Resources for Trans Folks
Spark Stands with Trans People, always!
This guide has been created in support of racialised trans and gender expansive folks. We’ve highlighted specific areas where trans people experience marginalisation, including healthcare, criminal justice, and domestic violence support and isolation. These resources have been carefully selected and have been chosen either because they are led by racialised trans folks and support racialised trans folks or are inclusive of racialised trans folks.
Some of our resources have been sent by members of the community, some chosen by us, and some we’ve used ourselves!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this resource is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as medical, legal, or professional advice. While we strive to ensure accuracy and relevance, laws, policies, and best practices can change and may vary by individual circumstances. We strongly encourage you to consult with qualified healthcare providers, legal professionals, or specialist support services for advice specific to your situation.
Resources
Health
We know that navigating healthcare can feel overwhelming at the best of times. For trans people, that journey is often made even more complicated by barriers that shouldn’t exist—limited support, long waits, and systems that were built to keep us out.
Accessing NHS gender identity services is a clear example. While the standard wait time for specialist care in the UK is meant to be 18 weeks, many trans people are waiting years (some as long as five or more)just to be seen. That’s not just a delay; it’s a denial of care that impacts people’s lives, health, and sense of self.
Because the system fails trans people, many are forced to explore alternative routes. Those who can afford it might turn to private providers, where the waits are shorter, but the costs are steep. For many, that option simply isn’t available.
If you’re a trans person reading this, whether you’re seeking support around transition, mental health, or your body, we see you. You deserve care that’s respectful, timely, and rooted in dignity. One of the hurdles to accessing healthcare is not knowing where to start. Below, you’ll find a list of resources we’ve carefully curated. These are by and for trans people, with a particular focus on trans communities of colour.
Learning
This section is all about learning. Below, we’ve gathered previous learning resources from Spark and other organisations. From A-Z guides, to critical analysis, to glossaries to queer frameworks, there’s a wealth of knowledge waiting to be explored!
- A Short History of the Gender Binary from Spark
- F*** the Supreme Court: In Defiance of Trans Erasure from Uncharitable
- LGBT+ history month: An A-Z guide from Spark
- International Day of Trans Visibility: Trans Resource Pack from Spark
- The Radical Origins of Intersectionality: Black Feminist and Queer Frameworks from Spark
- Why Inclusive Language Matters from Spark
Mutual Aid
One of the most prevalent barriers experienced by trans and gender expansive folks is financial hardship, as inclusive support services are limited. Due to long waiting times for gender affirming care, trans people often have to turn to alternative routes, which usually involve private providers. However, these come at a cost and aren’t available to everyone. The services listed below have been selected as they cover essential costs for transgender people throughout the year.
- Black Trans Alliance: Black Trans Alliance has a hardship fund to provide short-term support for Black trans people currently living in London. You can find out more about the fund here.
- Trans Healthcare Fund: The Trans Healthcare Fund provides a no-strings-attached £50 grant to support any ongoing healthcare costs for trans individuals in London. It’s currently closed, but it’s an ongoing fund. You can find out more about the fund here.
Community groups and spaces
Trans folks often cite that they experience isolation due to social stigma and limited support services. Below, you can find support services across the country, offering peer-to-peer support, social group activities, or a digital space to share, learn and heal together.
- All Sorts Youth Project POC group
- African Rainbow Family
- Black and Brown Rainbow
- Black Trans Hub
- Black Queer Women UK
- Exhale Group
- British Asian LGBTI
- Hidaya LGBT
- Dosti (Leicester)
- Gaysians
- GIN LGBTQIA Indian and South Asian network
- GIRES Tranzwiki
- Rainbow Noir
- Kiki Bristol
- MASAKHANE (Bolton)
- Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation
- The Trans Health Dimension
- Touch Grass CIC
- Queer Asia
- Queer China UK
Support lines
A significant number of trans folks experience ill mental health, and studies indicate that they are more likely to experience conditions like anxiety and depression compared to their cisgender counterparts. In light of this, we’ve added a few support lines and chats below in case you need support! However, if you’re considering harming yourself, please do get in touch with either the Samaritans (featured below) or call 999.
- Black and Brown Rainbow: 0800 054 1097
- Gendered Intelligence: 0800 640 8046.
- LGBT Foundation: 0345 330 3030.
- LGBT Hero: Online forums.
- Mermaids: 0808 801 0400.
- Mindline Trans+: 0300 330 5468
- MindOut: Online chat,
- TRUK Listens: 0800 009 6640 (8am-midnight, 7 days a week)
- Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline: 0800 0119 100 (10am-10pm, 7 days a week).
- Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7)
Legal
Trans people are subjected to several forms of oppression. Within criminal justice, they’re navigating a system that wasn’t designed with marginalised folks in mind. It’s also a system that contributes to the oppression of trans, gender expansive folks and racialised individuals, as the latter are overrepresented within the prison system and stop and search.
The UK Supreme Court’s decision to define women by biological sex rather than gender identity has contributed to heightened risks for LGBTQIA+ people, particularly trans and non-binary individuals. While the consultation on the Equality Act’s Code of Practice remains ongoing (as of June 2025), the longer-term impacts on LGBTQIA+ communities are still unfolding.
Support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse
Not all domestic violence organisations are inclusive of trans people; it’s essential to check before accessing support. Below, we’ve included some organisations that are more supportive of trans folks.
Other support
This resource is for anyone based in London! As trans folks experience unsafe housing and often have to move around a lot, it may be helpful to know there’s a trans person of colour-led business support for LGBTQIA+ folks with moving!
- Queer and Van: London-based trans person of colour-led business supporting queer, trans, and gender-expansive folks with moving. Discounts are available to trans people. Call 07770 778796 for more information.
Grassroots Organising
10 Myths About Trans People
In recent years, trans people have become the focus of intense public debate across the UK political and media landscapes. These narratives are nothing short of propaganda and often rely on misinformation, fear, and moral panic, which can fuel stigma and contribute to real-world harm against trans communities. This moral panic can be attributed to what Stuart Hall calls authoritarian populism.
Despite the noise coming from transphobes and trans-exclusionary feminist campaigners, the facts tell a different story. Medical experts, human rights organisations, and independent research consistently affirm that trans people have always existed, are not a trend, there’s no trans agenda, and trans people know how to make informed decisions about the things that concern them.
This section sets out to challenge some of the most persistent myths about trans people seen in right-wing UK media, offering evidence-based responses drawn from UK medical bodies, legal frameworks, and social research.
Understanding the difference between myth and fact is essential – not only to support trans people’s rights, but to foster a more truthful, respectful, and inclusive public conversation.
Myth 1: Being trans is a mental illness.
Fact:
Being trans is not a mental illness. The NHS England guidelines and the Royal College of Psychiatrists acknowledge that trans people need affirmative healthcare, not pathologisation. As early as 2019, the World Health Organisation removed “gender identity disorder” from its classification of mental health conditions. Recognising that being trans is a natural part of human diversity. What causes distress is not identity itself, but societal stigma, discrimination, and lack of access to affirming care.
Myth 2: “Trans people are rushing into medical transition.”
Fact:
The process of accessing gender-affirming healthcare in the UK is extremely slow and highly regulated. The average wait for a first appointment at an NHS Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) is over four years, with some patients reporting waits of five years or more. Furthermore, alternative routes such as private care usually involve lengthy consultations, mental health assessments and informed consent protocols. The idea that people are “rushed” is not only untrue, it obscures the actual harm caused by long wait times, which is often detrimental to people’s mental health.
Myth 3: “Trans healthcare is taking resources away from the NHS.”
Fact:
Trans healthcare makes up a tiny fraction of NHS spending. There is a severe lack of evidence to support the claim otherwise. Delays in access are due to systemic underfunding, staff shortages, and outdated commissioning structures, not the existence of trans patients. Suggesting otherwise fuels stigma and divides communities that are all harmed by austerity-era policies.
Myth 4: “Only people who’ve had surgery are really trans.”
Fact:
Not all trans people want or can access surgery, and no medical step determines someone’s gender identity. Trans people may choose to express their gender in any way that is comfortable for them. Gender is personal, and transition looks different for everyone. Surgery, hormones, name/pronoun changes, clothing, and voice are individual choices, not requirements. In the UK, you don’t need surgery to change your gender marker on your passport or driving licence. It’s also important to remember that your passport or driving licence may not always be a true reflection of the gender you identify with, and it’s important never to assume and always use preferred pronouns.
Myth 5: “Children are being pushed into transitioning too early.”
Fact:
In the UK, under‑18s access puberty blockers through Gender Clinics, but only after careful assessment. This process is highly cautious, with recent reforms restricting usage to clinical trials and informed professional oversight. The Cass Review found insufficient evidence on long-term impacts and emphasised holistic assessments, leading to stricter controls, rather than liberal youth access.
Myth 6: “Being trans is just a trend.”
Fact:
Trans identities have existed across cultures and eras; increased visibility today reflects safety, not trendiness. In the UK, over 5,000 young people were on NHS waiting lists by 2022 – this isn’t a phenomenon, it’s an unmet need.
Myth 7: “There’s a trans agenda being pushed by the liberal left.”
Fact:
There is no “trans agenda.” What’s often described this way is simply the push for trans people to live safely, openly, and with access to the same rights and healthcare as anyone else. Calls for equal treatment, like being able to use the correct name, access gender-affirming care, or be protected from hate crime, are not radical or political in nature. They are fundamental human rights. Trans people exist across political, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Their right to live without discrimination isn’t a partisan issue; it’s a human one.
Myth 8: “Trans women are a threat to cisgender women’s safety in public spaces.”
Fact:
There is no evidence that allowing trans people to use the facilities that match their gender identity increases risks to others. A review of global data by Galop, the UK’s leading LGBT+ anti-violence charity, found no correlation between trans-inclusive policies and increased harm in women’s spaces. A survey from Stonewall and YouGov found that trans people are more likely to be the victims of violence or harassment in public restrooms than perpetrators.
Myth 9: “Trans people are erasing women’s rights or redefining womanhood.”
Fact:
Trans advocacy is about inclusion and safety, not erasure. Trans rights and women’s rights are not mutually exclusive. Women’s rights issues have often benefited from trans advocacy, especially regarding healthcare. Cisgender individuals also use similar procedures as trans people for various reasons, including cosmetic or medical needs. Including breast augmentation or reconstruction, and facial surgery. Hormone replacement therapy and hair removal are also considered gender-affirming care for both transgender and cisgender individuals.
Myth 10: “Detransition is widespread and proves that transitioning is harmful.”
Fact:
Detransition is rare in the UK and is often driven by external pressure, rather than regret over one’s gender identity.
A 2021 study from Vandenbussche found that only 1% of people who accessed gender identity services in the UK later detransitioned. Most did so because of family, societal stigma, or access issues.