National Diversity Awards 2022
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I am really pleased to be able to say that I’ve been working with Steph’s Place and getting to know Steph’s wonderful team over the past couple of months. You would genuinely be hard put to find a team more accepting, knowledgeable, committed and enduring in what they do for the trans and LGBTQIA+ communities, highlighting injustices in society that can and do affect us all. The work they have been doing to counter the insidious levels of transphobia in our media and in a small but vocal section of our society is going from strength to strength- and there’s more to come! I’m really proud to be able to say I’m part of something doing such genuinely important and highly regarded work. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly, Team Steph!
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We are very proud to tell you that Steph’s Place has been nominated for the National Diversity Awards 2022, and we are honoured by the support and acknowledgment of what we have achieved so far. You can vote for us here, but first we’d like to tell you about what we’ve been doing, and why we think we deserve your vote.
In the short space of time since the website was established in June 2020, Steph’s Place has changed from a feminist, trans positive blog and news site into a major force in investigative reporting. Not only were we instrumental in revealing the scandal surrounding the EHRC in partnership with Vice magazine, there have also been several other vital investigations to expose the truth about subjects like trans women in the prison system, single sex hospital wards and trans access to healthcare. We’ve also highlighted the techniques and tactics in use by the Gender Critical movement to spread disinformation and outright lies about trans people and their rights- and this is only the tip of the iceberg where our work is concerned. We are a team of committed activists who have been working together to bring the actual facts to bear regarding every aspect of anti-trans propaganda; alongside providing support, resources and guidance. You will also find chat, advice, reviews, personal blogs and shared experiences, plus information for GPS, media contacts and the general public.
Steph’s Place has become a leading light in the fight to support trans people and promote the truth about what feminists, the LGBTQIA+ community, women and the public as a whole feel about trans people, and how this is being undermined by organisations who claim to ‘support women’s rights’. The remorseless tide of transphobia we have seen spread through our mainstream media in the UK- as highlighted this January by the damning resolution 2417 from the Council of Europe ‘Combating Rising Hate against LGBTI People in Europe’- is at last beginning to turn, and Steph’s Place has been a key player in this. We are now receiving thousands of visitors to our site every week, but we cannot afford to step back or pause for breath. We know how difficult it still can be for trans people to simply exist in society, and we bring a wealth of personal and professional experience to the fight; because that’s what it is, now.
Steph Richards has been a tireless advocate for and a fierce defender of trans rights and feminist principles, and she is the driving force behind Steph’s Place and all it has fought to achieve so far. She has created an inspiring and powerful resource for anyone involved in politics, the LGBTQIA+ community, feminism or human rights. There is still a lot of work to do, of course, and we will be pressing forward with new campaigns and resources for everyone who believes, as we do, in equality, fairness and acceptance for all.
Women’s Rights in particular have been in the spotlight for some time now, but they are not protected by sidelining or othering trans women. How could they be? Feminism stands for the rights of ALL women, not just cis women, and intersectionality matters now more than ever. These are, after all, basic tenets of a fair and well-functioning society, and something everybody should be able to get behind, no matter who you are.
It’s time for everyone- the LGBTQIA+ community, trans and gender non-conforming people, friends, family and allies- to join us in standing up for the facts and for the truth, and the more support we can get, the more we can do! Your support will enable us to carry on helping others see through the morass of lies being spread by hate-based organisations and individuals. Steph’s Place will continue to light the way forward, and be a place dedicated to truth, justice, representation and love for our entire community. A vote for Steph’s Place would be a wonderful acknowledgment of the work our team has been doing, and which we will continue doing until we have achieved everything we have set out to do. Your support would mean the world to us, as it has done since our start. Thank you for standing with us.
