Over 60,000 women have signed an open letter in support of the trans community
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE PROVIDED BY NION
A powerful grassroots campaign supporting the trans community is hoping to reach 100,000 signatures by Christmas, having already surpassed 60,000.
The Not In Our Name (NION) campaign is an open letter which challenges the anti-trans rhetoric we have seen in the UK since the Supreme Court ruling in April. Launched in May 2025, the campaign rejects the exclusion of trans people from society. Signatories include Kate Nash, Beverley Knight and Carla Denyer MP.
A spokesperson for NION said: “Certain media outlets, as well as politicians, have taken the position of a minority who do not support the inclusion of trans people and pitched it as the position of women overall. This is something we absolutely reject.”
“We believe that the voice of everyday women, who fundamentally believe all humans should have access to certain spaces and be treated with dignity and respect, is missing from the conversation. The letter is a simple tool through which we can demonstrate that the majority of women do not want to see the trans community scapegoated.”
With 60,000 signatures and counting, NION is demonstrating the power of allyship in these troubling times. Following the UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, draft guidance effectively excluded trans people from gendered spaces like bathrooms. TransActual released a report earlier this year which documented the harassment and abuse trans people have faced since the ruling, including being denied access to spaces like bathrooms and being outed at work.
While these times are bleak, NION is just one of the rays of hope that we can see in our political and social climate. Earlier this year, over 900 people lobbied Westminster in the hopes of protecting trans rights. Over 650 businesses and organisations like Ben & Jerry’s have also signed an open letter stating that the draft guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is “unworkable”.
For more information or to sign NION’s letter, visit: https://notinourname.org.uk/
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com