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  • First Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Swimming Group Opens In London

    Trans and Gender Non­Conforming Swimming Group (TAGS), after meeting with Lewisham council, have confirmed they have full private use of the training pool at the Glassmill Leisure Centre, Lewisham for a transgender safe swimming group.

    Facilities are accessible for individuals with disabilities and include a very discrete space with electric blinds on all windows to ensure privacy. There is a 20m Teaching pool with moving floor to alter depth. The Glassmill Centre also includes gender specific and gender neutral training facilities. Swimmers will have an hour and a half slot for changing and swimming. In additional, pool staff will be given training by TAGS to ensure that gender issues are covered and treated sensitively. There will be TAGS representatives to greet swimmers and take them to changing area. There are also accessible CCTV monitored parking at a very reasonable rate (£2 per hr) open until the centre closes and a cafe space to socialise. Parents of young people and carers are welcome to swim or spectate.

    TAGS is the only Trans Gender Non Conforming swimming group in London. This first swimming session is part of a three-month trial with Lewisham Council, so TAGS is seeking all interested swimmers to take the initiative to support the space by coming to the sessions. The cost will be £3.20 (lower for Lewisham residents) a session. The more swimmers at each session, the more TAGS can negotiate the cost down further.

    TAGS is organised by volunteers from the Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Society. Roberta Francis, the main volunteer, organised TAGS because she wanted to go to her local swimming group, but felt nervous. “I felt there was a big need for a swimming group in London to allow trans and gender non­conforming people the opportunity to have access to a safe space. Being able to swim is a basic right but for many trans people it can be really difficult because of how we are treated in the community as a whole,” Roberta said.

    Jay Stewart of Gendered Intelligence, said: “We know physical activity reduces mental distress. This is such a huge factor in trans people’s lives due to the pressures to conform to gender norms. I feel incredibly proud that this initiative has been led by some of our volunteers at Gendered Intelligence. The Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Scheme is all about strengthening the wider trans community and this is doing exactly that.”

    Anyone wishing to attend the TAGS swimming group can join their Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/269765326552514/ Or contact admin@genderedintelligence.co.uk for more information.

  • Trans Youth Looking For Help Cooling Off With Gendered Intelligence

    Yearly residential programme run by Gendered Intelligence seeks crowdfunding to address need.

    As summer approaches and the weather heats up in Britain, summer residentials are kicking off. Usually these programs for children are segregated by sex, putting transgender youth in awkward positions and limited options for social interaction during the season.

    WATCH VIDEO

    Gendered Intelligence, a community interest company that supports trans youth, attempts to combat this every summer with a trans youth residential. The programme includes everything from kayaking to raft building as well as informal games and social interacting that help trans youth gain important personal and outdoor skills. The residential provides a safe space for all gender identities expressed by youth.

    But, as with most activities, running residentials is costly and homelessness and poverty remains a frequent issue for LGBT communities, especially transgender people. According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey in the US, trans people were twice as likely to be unemployed and one in five reported being homeless at some point in their lives. Providing resources and safe spaces for trans people that are affordable is critical, especially for youth.

    For this reason, Gendered Intelligence seeks donations to support this August’s camping residential. Previous residentials have seen 15-20 trans youth attending and with a cost at £300 a head. This year they have 20 signed up and 10 on the waiting list. To support and cover all of the youth, GI needs £5,000 in donations.

    “Our summer residential really gives our young trans members a safe space to be themselves and a chance to have a positive experience with other trans youth, to make new friends and to strengthen old ones. Come rain or shine the most fun will be had cooking over an open fire, having heart to hearts, laughing and bonding. It just may be that this quite simple opportunity for our young people could actually be life changing,” said Jay Stewart, co-founder of Gendered Intelligence.

    Though many of the youth can’t share their names, many of them report positive experiences: “I really enjoyed being part of this physical project. I most enjoyed the swimming session. I can’t swim but the instructor gave me a lot of attention and said that I had potential, which was really encouraging.”