I don’t usually blog on two different subjects but today is an exception. Firstly, I joined Twitter in the past week, my handle being @PlaceSteph 

I don’t really “do” social media and am still very confused about how it works. This is an age thing really, but I again learnt the transphobes do not take any prisoners even for a “new girl” so to speak.

With their “I Love JKR” icon proudly pinned against their handle name they waded into me saying it was impossible to change sex. I fear sex and gender is something they don’t understand – I am well aware that I was born with my genitals all wrong. For God’s sake, that is why I am TRANS!

The government is to blame of course – “sex” goes on the birth certificate but to get it changed to my identifying gender I need to apply via the “Gender Recognition Act”. 

This then changes my “sex” – except it doesn’t really because the simple fact is I don’t have “the right bits”.

This is not deniable – I am trans, but I don’t think with my genitals – I  think with my brain.

And at least I have been lucky enough to have had surgery to take some of my genitals away, and my estrogen levels are typical for a woman. 

And I know – yes know – I am female and was meant to be from day one. 

The second bit of news is that on Monday I did my first “Steph’s Place” interview with the acclaimed photographer Allie Crewe.

Allie a cis woman and trans ally living close to Manchester and won the BJP “Portrait of the Year Award” in 2019 with an image of “Grace” a trans woman who lives and works in London. Allie’s story will be appearing soon, so watch this space. 

That’s it today. Let’s hope I am still here tomorrow – I am a tad concerned a JKR disciple will reach down my smartphone and devour me but let’s hope not.

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Steph Richards (she/her) is a 74-year-old human rights activist, intersectional feminist, and recipient of a 2023 Inspirational Women of Portsmouth Award. Holding a Gender Recognition Certificate and "post op", she is the founder and Chair of Translucent.Org.UK, which was named LGBT Organisation of the Year at the 2022 National Diversity Awards. Steph was also shortlisted as a Positive Role Model for Gender at the 2025 National Diversity Awards. Steph’s leadership spans political, healthcare, and community advocacy. She served as the Women’s and LGBT Officer for the Portsmouth Labour Party (2021–2024), co-founded the Women’s Action Network (Portsmouth), and is a former CEO of a women’s health charity. A passionate champion for women's healthcare, she possesses extensive expertise in baby loss awareness, actively defends UK abortion rights and is a member of "Women Against the Far-Right". Calling out VAWG, Steph has researched and written about 125 women and girls killed by a man. A prominent voice in national media and debate, Steph has been featured live on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Anti Social, Good Morning Britain, Times Radio, LBC, GB News, and Channel 4 News. In 2023, she debated trans human rights alongside Harvard biologist Dr. Carole Hooven at a prominent US university event.

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