El pasado domingo 25 de mayo, el grupo activista STRIVE (Standing for Trans Rights, Inclusion and Visibility Everywhere) organizó una manifestación en el centro de Londres para exigir “dignidad, seguridad y un trato justo” para las personas trans. La protesta comenzó en el Marble Arch y terminó en Downing Street, residencia oficial del primer ministro británico, donde diez mujeres trans se quedaron con el pecho al descubierto.
@pinknews Trans women went topless outside Downing Street during a protest calling out the oppression of the community across the UK. The protest action – which took place on Sunday (25 May) in London – was organised by activism group STRIVE (Standing for Trans Rights, Inclusion and Visibility Everywhere) as a means of “bringing our voices to the very place where too many harmful policies and decisions have been made” about the “safety, dignity, and rights of trans people across the UK”. Trans people and their allies came out in force for the demonstration and marched from Marble Arch to Downing Street in a “powerful journey” that lead “directly to the heart of political decision making”. At the end of the march, a rally was held where trans women were invited to – if they felt comfortable – remove their tops and stand bare chested outside the gates of Downing Street. Images taken during the demonstration shows nine trans women stood outside Downing Street, waving trans flags and woman holding a sign that read: “Let Us Live Free. Give Us A Voice.” “This is a deeply symbolic act, one that reflects the raw truth of how exposed and vulnerable our community is made to feel under a government that continues to marginalize and ignore us,” the group said in a post on social media platform Bluesky prior to the protest. “We stand bare not for shock, but for honesty for the transparency our leaders have refused to offer. “We are not activists. We are regular people. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness, for safety, and for the dignity that every human being deserves. We want a society where no one is denied healthcare, legal recognition, or basic respect because of who they are. “This protest is rooted in compassion and conviction: compassion for our community, for those who are struggling, and for those who have been silenced or lost and conviction that change is not only necessary but possible. “We are here to affirm that trans people have a right to be heard, to be protected, and to thrive. This is a peaceful protest, but it is not passive. It is bold. It is visible. And it is powerful—because it is grounded in truth, in solidarity, and in love.” #no10 #downingstreet #transrights #transwomen #ukpolitics #lgbtqia ♬ Serious piano and strings, the end(973959) – 8.864
Los organizadores de la marcha la han descrito como un “acto muy simbólico, que refleja la cruda realidad de lo expuestos y vulnerables que nos sentimos en la comunidad, bajo un Gobierno que continúa marginalizándonos e ignorándonos”. Hace poco más de un mes, el Tribunal Supremo británico publicó una sentencia en la que se excluía a las mujeres trans de la definición legal de “mujer”.
“No somos activistas. Somos gente corriente. Pero como todas las personas trans de Reino Unido, nos vemos forzadas a levantarnos y decir: basta”, explicaban desde STRIVE a PinkNews. La manifestación también rindió homenaje a Alice Litman, una mujer trans que se quitó la vida en 2022 después de casi tres años esperando una cita con el Servicio de Desarrollo de Identidad de Género. “Queremos una sociedad en la que a nadie se le niegue el acceso a la asistencia médica, reconocimiento legal o un respeto básico, por quienes son. Esta es una protesta pacífica, pero no es pasiva. Es valiente. Es visible. Y es pacífica porque se basa en la verdad, la solidaridad y el amor”.
Manifestaciones similares en todo Reino Unido
La protesta del domingo seguía a una acción similar que tuvo lugar en Estocolmo a principios de mes, donde un grupo de mujeres trans se manifestaron a las puertas del Parlamento escocés con el pecho al descubierto. Los organizadores han anunciado más manifestaciones en ciudades como Glasgow, Cardiff o Manchester.
