One of north London’s only LGBTQ+ venues, Zodiac, and prominent London activists and transgender performers are urging local MP and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to fully support Transgender rights ahead of London Trans+ Pride this Saturday.
Olivia Campbell-Cavendish, executive director and founder of the Trans Legal Clinic, the UK’s only and trans-led legal clinic providing free and accessible legal support for the transgender community, Vicky Lee, founder and director of the Way Out Club, London’s oldest trans club night and performer Brandy X, founder of Temptation and Seduction join Zodiac co-owners Dee Chanelle and Jade Phoenix to urge the Prime Minister and Holborn and St Pancras MP to not “ignore” the trans community, following the Supreme Court ruling in April on gender identity.
The group is fully backing the organisers of this year’s march, which starts from Langham Place before setting off down Regent Street towards Piccadilly Circus. It is expected to be attended by more than 60,000 people, potentially making it the biggest in the UK on record.
The ruling from the Supreme Court in April controversially redefined “biological sex” in a way that enables the exclusion of trans women from single-sex services. The ruling was made without consultation from a single trans-led organisation.
This year’s collective message is a celebration of trans+ lives, past and present, resilience, activism, and joy, and a defiant stand against erasure.
The Prime Minister has in the past taken a different view on transgender rights. He signed up to a pledge “that trans women are women” when he was a Labour leadership candidate.
In April, when interviewed by ITV West Country, the Prime Minister said: “A woman is an adult female, and the court has made that absolutely clear. I actually welcome the judgment because I think it gives real clarity.”
Jade PhoenixDee Chanelle and Jade Phoenix, co-owners of Zodiac Bar, said: “First and foremost, we strive to raise Trans visibility not just through entertainment but through entrepreneurship by contributing to society through paying taxes and providing employment.
“Zodiac is not merely a community project, and yet we feel like second-class citizens. We are just like everyone else, albeit unique individuals; however, we should not be stripped of our basic human rights for being different.
“We have existed since the beginning of time, and now that we are visible, we simply cannot be denied, ignored or erased.”
Dee ChanelleVicky Lee, director and founder of the Way Out Club, said: “Over the last 32 years, I have been a Labour Party member and a diversity advisor for the Metropolitan and City of London Police.
“I was proud of where we were under Tony Blair with LGBT liaison officers in every London borough, anti-trans hate policies, Trans inclusivity, and Trans rights.
“Keir Starmer, I can tell you now, under your watch, we have lost 15 years of progress.
“Trans people are now lost, scared, and angry. Trans Pride on Saturday will be a celebration, but this year it will also be a protest.
“Please listen to the community of unique Trans people. We are also nurses, doctors, scientists, lawyers, soldiers, and voters.”
Jade & Brandy XBrandy X, founder of Temptation and Seduction, said: “The Supreme Court ruling not only undermines trans lives, but also harms cisgender women, particularly those who do not conform to traditional aesthetic standards of what society deems ‘female’.
“This is one of the main ways I foresee discrimination occurring in women’s spaces under the implementation of this ruling. As someone who transitioned 20 years ago, I’ve never experienced a single issue in female spaces.
“The statistics simply do not support the idea that we pose any danger. This attack on trans people is rooted in fear-mongering, fascism, and transphobia. The ruling is ultimately counterproductive to the very individuals it claims to protect.”
Olivia Campbell Cavendish, executive director and founder of the Trans Legal Clinic, said: “These are dark times for trans and non-binary people in the UK. We will not stand by and watch silently as this Government rolls back the rights of our community.
“It is at times like these when we must band together, in community hubs such as Zodiac, to take stock and build a future where all trans and nonbinary people are safe to be.”
Zodiac’s London Trans+ Pride event:
On July 26, Zodiac will be open from 6:30PM until 4am with a sensational Trans Pride party that screams joy, power, and pride.
Entry is £7 online and £10 on the door. See here for more information and for tickets: https://www.outsavvy.com/
Gracing the stage will be the vocal Talents of part of the TRANSISTERS, Zodiac’s very own Dee Chanelle, Farah Mills, along with Zodiac’s very own founder, Jade Phoenix.
Trans allies who support Zodiac’s mission and vision are also expected to lend their talents. Latin music vibes will be provided by resident monthly organisers Exilio later in the night in the main bar with access to both floors.
