Author: Steph

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(Pronouns - she/her) - Steph Richards is a 73-year-old 'post-op' trans woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate and works as a human rights activist. She was the elected Women's and LGBT Officer at Portsmouth Labour Party 2021 - 2024, CEO of Translucent.Org.UK, winner of the LGBT Organisation of the Year at the National Diversity Awards in 2022, co-founder of Women's Action Network (Portsmouth) and a volunteer at a Women's health charity. Steph was shortlisted as a "Gender Role Model" at the National Diversity Awards in 2025. Steph has been platformed live on BBC Radio 4 three times, including Women's Hour. She has also appeared on Times Radio, LBC Radio, GB News and Channel 4 News. In 2023, Steph debated trans human rights at an American university event alongside Harvard biologist and author Carole Hooven, PhD. Steph (an intersectional feminist) is passionate about the inclusion and acceptance of trans people in society. She advocates for women in prison, specifically pregnant women and calls out the mounting concern that abortion rights are at risk in the UK. She was the recipient of an Inspirational Women of Portsmouth Award in March, 2023.

Latest News from TransLucent

Congratulations Katie Neeves National Diversity Awards 2025 Finalist. Katie Neeves is a celebrated trans advocate, photographer, founder of Cool2BTrans and a TransLucent team member whose tireless work empowers transgender people. Katie began her transition at the age of 48 and chose to share her journey openly through video and vlogging. Her trademark blend of humour and honesty has broken down barriers, challenged stigma, and educated audiences across the globe. Now a dynamic speaker and trainer, Katie delivers trans awareness sessions internationally, renowned for her engaging and inspiring style. Her work has taken her onto major platforms including ITV, BBC,…

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HHLP

Hampstead Heath Ladies Pond and Transphobia.  It isn’t about privacy, dignity or safety. It is about prejudice, discrimination and hate. Not my words, but from people who have contacted me, since we made it clear that TransLucent will undertake legal action to defend trans inclusion at the Ladies’ and not to be forgotten, Men’s pond. Because what that ruling did, according to the purveyors of transphobia in the gender-critical ideology movement, is that trans people should, nay, must be excluded from both the Ladies’ and Men’s ponds based on their birth sex and consequent gender reassignment. Trans men with…

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Latest News from TransLucent

A personal opinion by our CEO – this post does not represent TransLucent policy.  Since when has a space suitable for one person with a lockable door not been a single sex space? This simple sentence underscores the significance of privacy in defining a single sex space, particularly in the context of toilets. It’s about being behind a closed, lockable door, a space where one can feel dignified and secure. Many, quite legitimately, will argue that “single sex” starts at the entrance of a loo. Opponents can argue that male cleaners occupy hand washing areas, so that area is not…

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Latest News from TransLucent

HAMPSTEAD HEATH LADIES POND – “It’s not about women. It’s about a trophy” These are not my words, but those of a cisgender woman who regularly swims at the pond and is utterly disgusted by a tiny minority of women who are transphobic and use the word “woman” as their weapon and shield. As CEO of TransLucent, I want to make it very clear that all the time I am in tenure, we will fight transphobia on the streets, in parliament and in the courts. As an organisation, we announced our intention with yesterday’s statement that TransLucent had intervened in…

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Latest News from TransLucent

A message from Rebecca Jones:  Attention UK-based people, I need YOU to help me challenge NHS Blood & Transplant’s policies towards Trans & Non-Binary people. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rAPx8gpSix5Msf_HOu5cZhg6qSamNZiCtlDZLDc17yE/edit?usp=sharing In July 2024, NHS Blood & Transplant changed its policy to test trans people’s haemoglobin levels exclusively like their sex at birth against scientific consensus. I have been investigating this over the past few months to understand why the NHS made this decision, and how we can make them change their policies. What I was told concerned me greatly, especially when the NHS acknowledged it was a problem and did not give me a commitment on when they would…

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The Impact of Gender-Critical Ideology on Society

The Impact of Gender-Critical Ideology on Society In recent years, the debate surrounding gender identity has intensified, with gender-critical ideologies, which typically reject the idea that a person can identify as a gender different from their assigned sex at birth, emerging as a significant force in this discussion. The societal impact of these ideologies, which often undermine the validity of transgender identities, is profound, creating a hostile environment not just for trans people but also for anyone not conforming to traditional gender norms. Gender-critical ideology has also divided feminism, the consequence of which is that feminism has failed to overcome…

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