Teenage trans activists perform die-in at Victoria station calling for the reversal of the ban on puberty blockers

LONDON VICTORIA STATION, 27 NOVEMBER 2024, 5:50 PM — 16 young trans activists from Trans Kids Deserve Better staged a die-in in Victoria station near the Department for Health and Social Care to protest the recent extension of the puberty blocker ban. They used headstones detailing something important to each of them in order to stress that trans people are real individuals whose lives and healthcare should not be politicised. The activists then walked these to the Department for Health and Social Care and left them outside.

The activists aimed to bring attention to the actions of Health Secretary Wes Streeting in relation to healthcare for young trans people and urge him to realise the damaging effects of his actions, which he has repeatedly ignored. The day marked the deadline for Wes Streeting to extend his temporary ban on puberty blockers. However, he did this instead on the 6th of November, just days after meeting with trans children whose wellbeing would be greatly affected by this. Streeting shows a clear lack of regard for trans children, and his actions can no longer be defended by naivety.

The puberty blocker ban outlaws the prescription of puberty blockers for trans children, citing a perceived lack of evidence that they are safe and effective based on the widely denounced and unscientific Cass Review It does not outlaw their prescription for cis children experiencing precocious puberty. This is yet another example of the systemic denial of trans people's dignity, autonomy, and voice in healthcare.

For months, Trans Kids Deserve Better has been asking for a meeting with Wes Streeting in order to show him who his actions are affecting and properly inform him of the consequences. Puberty blockers give trans children the chance to grow up in a body that they are comfortable in and are life-saving. "Kids can't be kids if they're dead," read the activists' banner.

In a speech outside of the Department of Health and Social Care during the action, one of the activists said:

"Today, the extension on the puberty blocker ban comes into force. This cruel decision was made by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, despite having met with trans youth and their families in this very building. During that meeting, Wes heard these kids’ stories, and the devastating impact a ban would have on their lives and mental health, yet he heartlessly chose to go ahead with the extension. Trans kids are being bullied by our government under the guise of the flawed and biased Cass Review, but we continue to resist through our very existence. We are standing out here today because we should not have to die for people to start listening. We are standing out here today as a reminder of the strength and hope that flows through our community. We are standing here today because bans on gender-affirming care are not ‘letting kids be kids’- they’re killing them."

Find out footage and photos here.