By a bisexual trans woman fighting for LGBTQ+ dignity
As we enter Pride season, it’s time to go beyond rainbow logos, performative allyship, and marketing fluff. I’ve spent my life advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion — not just in name, but in action. And this year, my message is simple:
If you won’t let people like me, use the toilet, don’t pretend you’re supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion.
The Reality Behind the Rainbows
So many organisations celebrate Pride publicly, yet behind closed doors, they fail the most basic tests of inclusion. They say they support LGBTQ+ people but restrict or deny toilet access for trans and non-binary people — offering only a “separate” gender-neutral stall, usually inconvenient and stigmatising. That’s not a compromise. It’s segregation.
Dignity Before Diversity Statements
Before I can be part of your campaign, workplace, or event — before I can collaborate, contribute, or even exist in your space — I need to know that my most basic human need is recognised: the right to use a bathroom aligned with my gender. If you block that, you’re not just excluding me — you’re denying my dignity and enabling systems that quietly support conversion therapy under the guise of policy.
What’s Really Happening?
Let’s call it what it is:
Segregating trans people from public toilets is a form of state-enabled conversion coercion. It tells us we’re “not quite normal,” that we need to be contained, hidden, or treated differently.
Providing a single stall for “everyone else” to use — while letting cisgender people continue as usual — isn’t inclusive. It’s erasure disguised as equality.
Refusing to Be Your Propaganda
Don’t ask me to be part of your diversity campaign if you can’t offer basic respect. Inclusion isn’t a photo opportunity — it’s the everyday decisions you make about policy, culture, and access. Anything less is just rainbow-washing, and I won’t be part of your propaganda.
What I Hope For
This Pride season, I want more people inside workplaces, schools, communities, and homes to stand up with and for trans people. Not just during Pride month, but every day. Because our lives, safety, and dignity aren’t seasonal.
Key Messages for Organisations:
- Inclusion starts with access — if trans people can’t use the bathroom, your inclusion efforts are meaningless.
- Segregated toilet access is not a compromise — it’s a form of exclusion and covert conversion therapy.
- Rainbow logos mean nothing without action — don’t perform allyship while denying dignity.
- Don’t use LGBTQ+ people as marketing tools — especially when your policies exclude them.
- Stand up every day, not just during Pride — dignity, safety, and equality must be consistent.