Our pledge to support and champion trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming people
At Opus, we recently joined dozens of organisations across the city by pledging to provide a safe space for trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming people as part of a campaign led by Safe Space Sheffield. As an organisation committed to systems change, we’re all too aware that the escalation of transphobic rhetoric and legislation in recent years is a grotesque manifestation of the patriarchal, gender-normative systems we seek to dismantle. As such, we stand unequivocally in solidarity with the trans community, many of whom are our colleagues and friends, and have written the following pledges in order to renew our commitment to trans inclusion - and, ultimately, trans liberation.
We’d also like to say a massive thanks to Safe Space Sheffield for publishing our pledges and for inviting organisations across the city to do the same. This is vital work – you can find out how to make a pledge, or donate to support their efforts, on their Instagram.
Our pledge from Opus:
At Opus, we host a range of projects dedicated to dismantling harmful systems of oppression. We see transphobia as a key manifestation of the patriarchal systems that we urgently need to abolish. We will strive to make all of our events, hosted by any of our projects, safe and welcoming spaces for trans participants and audience members. We will endeavour to work with venues we host events with to provide trans-inclusive bathrooms, and encourage venues that do not currently do so to provide them. And we’re working with our office provider, The Circle, to guarantee trans-inclusive bathrooms for our staff members. We will not platform transphobic views through our storytelling projects, such as Now Then or Festival of Debate. Instead, we will offer these platforms up as places where community members can organise and showcase trans joy and resistance.
Our pledge from Festival of Debate:
At Festival of Debate, we’ll always strive to ensure our events offer a welcoming and safe space for trans people, whether as attendees or participants. While the most exciting and innovative ideas of our time are up for debate at our festival, the rights, wellbeing and very existence of trans people is not. We will never allow transphobic or so-called ‘gender critical’ views to be platformed or discussed at our events, and we will remind audience members of this beforehand.
We will endeavour to work with venues we host events with to provide trans-inclusive bathrooms, and encourage venues that do not currently do so to provide them. We will continue to run a quick and effective feedback and complaints system alongside all of our events, and will take swift action if something is wrong. For our paid events, we will continue to offer free tickets to allow those with limited means to attend. Our message to trans people in Sheffield is simple: you are welcome and wanted at the Festival of Debate.
