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.

Steph

Coming out is far from easy for a transgender person, and I would compare it to coming out as a gay person forty years ago. Even today, of course, some gay people in the UK (for a variety of reasons) cannot come out even though society, in general, accepts gay people as a norm. Julia Serano (my favourite trans author) suggests it is easier to come out FTM than MTF. I tend to agree with the points in her book “Whipping Girl” that some men detest “former men” who reject the “dominate gender” and that some women can’t understand…

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zarah sultana

Many MP’s from all sides of the political spectrum have called out to Liz Truss in regards to her statement on the 22nd of April.But surely no one has done it better than Zarah Sultana the Labour MP who represents Coventry South. I can only describe her response as perfect! My research suggests trans suicide rates are higher than what she quoted but perhaps Zarah aired on the side of caution so to ensure no TERF group could point the finger and say what she was saying was not accurate. On receipt of her letter surely Liz Truss can not ignore…

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