About Us
History
Originating from an online blog launched in 2020, we rebranded as TranLucent, became a CIC in November 2022, and, in total, have made three human rights submissions to the United Nations. In November 2023, we held our first London Conference just 100 yards from the Houses of Parliament, attended by peers from the House of Lords, MPs, and researchers.
In April 2024, we started to provide briefing notes to the UK’s Labour Party members, leading on to other political parties – a significant step in our advocacy efforts. We currently engage with three government departments: the Office for Equality and Opportunity, the Department for Health and Social Care, and the Ministry of Justice, as well as other stakeholders.
Mission
Our mission is simple – we campaign for visibility, acceptance, legal recognition, and healthcare for the trans community, as well as countering misinformation and disinformation from the media and trans-hostile actors. Our work directly impacts the lives of transgender individuals, fostering a more inclusive and understanding society.
Our Team
Our team, comprising over twenty dedicated individuals, has as its patron The Rt Honourable Lord Michael Cashman CBE.
The Rt Honourable Lord Michael Cashman CBE.
Lord Cashman (he/him) was a co-founder of the LGBT charity Stonewall, and his service as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014, together with his unwavering dedication to human rights, make him the ideal patron for an organisation campaigning for a marginalised and victimised community. His decades of public service, principled advocacy, and steadfast commitment to equality continue to inspire our work and strengthen the movement for dignity, justice, and genuine inclusion. He also served as Co‑President of the European Parliament’s LGBT Intergroup and was awarded an honorary doctorate for his human rights work.
New Patron Joining Us Soon!
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Steph Richards: Chair
Steph Richards, our founder and Chair, has been a leading researcher and campaigner for over two decades. Before founding TransLucent, she worked with three major UK health charities focused on pregnancy and baby loss, then served as CEO of a women’s health charity. A passionate feminist and advocate, Steph served as the elected Women’s Officer for the Portsmouth Labour Party (2021–2024) and co-founded the Women’s Action Network Portsmouth. Her international advocacy includes debating trans human rights at an American university alongside Harvard author Carole Hooven.
Under her leadership, TransLucent earned a national LGBT award. Steph’s contributions have been recognised with the ‘Inspirational Woman of Portsmouth Award’ in 2023 and a shortlisting for the ‘Positive Role Model for Gender’ award at the 2025 National Diversity Awards. As one of the few trans women featured on BBC’s Woman’s Hour and ITV’s Good Morning Britain, she remains a prominent voice in national media.
Joint CEO: Dr Debora Diamond
Dr Debora Diamond is a British psychologist and advocacy lead known for her work within the NHS, public policy advocacy, and therapeutic literature.
Dr Diamond served as a Consultant Psychologist with an extensive career in the NHS. During her time in clinical practice, she focused on mental health service design, multi-modal therapeutic approaches, and inpatient care.
Debora has been a strong advocate for developing and expanding mental health services to make healthcare systems more accessible and inclusive for underserved populations. Building on her experience in mental healthcare, Dr Diamond transitioned into public policy advocacy and human rights. Her work has focused on bridging clinical insights with legal and political advocacy, campaigning for transgender and gender-diverse representation in legislative, healthcare, and human rights contexts. Dr Diamond has contributed academic book chapters and research focused on psychotherapeutic interventions, group work, and pluralistic psychotherapy practices.
Joint CEO: Professor Stephen Whittle OBE
Professor Stephen Whittle, OBE (he/him, FtM) is a Director of TransLucent. Since transitioning in 1975, Stephen’s work has earned him several major international awards. He has been a Professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University since 2007 and co-founded Press for Change (PFC) in 1992, a UK-based trans rights lobby group. PFC was instrumental in achieving significant legal changes, including forming the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and gaining complete protection for the trans community under the Equality Act 2010. Stephen was also President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATHWPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health https://www.wpath.org) from 2007 to 2009.
Paul Levene: Director
Paul Levene, is a Director of TransLucent, bringing a unique perspective to our team as a parent of a trans daughter. Paul is widely considered an expert on trans people in sports. His successful high-level management and business career, and straightforward and professional communication style make him a valuable asset to our organisation.
Nicola Petfield: Chair of Advisory Board
Nicola Petfield is a founder of TransLucent, as a CIC and Chair of the Advisory Board. Nicola has extensive experience in consumer legal cases as an expert witness at tribunals. She brings those skills to human rights and feminism within the organisation. Nicola has previously worked within the national media and is our event organiser & finance coordinator.
Robin Moira White: Legal Advisor
Robin Moira White is a distinguished UK-based barrister. She is known for her expertise in employment and discrimination law, particularly in transgender rights cases. She was the first barrister to transition from male to female while practising in 2011. She is the “go-to lawyer” in handling cases related to gender reassignment discrimination, breaking new ground for non-binary people in the Taylor v Jaguar Landrover case. Robin is a co-author of “A Practical Guide to Transgender Law,” which provides valuable insights for both employers and employees on trans law issues. Robin practices at Old Square Chambers in London and also in Bristol.
Dr Finn Mackay: Advisor
Dr Finn Mackay (he/she/they/them) is a British sociologist, feminist activist, and Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol. Dr. Mackay has over twenty years of experience in feminist activism and policy and is known for their work on gender studies, feminist theory, and activism. Finn founded the London Feminist Network in 2004 and revived the Reclaim the Night movement, which campaigns against male violence and women’s right to walk freely at night. Finn has authored several books, including “Radical Feminism: Feminist Activism in Movement” and “Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars: The Politics of Sex” they are a regular commentator in the media, appearing on platforms such as BBC Radio 4, The Guardian, and Channel 4.
Carla Ottersen: Comms Manager
Carla is an experienced director and founder of business operations and start ups. For over four decades she has worked across continents and cultures, making businesses successful by inspiring the people who worked for and with her to realise their true potential, and go for it.
Carla currently leads two businesses and has just launched TransPilot, a community service for trans, nonbinary, queer and intersex to publish reviews of places they have visited, so we can know the good places to go.
A member of several women led business networks, Carla actively campaigns for better and more effective state funding for female founded and women led businesses.
Rachel Walters: Researcher
Rachel Walters (she/her) is a former Civil Servant with a management and engineering background who worked for the MoD for almost 40 years. She has interests in research, trans healthcare, and legal issues and is a key part of our investigative team.
Rachel is an operational member of her Local Search and Rescue team. She initially joined in early 2011, ‘retired’ in 2020, and returned in 2024. This requires a reasonable level of health and fitness; consequently, Rachel has an interest in recreational sports and participation in health-promoting activities. She is also a member of her local Police Independent Advisory Group, and until recently she was an NHS Patient Partner Volunteer, working with the NHS Leadership Academy.
Dr Penny Neary *
Dr Penny Neary (she/her) is an author and trans rights activist. She has considerable knowledge of mental health issues.
Julie Miller
Julie Miller (gf) is a professional presenter and public speaker, having learned her presentation skills in her 25-year army career, including at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and Army Staff College. She is a Crown Prosecution Service Hate Crime Scrutiny panel member and our hate crime representative on the True Vision Independent Advisory Group panel.
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Katie Neeves
Katie Neeves (she/her, Mtf) founded Cool2BTrans, which supports and inspires trans people and educates others about our community. She regularly appears in the media and is a freelance BBC presenter, winning many national awards, including the British Diversity Awards Hero of the Year 2023. Katie was listed on the Global Diversity List 2023 as a Diversity Champion.
Cat Lowry *
Cat Lowry (she/her) is a former CEO of a domestic abuse charity and has also worked for numerous high-profile domestic abuse organisations in various positions. Cat is our safeguarding officer and fundraiser. She has two daughters, one MtF and one cisgender.
Dr Lewis James *
Dr Lewis James, PhD (he/him) is an Assistant Professor at a UK university with expertise in Neurosciences. Dr James also holds both an MSc and a BSc in Physics.
Sam Hampshire *
Sam Hampshire (she/her/they/them) is a IT expert and is our website manager.
Judith King *
Judith King (she/her, MtF) is a high-profile author and a former newspaper journalist.
John Harris *
John Harris (he/him, FtM) is an author and our expert on the internal workings of the prison system
Ann Hobbs *
Ann Hobbs (she/her, MtF) is a data researcher and trans rights activist, having been one of the first people in the UK to benefit from puberty blockers back in 2020.
Rob Cleary
Rob Cleary PhD (he/him) – with a background in psychology and following a thirty-year career in and around the NHS (most recently a lengthy period as Content Director for the NHS website), Rob joined TransLucent to contribute research and analysis. Rob led our team (mainly of experts outside of TransLucent) to respond to the Cass Report, which was subsequently “supported and endorsed” by the LGBT Consortium, the UK’s LGBT+ umbrella organisation with over 650 members.
Mary Lewis *
Mary Lewis (she/her, Mtf) is a retired accountancy specialist and an active member of the Conservative Party.
Jamie King *
Jamie King (she/her, MtF) is our expert on legal gender recognition law in Europe and part of our team regarding Gender Recognition Act reform in the UK.
Annabel James *
Annabel James (she/her, MtF) is a volunteer fundraiser living in North England.
Sophie Manson *
Sophie Manson is a passionate Lesbian Intersectional Feminist working as a Community Outreach and Policy Analyst for a leading LGBT rights organisation. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by transgender individuals, Sophie dedicates her work to fostering inclusive and equitable communities.
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