SAT 1st May - TransActual UK GP Workshop
Help your GP work for you!
FTM London have partnered with TransActual UK to deliver an information workshop on Saturday 1st May from 7PM – 8PM.
The workshop is centred around accessing support from your GP as a trans person; we’ll be discussing how to communicate with your GP, what barriers you might encounter and how to overcome them, as well as what the typical process is for GIC referrals, what help is available to you while you wait for your GIC appointments, the right tools for you and your GP to support your transition and non-transition healthcare needs, and changing details on your medical records – to name a few topics!
If you’ve struggled with your GP, don’t quite know what to do or say in order to start the ball rolling on medical transition, or have non-transition related health concerns as a trans person, we hope that this workshop will give you the knowledge to confidently access whatever GP support you need to keep yourself safe and well.
Sign up for the workshop using the button below!
And if you’re interested in coming along, TransActual would also appreciate if you could fill in a short pre-session survey – this will help them demonstrate the impact of their work and what groups benefit from it to potential funders, as well as helping them to improve their workshops.
Wed 14th April - Q&A With Jamie Raines, AKA Jammidodger
You don't want to miss this!
We’ve got a super exciting event coming up on Wednesday 14th April at 12:30PM!
We’re hosting a short lunchtime Q&A with Jamie Raines, who will be answering your questions about himself and his work!
The event will be online via Google Meet, and free to attend - sign up via our new Eventbrite page! If you encounter any issues using Eventbrite, please drop us an email and we'll try and sort it out for you.
If you want to submit your questions in advance, just fill in the form below - you can submit more than one question! Please also let us know if you’d like your questions to be anonymous.
Who is Jamie Raines?
If you spend much time on YouTube, particularly the trans side, then you’re more likely to know Jamie as ‘Jammidodger’! Jamie is a leading online voice for trans men and transmasculine people in the UK, providing education and advice, and tackling a variety of subjects with nuance, humour and plenty of research on his YouTube channel, which has more than 500,000 subscribers worldwide!
In 2018, he and his fiancée Shaaba appeared in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Bride & Prejudice’, which followed several couples as they navigated family issues surrounding race, sexuality, gender, religion and age in the lead up to their wedding day.
Jamie also completed a PhD in Psychology last year, with a focus on research that highlights and benefits trans people.
Sat 10th April - Peer Support With Galop
Our next meeting will be a peer support session, happening on Saturday 10th April from 7PM – 9PM. This will be a space where you can come to chat, ask questions and offer or receive advice from your fellow trans men and transmasculine people. Whether you’re just starting your transition or are post-transition – everyone potentially has something to contribute!
We will also be joined by Drew from Galop, the LGBT+ anti-violence charity, who will be talking about their work and giving advice on hate crime and how to deal with and report it, and where to access support if you’ve been a victim.
The peer support section of the session will be general topics, so you can talk about things that aren't related to Galop's work if you like.
The meeting is hosted on Google Meet - you can sign up below. If you encounter any issues using Eventbrite, please drop us an email and we'll try and sort it out for you!
Who are Galop?
Galop are a national charity combating violence against the LGBT+ community. They specialise in helping LGBT+ people who have been a victim on domestic abuse, sexual violence, or hate crime. They've been providing this support for over 30 years and counting, actively campaigning for crime against the LGBT+ community to be better recognised and liasing with services to better protect and help victims. They also run telephone helplines and a public forum for victims to find support.
27th March - Working While Trans
A New Series of Meetings at FTM London
Figuring out your career is hard for anyone, but being trans adds another layer of complexity. Especially when the statistics are against us, we believe it's important to destigmatize trans people at work. One of the ways we can do this is encourage and empower trans people in employment or currently looking for a job, by showcasing trans people working a diverse array of jobs to the best of their abilities.
Over the next few months we're running a series of Q&A sessions, made up of a panel of trans men and transmasculine people who will be talking about what their work is like, their experiences, and offering tips on navigating work life as a trans person.
Whether you've yet to come out at work, are thinking about transitioning while at your current job, or looking for new employment at the beginning or end of your transition - we're sure there will be something for everyone to take away!
Careers Panel #1: Tech & Finance
The first panel is due to take place on Saturday 27th March from 7PM - 9PM, and focuses on three people who work in the Tech & Finance industries - James, a software engineer for the Financial Times, Emry who is another software engineer, and Jai who works as an actuary.
The meeting will be online via Google Meet, so if you're interested in coming along, subscribe to our newsletter, where we'll be sending out the meeting link and phone numbers on the morning of 27th March. Look out for our email, which will be titled 'TODAY - Working While Trans: Career Panel #1!"
Alternatively, you can email us as always at f2mlondon@hotmail.com and we'll be happy to send the link your way!
Want to Participate?
We're still looking for people who may be interested in taking part in a future Working While Trans panel. If you'd like a chance to talk about your work to other trans people, contact us below with the header 'Careers Panel' and tell us a bit about what you do for a living, and we'll get back to you to discuss potential dates you can fit into.
We welcome any type of job under the sun - from education to catering, counselling to council work. We'd love to hear from you!
19th March - Circuit Workout Session
Trans Can Sport!
If you're looking for a way to exercise that is judgement-free, read on below!
We're hosting a small taster session on Friday 19th March from 6PM - 7PM with Liz Ridgway, who regularly collaborates with Trans Can Sport on trans-inclusive fitness, to showcase her work to the community. This will be a relaxed session, so you needn't feel intimidated.
She'll be running a 45-minute circuit session where you’ll be guided through 20+ exercises focusing on your core and abs, with some gentle stretching to complete the workout. Bring something to lay on like a yoga mat or towel, a hand weight like a dumbbell or gym-type weight, wear some comfortable workout clothes, and don't forget hydration!
Afterwards, Liz will answer some of your questions for a short time.
All abilities will be welcome, so we hope you come along and join us!
Where do I sign up?
The meeting will be hosted on Google Meet; if you're interested in joining, please fill in the quick sign-up form below by the end of Thursday 18th March.
We'll then email you a Physical Activity Readiness questionnaire so Liz can check the workout is safe for you. Please complete this before attending on Friday 19th March otherwise you won't be able to participate.
We'll be emailing all participants an hour before the session is due to start with the meeting link.
6th March - Q&A With Chiyo Gomes
Trans man, drag artist and Mr Gay England finalist
On Saturday 6th March we'll be hosting Chiyo Gomes, the acclaimed drag artist and 'Prinx of Provocation' who last year made headlines as the first trans man to compete in the finals of Mr Gay England, happening in April 2021.
From 7PM - 7:30PM, Chiyo will be giving a talk about his life as a mixed-race trans man, his trailblazing career and what it's been like to challenge the rigid cis-masculinity of mainstream gay culture.
Then from 7:30PM - 8PM, he'll be taking part in a Q&A where you'll get the chance to put your own questions to him. We'll be taking questions on the day as well, but if you'd like to submit questions in advance, you can here. Your questions will be anonymous if you want, and you can submit more than one.
8PM - 9PM will be a general social/peer support period where you can chat as you like!
How to join
We're hosting via Google Meet as usual. If you haven't already, make sure that you subscribe to our newsletter before Saturday 6th March, as this is where and when we'll be sending out the meeting links you can use to join the meeting. Watch out for our newsletter titled 'Happening TODAY - Q&A With Chiyo Gomes!' on 6th March before the meeting!
If you've missed the newsletter but still want to join us, drop us an email at f2mlondon@hotmail.com and we'll be happy to send you the meeting links!
20th February - Poetry Workshop with Andreena Leeanne!
Creative session on self-care
On Saturday 20th February from 7PM – 8:30PM, acclaimed poet Andreena Leeanne will be running a poetry workshop for FTM London on the theme of self-care. It'll be a chance to reflect and share your thoughts on what self-care means to you, write a short piece on the theme in a supportive environment, and hear from Andreena's debut poetry collection, CHARRED.
Andreena Leeanne is an out and proud Black working-class Lesbian Inspirational Speaker & Poet. She writes and performs poetry to come to terms with and speak out about her personal experiences with homelessness, mental health, childhood sexual abuse & the many other challenges she has faced in her life. By speaking her truth, she hopes to inspire and empower others.
If you’d like to take part, you can find the link and phone numbers for the meeting in our monthly newsletter, or alternatively email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com to request them. We hope to see you there!
23rd January - Mission and Values Brainstorming
What you want out of the group
On Saturday 23rd January from 7PM, we're running an optional session focused on member and attendee feedback. As you may know, we're planning to relaunch the group under the name TransM London later on this year; we'll be brainstorming the group's focus, mission and values for the future, and we want to know what you'd like us to focus on in the coming year.
This could be new projects, meetings and events, informational publications, and what topics you want to see included. It will also guide what we apply for funding for, and we'd appreciate your input so that we can continue benefiting the trans men and transmasculine people we serve.
How do I join?
As usual, we'll be hosting the meeting online vis Google Meet; look out for our newsletter in your email inbox for the links to the meeting!
And if you aren't subscribed to our newsletter (which you can do here for reference), then drop us an email at f2mlondon@hotmail.com and we'll be happy to send the links over to you.
Image by freepik
9th January 2021 - Vision boards session!
Create your 2021!
For our first event of the year, we'll be hosting a vision boarding event from 7pm-9pm on Saturday 9 January!
We know 2020 has been an unprecedented year, and a lot of people may be feeling like they haven’t achieved what they set out at the beginning of the year due to unexpected circumstances. At this session we’ll be talking about how a vision board can help you set goals in a powerful way, and take the action required to make them happen in 2021.
A vision board is a collection of images and/or words that helps you visualize your goals. We’ll be focusing on traditional physical vision boards, but they can also take the form of a digital vision board, or even a playlist if you’re more of an audio person.
If you want to start gathering images before the session, that’d be great, but all you’ll really need is a pen, some paper and an open mind! (Or access to Pic Monkey or Canva – they provide free vision/mood board templates, but you need to sign up with an email address first.)
Jai, who’s leading the session, will be talking about how to create a vision board from 7pm-8pm, then from 8pm-9pm we’ll be having a general discussion session, where you can bring any questions about being trans, or just work on your vision board with some company.
As always, we'll be meeting on Google Meet - we'll send out the link in our newsletter. If you're not subscribed, you can sign up here or email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com for the link 🙂
Hope to see you there!
Image - Carmen Phillips, Autostraddle
20th November 2020 - Day of Remembrance Vigil + Quiet Space
The pandemic and the ongoing national lockdown means that traditional Trans Day of Remembrance vigils cannot be held this year. However, this doesn't mean we can't still come together to mark the date.
This year, Stonewall along with Trans Day of Remembrance London, London LGBTIQ+ COVID-19 Mutual Aid and The Outside Project will be hosting an online vigil, where they will read out the list of names of the victims of transphobic violence this year.
The event will be lead by trans people of colour, hosted by Mzz Kimberley and guest speaker Aquila Hope, and will centre the experiences and voices of those most harmed by transphobia, including women, fems, people of colour and sex workers. After the name reading, there will be a moment of silence, followed by music, prayers and blessings from multiple religions.
The vigil is planned to be held on the 20th November, at The Outside Project's Virtual Community Centre on Zoom from 6PM to 8:30PM. To join, visit this link.
From 6PM onwards, FTM London will also be hosting our own quiet break-out room where people can drop in whenever they wish to support each other through this time, especially those who are finding the main vigil difficult to participate in or who may be feeling sad, anxious or fearful about rising levels of transphobia worldwide. We welcome anyone to share advice, anecdotes, stories, poems or other media they have created if they would like to.
We will be sending out the details to members of our mailing list, however if you are not subscribed but would still like to join us then please email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com and we'll be happy to provide the details to you.
You can also read our Trans Day of Remembrance statement at the link above.
7th November 2020 - Spouti™ demonstration + Giveaway
For the next month, we’re collaborating with the makers of the Spouti™ on a prize draw exclusively for FTM London!
At our next meeting on Saturday November 7th starting at 7PM, we’ll be hosting Kellen Berry, the founder of Spouti™, who will be giving a presentation on the Spouti™ STP device, how it works, and the story behind its invention.
As usual, we’ll be hosting the meeting online via Google Meet. Be on the lookout for our newsletter titled ‘FTM London – November Meeting + Exclusive Giveaway!’, which will contain all the details of how you can join the meeting. And if you aren’t subscribed to our newsletter then email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com to get the meeting links.
But wait – keep reading to find out how you can win a Spouti™ for FREE!
How do I get a free Spouti™?
We’ve got two Spouti™ STP devices to give away free* to two lucky people!
To be in with a chance to win, you simply need to click this link and fill the form at the bottom of the page. You'll then receive a confirmation email entering you into the draw.
Sharing the unique link in this email with at least 5 people will also give you another entry into the draw – so the more people you share it with, the more chances you’ll have to win!
Entries close on 3rd December, and we’ll be announcing the winners at our December meeting, which will be taking place on 5th December (details will come closer to this date).
And as a little bonus, everyone who entered the giveaway draw will receive a discount code afterwards!
Who are Spouti™?
Spouti™ are a US-based, community-led company. After 4 years spent researching the old, inefficient funnel-shaped STP design and how they could improve it, they finally came up with a product, and a successful Kickstarter campaign made it happen.
For more information, visit Spouti™’s website!
*FTM London will cover the cost of shipping + customs to giveaway winners in the UK and US. If you live outside these countries, you may be liable for extra shipping and customs charges or restrictions. See Spouti’s Shipping Policy for your country for more information.
29th August 2020 - Socially Distanced Picnic
There's been less time than normal for many of us to enjoy the nice weather outside, so we've decided to send summer off this year by hosting a picnic in Hyde Park on Saturday 29th August for a small group of our members.
Of course, since the pandemic is still going on, we're implementing a number of measures to help keep everyone safe while we picnic, but there will still be plenty of fun to be had while we're all social distancing. We'll provide food, games and music, all for free - so if you're interested, read on!
How do I join?
In the interests of preventing masses of people turning up, we're keeping the specific details of this event strictly to those on our mailing list. Those of you who are, please see our newsletter email entitled "FTM London Socially Distanced Picnic - August 29" for the full details.
We have a limit of 20 people due to national guidelines on group gatherings, so we are asking everyone interested to sign up via the RSVP form found in this newsletter. This is on a first come, first served basis, so be quick!
If you're not on our mailing list but are still interested, email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com.
(And for future meetings, join our mailing list here to be sent the details automatically!)
Guidelines
We've implemented measures to make the event as safe as possible, but we need you to play your part in this, so please read the below guidelines before reserving a place:
- This event is open only to those over the age of 18.
- If you have symptoms of coronavirus within 14 days of the event, please do not attend. Prominent symptoms include a new and continuous cough, high temperature and a loss or change of smell and/or taste. For more information, visit the NHS website.
- If you can, please wear a face covering to the event;
- If you can, please bring your own picnic rugs with you;
- Upon arriving and leaving the event, please sanitise your hands with the sanitiser we'll provide for you;
- Please maintain a safe distance from people not in your household - 2 metres ideally, 1 metre minimum;
- Please do not share food - we will provide individual lunches, or you can bring your own;
- Please do not bring alcoholic drinks to the event;
- Dispose of any rubbish afterwards and take everything you brought home with you.
Please also adhere to the Royal Parks policies, which can be found here.
5th July 2020 - Funny Kinda Guy Screening & Q&A
About the event
Lockdown has inspired many different online mass watchalongs of people's favourite films and TV series, and now FTM London is proud to be hosting a similar event of our own!
On Sunday 5th July (please note: not a Saturday as usual), join FTM London for an online screening of Funny Kinda Guy, a documentary featuring trans male singer/songwriter Simon de Voil - who will also be joining us himself for a special Q&A session after the screening.
The screening will begin at 7:00PM, with the Q&A taking place at 8:30PM.
How do I join in?
The event is being held on Crowdcast. Those joining us will be able to chat amongst themselves using Crowdcast's Chat, and later on during the Q&A submit questions to Simon via the 'Ask a Question' feature. You can also ask to join the 4-person video call if you want.
To protect the privacy of our attendees and prevent unwanted visitors, the stream is invite-only and we are not publicly making the link to the stream available on our website or social media.
If you are subscribed to our FTM London newsletter, please see our latest newsletter email for details on how to join the stream (titled 'July Meeting - Funny Kinda Guy Screening, Q&A').
FTM London members, attendees and other interested transmasculine folks are also welcome to email us at f2mlondon@hotmail.com and we will provide you with the link.
Who is Simon de Voil?
Simon de Voil is an internationally-acclaimed singer/songwriter, interfaith minister, wooden boat builder, youth worker and public speaker. He is Scottish, but currently lives in rural Vermont and has played and spoken internationally in the US, Australia and Scotland.
Simon's music explores themes of the inner landscape of the soul, the enchantment of the natural world and a personal journey to follow an unexpected calling. He has played his music for rites of passage, healing, worship services, and community-building events; lately some of his favorite gigs have been played at youth centres, sickbeds, industrial workshops, homeless drop-in centres and ancient chapels.
He has been performing since 1999, but in 2002 he began taking testosterone; with his voice changing, he found himself unable to sing for 3 years. Funny Kinda Guy documents Simon's journey as he finds a new voice during his gender transition.