About Us

Planned activity:

Work Completed:

Promote, maintain and update an online guide to transgender rights and equality as part of the STA website.

At least one new webpage added to the STA website www.scottishtrans.org each month. Links exchanged with several other relevant websites. Over 1000 promotional postcards advertising website handed out between July 2008 and March 2009 via Pride Glasgow, Pride Dumfries, LGBT History Month events, and various Equality Conferences, training sessions and meetings. 

Meetings with public service policy-makers, government officials and MSPs where appropriate. Several meetings by March 2009.

19 formal high level meetings held between July 2008 and March 2009 to help develop public service policies, good practice strategies and new legislation to reduce the significant discrimination that transgender people face in the law, in public services and employment, and in general public attitudes.

Ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government’s work to improve public attitudes towards LGBT people

Many of the specific outcomes detailed in the Scottish Transgender Alliance project work plan were purposely designed to help take forward the Scottish Government’s work to improve public attitudes towards transgender people as per the Scottish Government’s response to the LGBT Hearts & Minds Agenda Group’s Recommendations. In addition, the following extra engagement with the Scottish Government was also carried out by the Scottish Transgender Alliance project:

Assisted in the initial development of an LGBT community website proposal, coordinated by the Equality Network’s Informed and Empowered Communities project (Recommendations 3.1 and 27.1 of the LGBT Hearts & Minds Agenda Group).

• Assisted the Scottish Government Analytical Services Team to carry out a literature review of the experiences of children of LGBT parents by locating some peer-reviewed academic research on children of transgender parents after their initial online journal search had failed to manage to locate any such research. (Recommendation 18.1).
• Assisted in scoping the potential methodology which could be used to research the educational needs and experiences of trans young people. (Recommendation 18.2).Assisted in developing a joint ESRC and Scottish Government funded trans research PhD studentship. (Recommendation 26.5).

Provide guidance to and work in partnership with the three national LGBT organisations in Scotland, the EHRC, and cross-strand equality organisations to support them to do work to reduce the inequality and discrimination experienced by transgender people. At least two pieces of collaborative policy work by March 2009.

The Scottish Transgender Alliance (STA) Project’s work on improving transgender inclusion in UK and Scottish government legislation was all closely coordinated in partnership with the Equality Network’s Policy Analysis and Engagement Project and the policy managers of the two other National LGBT organisations, Stonewall Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland. The two key pieces of collaborative policy work undertaken were:

• UK Equality Bill. The STA project helped identify gaps in transgender protection within the bill proposals and led the development of Scottish partnership agreement on positions and evidence regarding pushing for these gaps to be filled.
• Offences (Aggravation By Prejudice)(Scotland) Bill. The STA project led the development of partnership agreement on transgender identity definition inclusivity in the bill. STA project assisted in providing evidence of need for bill and coordinated its oral evidence submission to the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee to best compliment the oral evidence of partners.

Participated in three general policy coordination meetings between the national LGBT organisations, one general LGBT Roundtable meeting with EHRC Scotland, one Transgender Roundtable in London with EHRC specifically on the UK Equality Bill, and 12 further meetings to coordinate on specific policy issues. Also assisted EHRC with its development of a literature review of existing research on transgender equality and human rights issues.

Identify the most significant national policy proposals and submit timely responses to proposals, as appropriate. At least one response submitted by March 2009.

As a result of consultation with a diverse range of transgender people across Scotland, the following three Scottish policy proposals were identified for the period July 2008 to March 2009 as the most significant for transgender people and therefore three written responses were submitted by the Scottish Transgender Alliance project:

• The Scottish Government Primary and Community Care Directorate’s ‘A Question of Access’ consultation on how to improve patients’ access and experience when using NHS primary care GP services. Response submitted in September 2008.
• The Scottish Parliament Justice Committee’s call for written evidence on the Offences (Aggravation By Prejudice)(Scotland) Bill. Response submitted in November 2008.
• Scottish Human Rights Commission’s consultation on its Strategic Plan. Response submitted in March 2009.

Work in partnership with the LGBT Domestic Abuse project, and gender equality organisations (for example, Engender, Scottish Women’s Aid, and Women’s Rape And Sexual Abuse Centres) to address gender-based violence, abuse and discrimination against transgender people. At least one partnership work initiative carried out by March 2009.

Three partnership work initiatives with gender equality organisation were successfully carried out between July 2008 and March 2009 by the Scottish Transgender Alliance (STA) Project:

• The STA Project worked in partnership with Engender and BEMIS to ensure that the ‘Women Thinking Equality’ Course of Discussion Seminars was advertised as open to trans women participants and included a Discussion Seminar on 4^th December 2008 which addressed gender-based violence, abuse and discrimination against transgender people and looked at the parallels between transgender equality work and feminism-based women’s equality work. As a result of the success of this partnership initiative, further partnership work between Engender and the STA Project for the 2009/2010 Financial Year is already in development.
• The STA Project worked in partnership with Edinburgh Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (EWRASAC) to enable EWRASAC to become fully transgender inclusive in its service provision and developed for EWRASAC a tailored training session for their staff on working sensitively with transgender people who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. The training session was later also provided by the STA project in Glasgow in partnership with the Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre.
• The STA Project worked in partnership with the LGBT Domestic Abuse Project to develop a methodology for researching transgender experiences of domestic abuse. Over two formal meetings and regular email contact, the STA Project and the LGBT Domestic Abuse Project have jointly designed draft survey questions ready for final agreement and the launch of a transgender domestic abuse research survey in the next 2009/2010 financial year.

Work in partnership with Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions and other employment rights organisations such as trade unions and professional membership associations to promote and evaluate transgender equality inclusion within Scottish workplaces. At least one partnership work initiative to reduce transgender employment inequalities carried out by March 2009.

The STA Project has successfully carried out two partnership work initiatives between July 2008 and March 2009:

• In partnership with the public service trade union, UNISON, the STA Project wrote and launched in November 2008 an introductory guide on transgender employment equality issues for trade union reps supporting transgender members with transphobic discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This booklet has been widely distributed across the UK by UNISON.
• In partnership with Stonewall Scotland’s Diversity Champions scheme, the STA Project wrote and launched in February 2009 a ‘Changing for the Better’ employer guide. The creation of this guide also involved collaboration with the trans employee support groups a:gender and National Trans Police Association in order to enable the booklet to include a wide range of positive real-life trans employee quotes. Stonewall Scotland’s Workplace Conference on 11^th February 2009 was developed and run in partnership with the Scottish Transgender Alliance Project in order to most effectively launch the guide and provide training in the form of a keynote morning presentation and interactive afternoon workshop on transgender employment equality to the approx 150 public sector and private company managers present.

Run a comprehensive leadership training course for at least ten transgender participants in the first year. This will be supported with ongoing one-to-one mentoring together with e-mail and real-world networking. Recruit participants by October 2008. Run at least six training days by March 2009.

In partnership with the Equality Network’s LGBT Sector Building Project, the STA Project developed a 6 day leadership training course for LGBT community volunteers to develop their skills and knowledge to help lead local and national LGBT equality work:

• The training consisted of a three day residential from 17^th to 19^th October inclusive (themed on developing participants’ understanding of their strengths and interests, their knowledge of equality organisations in Scotland, and transferable skills of public speaking, group facilitation, lobbying and networking), and three further days of training on 8^th November, 29^th November and 17^th January (themed on running small community groups, planning and funding events, and publicising events and media communication respectively).
• The STA Project recruited 15 interested potential transgender participants by September 2008. 3 potential participants dropped out. Therefore, 12 transgender volunteers actually participated on the course.
• 9 of the 12 transgender participants subsequently underwent mentoring by the STA Project. 5 were mentored by the STA Project in undertaking office-bearer leadership roles within Scottish transgender community peer support groups, 2 were mentored by the STA Project in policy and consultation response development, and 2 were mentored by the STA Project in organising transgender cultural performance events. (The other 3 instead received mentoring support from LGBT Youth Scotland as they were already volunteers with them in their local geographical areas.)

Produce at least two supportive media articles or public storytelling events giving voice to different transgender experiences.

The STA Project ran a series of ten transgender writing workshops in Glasgow which empowered six participants to perform in three public storytelling events giving voice to their different transgender experiences. The six participants created a name and logo for themselves as the STA TRANSforming Arts group and created, designed and distributed two PDF documents of their writing:

• STA TRANSforming Arts group storytelling event took place in Glasgow LGBT Centre for Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20^th November 2008.

• STA TRANSforming Arts group storytelling event took place in Glasgow LGBT Centre for LGBT History Month on 5^th February 2009.
• STA TRANSforming Arts group storytelling event took place in Edinburgh’s LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing on 21^st February 2009.

The STA Project also participated in the preparatory Advisory Group for the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art’s biannual Social Justice programme which for 2009/2010 will be called sh[OUT] and will use contemporary art to represent LGBT people’s experiences and human rights.

Establish a national Scottish Transgender Alliance (STA) Forum to facilitate shared learning, strategic consultation, dialogue and co-operation between individuals and organisations working to further transgender equality and support in Scotland. First STA Forum meeting by October 2008, and at least one more meeting by March 2009.

Produce quarterly Scottish Transgender Alliance newsletter (distributed within Equality Network quarterly newsletter) providing policy info and promoting opportunities for transgender people to engage in equality policy consultations. Newsletter distributed in August 08, Nov 08 & February 09.

Consult transgender people on equality issues and priorities, via surveys and focus groups, and update STA policy work accordingly. At least one consultation carried out by March 2009.

During the period from July 2008 to March 2009, the STA Project focussed on carrying out health service provision related consultations in order to update and expand its NHS policy expertise in preparation for briefing NHS Health Scotland and Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board on key transgender health inequalities and running a transgender training seminar for NHS managers in July 2009:

• On 4^th October 2008 the STA Project, in partnership with NHS Health Scotland, consulted the participants of the first STA Forum on their priorities for improving national health service provision for transgender people.
• On 8^th October 2008 the STA Project, in partnership with Audit Scotland, ran an audio-taped focus group consultation on transgender experiences of mental health services.
• On 27^th November 2008 the STA Project, in partnership with the Sandyford Gender Identity Clinic, ran two audio-taped focus group consultations (one for trans men and one for trans women) on the service provision coordination issues experienced by transgender people undergoing genital surgery.
• On 10^th December 2008 the STA Project, in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing, consulted trans women in Inverness on their priorities for emotional and practical support during the process of transitioning from male to female.
• On 14^th March 2009 the STA Project, in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing, consulted trans men in Edinburgh on their priorities for emotional and practical support during the process of transitioning from female to male.

Provide at least four transgender inclusion training sessions for public services per year.

11 transgender inclusion training sessions carried out for the following:

• Community Learning & Development Workers (in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland).
• Strathclyde Police.
• UK LGBT Health Summit.
• UNISON National Higher Education Service Group.
• Relationships Scotland counsellors.
• Fire Service Managers (in partnership with Stonewall Scotland).
• West Lothian Council managers.
• Dental Practitioners (in partnership with NHS Education Scotland).
• Perth & Kinross Council managers.
• Further and Higher Education Equality Managers (in partnership with Stonewall Scotland and Equality Forward).
• Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living.

 (If also including the training sessions detailed within the other STA Project outputs then a total of 17 training sessions were carried out.)

Work through the ACPOS LGBT Reference Group to increase transgender equality and inclusion within police custody care, hate crime remote reporting schemes and wider community safety initiatives. One day National transgender police training event by Dec 2008.

Work in partnership with Stonewall Scotland Good Practice Project and other LGBT and cross-strand equality organisations and networks to promote transgender inclusion within public sector equality mainstreaming programmes. At least one partnership work initiative carried out by March 2009.

The STA Project successfully carried out the following three pieces of partnership work with Stonewall Scotland’s Good Practice Project during the period from July 2008 to March 2009:

The STA Project, Stonewall Scotland and Scottish Prison Service’s partnership work on developing a transgender custody policy continued on from the 2007/2008 Financial Year and the policy has now been equality impact assessed and is now ready for implementation by the Scottish Prison Service.

• The STA Project assisted Stonewall Scotland’s Good Practice Project with the transgender analysis page of its ‘Service with a Smile’ survey report.
• The STA Project worked in partnership with Stonewall Scotland’s Good Practice Project to develop a joint position on Transgender Equality Monitoring and write a complementary pair of good practice guidance documents on monitoring sexual orientation and monitoring gender identity.

Provide tailored good practice guidance and policy development assistance to specific public services, with particular reference to the Gender Equality Duty and the new goods and services protections provided by the Sex Discrimination (Amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008. Tailored guidance created for at least two public services by March 2009. Guidance created on trans goods and services protections by March 2009.

Produce a PDF guide for mainstream advocates and advice givers, including MSPs, on transgender rights and inclusion.

Wrote an introductory guide for mainstream advocates and advice givers, including MSPs, on transgender rights and inclusion. However, the graphic design of the PDF has not yet been completely finalised so it has not yet been distributed. The final design and distribution is expected to take place in May 2009.