Trans+ Solidarity Alliance breaks Christmas record supporting trans youth this winter
“The winter period can be especially difficult for young trans people," says Trans Secret Santa UK co-founder Octavian Starr
By Aaron Sugg
Trans+ Solidarity Alliance broke its Trans Secret Santa UK record this weekend, delivering festive gifts to nearly 900 trans and gender-diverse young people under the age of 25.
A team of 37 volunteers transformed an East London office into a “Santa’s workshop”, packing, wrapping and sending a total of 896 Christmas presents to trans and gender diverse young people.
The trans not-for-profit organisation marked its third year running the initiative, surpassing its previous record of 700 gifts sent in 2023.
“A horrible year for them and for all of us” – Octavian Starr, Trans Secret Santa UK co-founder on trans rights in 2025
Trans Secret Santa UK co-founder Octavian Starr described the experience as a “privilege”, he expressed how meaningful it was “to be able to bring joy and messages of hope to trans youth after what has been a horrible year for them and for all of us.”
The initiative was supported by leading trans advocates across the UK, including Ella Morgan, Abigail Thorn, Jasmine.4.T, Dani St James, Zelah Glasson, Munroe Bergdorf and Airyn De Niro. It comes at a time when trans rights have faced significant setbacks in both the UK and around the world.
In April, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex, with guidance stating that trans people should only use single-sex spaces that correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
“The winter period can be especially difficult for young trans people” – Starr highlighted the importance of trans solidarity this season
Starr highlighted the additional challenges faced during the festive season, saying: “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.”
He also addressed the emotional toll of ongoing hostility towards the trans community: “With increasingly extreme anti-trans politics and policies becoming mainstream in this country, it falls on all of us to support each other and bring community and love against the odds.”
More recently in the UK, following the April ruling, the Women’s Institute announced it will stop offering memberships to transgender women from April 2026, mirroring a similar decision by Girlguiding groups.
Thanking everyone involved, Starr noted that gifts were sourced from major brands including Lush and Ben & Jerry’s, as well as independent queer and trans creators and organisations such as The Common Press CIC.
“Your authenticity is your superpower” – Trans+ Solidarity Alliance founder Jude Guaitamacchi sending their Christmas message to the community
Trans+ Solidarity Alliance founder Jude Guaitamacchi offered their advice to trans youth this Christmas: “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.”
“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,” they added.
For LGBTQ+ individuals, Christmas can be a season of joy, family and love. However, for many it can also be a time of extreme anxiety or loneliness – from being misgendered by relatives to facing homophobic or transphobic abuse… as a result, it is more important than ever to look out for young people from marginalised communities this winter.
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