to live in a world where trans young people have nowhere to go for support. No matter what, we will be here for them and the people who love them.
There are people out there who want us to be silent. But there’s never been a more important time to stand up and make our voices heard.
Our fightback fund will make sure we can keep our phone lines open in the face of unprecedented attacks, and continue to provide support for trans young people and their families for as long as they need us.
The funds you help raise will go towards:
1) Keeping our helpline open
2) Providing safe spaces for children, young people and their families
3) Helping to ensure that trans young people’s voices are heard
We desperately need your help to ensure that hate doesn’t win. Stand with us against transphobia.
We know there are millions who share our vision. Now is the time to come together. Let's beat the bullies and make sure that hate doesn’t win.