I love swimming in the hampstead ponds with my trans mates. It's a place where people of all walks of life swim together in peace, enjoying the pleasures of open water swimming. Following the recent Supreme Court ruling that gender in the Equality Act refers strictly to biological sex, a 'sex based rights' group is persuing legal action against the Corporation of London. This aims to exclude trans people from using the Hampstead Heath Mens and Womens Ponds that align with their gender identity. We must take a stand. 

The ponds have a long history of being used by queer people to meet and socialise, with the tradition continuing to this day. The party-like atmosphere in the field opposite the men's pond on a sunny summer afternoon is a testament to the joy it still brings the community.

The ponds belong to us! Since such a large proportion of its users are queer people who want trans people to to be able to continue to use the pond that aligns with their gender identity, we tell the Corpoaration of London:

1. No changes to the current policy that allows people to use to the pool which aligns with their gender identify.
2. Challenge any 'sex based rights' groups that seek to stop this.
3. No decisions about trans people's access without consulting trans people themselves!

History tells us that hatred and discrimination only ever grows if we decide to start accepting it in small increments. Make a stand.

Want to take your support further? Then you can email the people below who sit on the City of London Corporation's Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen's Park Committee. Just pick one or two and tell them respectfully why they should take a stand to ensure that trans people can continue to swim at the women and men's ponds.

Gregory Jones - gregory.jones@cityoflondon.gov.uk
William Upton - william.upton@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Timothy Butcher - timothy.butcher@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Simon Burrows - Simon.Burrows@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Karina Dostalova - Karina.Dostalova@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Alison Gowman - alison.gowman@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Jason Groves - jason.groves@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Wendy Mead - wendy.mead@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Alethea Silk - alethea.silk@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Edward Lord - edward.lord@cityoflondon.gov.uk
James Davis - James.StJohnDavis@cityoflondon.gov.uk