Trans In The City is on a mission to elevate and support trans voices in the corporate world
BY ELEANOR NOYCE, IMAGES BY LINDA MASON
In a euphoric moment, DIVA publisher Linda Riley has been awarded the accolade for Trans Ally at Trans In The City, presented by Deutsche Bank. Organised by BP’s Bobbi Pickard, the UnitedHealth Group 2021 European Diversity Awards’ Hero of the Year, Trans In The City lives to elevate and support trans voices in the corporate world.
Starting out in 2018 with only a few sponsors, the organisation now has over 250, with last night’s event featuring attendance from Stonewall’s Nancy Kelley, trans activist and author Fox Fisher, and housing charity Stonewall Housing. Held at Clifford Chance in Canary Wharf, the building was illuminated with the colours of the trans flag, allowing the trans community the ultimate display of visibility at the beginning of Trans Awareness Week (13-19 November).
Linda was recognised for her work in supporting the trans community, having consistently vocalised her allyship. Last month, when the BBC ran a transphobic headline about trans women identifying as lesbians, Linda stood up and reiterated her support for #LWithTheT in the face of online vitriol. She has worked to ensure that DIVA is actively inclusive of the trans community.
Delivering an inspiring speech, Linda stated: “I’ve grown up in the 1980s and 1970s being a lesbian and I’ve gone through times where I’ve come out of the bathroom and women have gone off to get their boyfriends to protect them. There’s no way I’m going to stand back and hear the same stuff said about me 30 years ago said about trans women now”.
Trans In The City delivered two other awards, with NBC’s Naomi Reid crowned the Clifford Chance Corporate Trans Champion and journalist and podcaster Michelle Snow the Virgin Media O2 Community Trans Champion.
CEO Bobbi Pickard stated: “This is a challenging time for transgender people in the UK. As an organisation, Trans in the City, will step up and speak even louder on behalf of the community. We will continue to advocate for trans inclusion and keep helping employers and businesses to do more to support the community. Trans people exist. We’re not going anywhere, we contribute a diverse range of perspectives, skills, and experience. We deserve to be recognised and we will keep pushing for these contributions to be celebrated.”
To read more about the work Trans In The City do, visit their website and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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