Meeting the grassroots movement group ‘Trans Kids Deserve Better’

This was monumental for the trans community as it was an outright challenge to the delayed publication of the report by the National Child Mortality Database, which focuses on improving suicide prevention strategies for trans youth.

With mental health concerns on a rise amongst young people, and marginalised groups such as the LGBTQ+ community feeling the burden more, it has become a pressing issue amongst groups like Trans Kids Deserve Better.

This, the group says, highlights a broader global pattern of institutional neglect towards trans youth. For trans youth, who are already more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, the withholding of critical data sends a message that their lives are not being prioritised by governments or healthcare providers like the NHS.

 

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Some of the young people involved gave exclusive comments on the protests and their motivation for it:

‘The NHS is not listening to trans youth. How direct do we have to be to make them understand that our blood is on their hands?’ (Ice Bear they/them)

This truly reflects the deep frustration many trans young people feel towards institutional inaction. Their words emphasise the urgency of the crisis, emphasising that delays and silence aren’t harmless – they can be deadly. This kind of direct, emotionally charged protest is a powerful reminder that trans youth are done waiting to be heard.

‘Transgender issues are something that does not get a lot of coverage in the UK press, especially in neutral ways that convey the reality of the situation. The expressive visuals of this action paint a direct, untwistable picture that organisations actively working to make our life worse like NHS England have blood on their hands, in hopes that this time it may not be ignored’ (Blue she/her)

Blue’s statement highlights the lack of fair and accurate media coverage on trans issues facing Gen Z in the UK, pointing to how often their reality is distorted or ignored.

The work of Trans Kids Deserve Better represents more than isolated acts of protest, it signals a growing movement of young people refusing to stay silent in the face of erasure, inaction, and real-life harm.

At a time when institutions are failing to protect some of the most vulnerable members of society, these activists are stepping forward creativity, and with an unwavering demand for justice.