Inspired by queer history, Trans Kids Deserve Better occupy Department for Education

The last time a group of Trans+ teens took direct action, it sent ripples of hope across the LGBTQIA+ community.

Their perch on the ledge of NHS England’s headquarters looked perilous from the ground, but an activist called Debs told QueerAF, “A mantra that we had on the ledge was that ‘it's safer up here than on the NHS waiting list’ [for trans healthcare] because people are dying.”

Having spoken with group members in the run-up to their next action, I met up with Trans Kids Deserve Better last Friday as they were preparing to take up residence outside the Department for Education, this time to protest for better treatment in schools. 

Those who had been present for the group’s first protest seemed relaxed, joking about pretending to be French tourists, while newer members tried to calm their nerves about engaging in direct action for the first time.

Upon arriving at the Department for Education, the group split in four and rushed to vault the metal railings covering the grates at the base of the building that they would call home for the next week. The group unfurled banners they attached to the railings and began handing out leaflets, explaining their demands for schools to respect their autonomy, protect them from bullying, and include Trans+ people in school curricula.

Having previously focused on healthcare, Trans Kids Deserve Better also wants to raise awareness about anti-trans education policies. “Our first priority is autonomy,” an activist called Chalky told QueerAF. “We deserve to make our own decisions about our social transition and who gets to know about it.”

Policies proposed by the Conservative government, which remain under consultation by Labour, would require schools to disclose trans children’s identities to their parents. Some schools are already putting this guidance into practice, although it is not yet law - Chalky told me stories they’ve heard of trans teens being outed to their parents by schools.

Even at more supportive schools, trans children need to contend with the ramifications of broader policy developments that may affect them. “If I was to come out as trans, there would be a real threat of violence and hatred,” said Debs, who is out at school but not to his religious parents. When the policy proposal was announced, she had to confirm with school leaders that they wouldn’t out her.

This isn’t the only way trans kids are being forced to grow up fast. “I’m not the only trans person in my year, but I’m the only out trans person in my year because no one else is comfortable enough to be out,” said another activist called Ivy.

“It’s dreadful because I’m also a kid, and having to support other people because no one else will is just not right.” This is made all the worse given what Ivy sees as the dearth of information about trans lives in schools.

Having to deal with these pressures led many members of Trans Kids Deserve Better to the kinds of headline-grabbing action they are now undertaking. And they’ve found camaraderie in that action. 

“You don’t do something like [the NHS England] action if you haven’t had certain experiences,” said an activist called Paint. They added that they’ve often felt like “too much”, even in queer spaces, and Trans Kids Deserve Better has enabled zem to feel like ze fit in.

Trans Kids Deserve Better are knowledgeable about queer history, particularly activist traditions. The group takes inspiration from AIDS activists and campaigners against Section 28 – a clear analogue for the anti-trans policies now being proposed in British schools. 

“The only way anybody has gotten their rights is by demanding to be treated the way they should be,” Grin, one of the group’s founders, told QueerAF.

“One of the inspirations for the ledge action was the six lesbians who abseiled in Parliament under Thatcher” after the House of Lords voted through Section 28.

Though the Department of Education action doesn’t require them to sleep on a narrow ledge like the NHS protest, members of Trans Kids Deserve Better are still taking significant risks. 

During the time I spent at the site, the group had to contend with questions from the police and hostility from members of the public, although many more people expressed their support.

Aside from braving the elements to sleep outside for a week, and coming face to face with transphobes, engaging in protest involves stepping out of their comfort zones in several other ways. 

The presence of my microphone makes several members of the group nervous, even as they’re courting press attention to raise awareness for their cause. But organising together has given many of them the conviction and hope to face those fears. 

“Having to speak to so many people can be really overwhelming,” an activist called Oracle told QueerAF. But he is confident it’s for a good cause. 

“Being part of Trans Kids Deserve Better has given a lot of people hope, and I definitely feel like we’re going to make a big change, so we don’t have to live in fear of being who we are anymore.”

It’s a bit of a cliché that 'the kids' don’t know their history. Trans Kids Deserve Better refute those accusations. In fact: they're taking big swings that LGBTQIA+ adults have often shied away from.

They’re building on radical queer movements of the past: Leading the fight themselves and inspiring hope and action throughout the LGBTQIA+ community.

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