Trans Secret Santa UK Breaks Christmas Gift Record
Trans joy was abundant amid piles of boxes and presents, as volunteer elves worked hard to bring messages of joy to trans youth during this difficult year.
Featured image: photo by David Bird, courtesy of Trans+ Solidarity Alliance
Nearly 900 trans and gender-diverse young people will wake up this holiday to more than visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads: Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, with its team of 37 volunteer elves, turned an East London office into a veritable “Santa’s workshop” and managed to wrap and box 896 yuletide gifts – all in hopes of delivering much-needed Christmas joy to youth.
“The winter period can be especially difficult for young trans people, a lot of whom can feel really isolated, and supporting almost 900 people with joyful festive gifts will hopefully bring some cheer to the end of the year for many,” Trans Secret Santa UK co-founder Octavian Starr said in a statement he shared with GO.
The Trans Santa initiative aims to shine love and support on transgender youth across the UK at Christmas. The initiative was first launched in 2023 by Think2Speak, a UK-based LGBTQ+ youth organization established in 2015 to empower LGBTQ+ children, young people and their families; in addition to running events, and offering residential, one-to-one counseling and peer support.
The idea was inspired by a similar project, Transanta, which began in the U.S. and varies in that it invites trans youth to submit a wish list; whereas the initial UK campaign aimed to raise money to provide secret gift bundles for anyone under the age of 25 who identifies as trans, non-binary or gender-diverse.
This year, the count with the sleigh fully loaded means that Trans Secret Santa UK has broken its prior record of 700 gifts delivered in 2023. Many of the gifts are purchased from trans creatives, putting money back into the community. Ben & Jerry’s and Lush have donated goods to support the gift packages. Books were sourced from The Common Press CIC. Recipients will also receive a card filled with messages of hope and solidarity written by community icons.
It’s been a challenging year for trans people in many pockets around the globe. In the UK, in April, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex. The decision was widely viewed as a setback, one that would leave trans people further on the margins, and open the doors to discrimination.
“The message I really want to send to trans youth is that your authenticity is your superpower, a light that helps others find themselves in the dark,” Co-founder Jude Guaitamacchi said in a release. “Remember that the most powerful thing you can do, in a world that tells you who to be, is to unapologetically be who you are.”
