Trans Rights Revolution: The Path to Equality in the UK
Thursday, 5th October, 2023
London, Everyman Cinema at Borough Yards
On Thursday 5th October, a curious and engaged audience joined our expert panelists for a discussion on transgender identity in the UK.
In our short film, our audience saw how film and TV over the years has portrayed trans people. We heard perspectives from young people advocating for their own rights and witnessed a heartfelt plea for solidarity. We heard from those with lived experience about how British society and media can inhibit people's ability to fully discover and express themselves, and the shocking consequences that can have.
After the film, we welcomed the panel of human rights experts and activists to the stage to start the in-depth and compassionate discussion. It is rare to be able to hear such a frank and well-informed conversation on controversial topics, and we appreciate our panellists for helping us to host such an event.
Time was escaping us, and it was time to take the microphone to the audience. We never know what questions await, and we loved hearing the perspectives from our inquisitive friends who had joined us from across London. The audience Q&A is always the part of the event that turns our focus from learning and empathy towards action and making our own impact. With this in mind, Tina Kothari wrapped up the audience Q&A with our curated list of Calls To Action (from the experts and those with lived experience).
Our Calls To Action list has become somewhat of a trademark of our events, and we will track engagement with these over the coming weeks to see what impact has come from our time together at Borough Yards Everyman Cinema on Thursday, 5th October.
See the list of Calls To Action for this event
Visit our LinkTree here to find out more about our upcoming events and event recordings from recent years
Learn more about the panel:
Panellist: Dr Charlotte Proudman
Dr Charlotte Proudman is an award-winning barrister, Cambridge academic and campaigner fighting for women's rights in and out of court. Charlotte represents survivors of rape, domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour in court whilst also challenging misconceptions across the sector. She uses her knowledge and experience of the justice system to advocate for legal change to ensure protection and support for victims and survivors. Ranked as Legal 500’s Leading Junior, Charlotte is described as: ‘Charlotte is taking the protection of vulnerable women and children in the Family Court to the next level by a unique combination of academic rigour and unashamedly activist passion. Charlotte has fearlessly promoted gender equality under the law. She has successfully spearheaded campaigns to change the law for women. Charlotte was instrumental in the criminalisation of forced marriage, virginity testing, hymenoplasty and child marriage. Alongside Girls Not Brides, Charlotte advocated increasing the age of marriage from 16 to 18 years old.
Panellist: Freddy McConnell
Freddy McConnell is an award-winning journalist, writer and speaker. In 2018, he became a dad and shared his experience of pregnancy as a transgender man in the BIFFA-nominated BBC documentary, Seahorse: The Dad Who Gave Birth. In 2023, Freddy is now nominated as a Top 10 Outstanding Contributor to LGBT+ Life in the British LGBT+ Awards.
Freddy holds a degree in Arabic and has spent extended periods in Yemen, Syria and the West Bank. For Vice World News, he hosted an episode of the groundbreaking, global documentary series, Transnational, which went on to win Peabody and GLAAD Media awards in 2021. His episode for series two is forthcoming. In 2022, he wrote his first children’s book for Puffin, about a solo-parent family, called Little Seahorse and the Big Question
Freddy has become a committed campaigner for LGBT+ equality, in particular the rights of trans people and their families.
Panellist: Robin White
Robin White became the first barrister to transition from male to female in practice at the discrimination bar in 2011. She practices in all aspects of employment and discrimination law and lectures regularly on the area, including transgender rights, in which she has appeared in a number of notable cases, and she acts for employers and employees. She has published ‘A practical guide to transgender law’ in May 2021, written jointly with Nicola Newbegin of Old Square Chambers.
In September 2020 Robin was named ‘Barrister of the Week’ by The Lawyer Magazine for her work on the Taylor v Jaguar Land Rover case. She won the award in 2022 for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion’ at The Chambers UK Bar Awards.
Panellist: Hiba Noor
Hiba Noor is the first Pakistani to have achieved her higher certificate as a trans woman. She started her career as an Assistant Director for a morning show for Pakistan national TV and is the first trans flmmaker and director in the Muslim world.
Hiba is a Pakistani human rights defender, activist, social scientist, poet, sketch artist, photographer and painter, with 6 years experience of working through the lens of her camera with gender equality, livelihoods and economic empowerment.
Moderator: Sam Fowles
Dr Sam Fowles is a barrister, author, and Director of the Institute for Constitutional and Democratic Research. Sam’s practice focuses on public and constitutional law and human rights. Notable cases include Miller/Cherry v The Prime Minister, Hamilton v Post Office, and the Clapham Common inquiry. Sam was recently part of the team representing Stonewall, intervening to support the Scottish Government in its challenge to the Secretary of State for Scotland’s decision to veto the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Sam’s book, “Overruled: Confronting Our Vanishing Democracy in 8 Cases”, explores the UK’s democratic decline through the lens of the cases he has argued.
Sam is an associate at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, and writes a regular column for Perspective Magazine.