MU Celebrates Trans Awareness Week 2023

Trade Unions for Trans Rights

In April 2023, the TUC launched its campaigning network, Trade Unions for Trans Rights. The network has trans and non-binary people in the driving seat, but is open to all trade unionists who want to campaign for trans and non-binary equality and liberation.

It also works closely with LGBTQ+ charities and community organisations, to create and share resources and research, and co-ordinate campaigns.

You can now sign up to a mailing list for network members, where you’ll receive regular updates on events and campaigns.

Boudica Music Conference 2023

Multidisciplinary platform Boudica has announced the return of its music conference, set to take over FOLD in London on 25 November.

Boudica will present a day and night conference dedicated to exchanging knowledge in an accessible, safer environment. Alongside its usual programme of panels and electronic music, it has two new additions to its London-based conference schedule: a one-to-one Mentorship Hub and a DJ Workshop in collaboration with Pioneer DJ.

Boudica Music Conference, which is supported by the MU, strives to encourage more Trans+, Female and Non-Binary individuals to become involved in the music industry.

The MU’s Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, John Shortell, will also be hosting a panel called ‘Working Towards a Brighter Future in the Music Industry’. In this panel, the speakers will engage in a thoughtful discussion on how we can foster welcoming workplaces, nightlife settings, and opportunities, even in the presence of systemic challenges and oppression. It aims to explore practical ways to create genuinely supportive and accessible environments for everyone.

Find out more about the panels, lineup, accessibility information and how to buy tickets via the official ticket page. Free admission is also available for students as well as individuals who are unemployed or on low-income wages.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

20 November is the International Trans Day of Remembrance, which was founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999 to commemorate the life and death of Rita Hester, a black trans woman murdered in Boston, Massachusetts.

You can read more about the annual Day of Remembrance via Stonewall’s blog.

MU Resources

• Join the MU's LGBT+ Member Network. This network is a space where people with shared identities can connect, network and make positive change across the MU and the music industry. The network ensures that the voices of LGBT+ members are heard, and that opportunities for activism and leadership are created.
• Revisit our story from earlier this year on the MU’s commitment to creating an industry and society where all LGBTQ+ people can live and work without fear of violence or discrimination
• View our travel for LGBTQ+ Musicians advice page. Touring for LGBTQ+ musicians shouldn’t be a problem. However, differing attitudes and legal frameworks regarding sexual orientation and gender identity mean LGBTQ+ musicians may need to do extra preparation and research before travelling to certain countries.
• Allies wanting to know how to better support their trans colleagues at work should read our commissioned article by activist and author CN Lester on the Dos and Don’ts of working with trans colleagues.
• Advice on the approaches open to trans musicians in defining their own vocal identity.
• Read this guest feature by Patricia Yates on what needs to be done to make Opera more accommodating to gender-diverse performances.