Update 06/06/2025: Transdonians members discuss Dundee Pride's response, plan to attend their steering group, and are hopeful for further progress.

Dated 24th May 2025We write to you as members of Transdonians, a grassroots community group of trans and non-binary people across Dundee & Tayside.We are deeply troubled by Dundee Pride’s failure to sign a joint statement in response to a recent open letter composed by the Trans Pride Collective (TPC) for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT, 18th May), which was signed & supported by 23 other Scottish Pride organisations, including Trans Pride Scotland and the LGBTQIA+ magazine Somewhere For Us.The open letter is neither controversial in its points, nor at odds with Dundee Pride’s mission statement. To the best of our knowledge, every Pride in Scotland was directly contacted with a request to sign. As the largest trans-led organisation in the region, our members felt it’s important to ask: “why didn’t Dundee Pride sign it?”Seeing Dundee Pride absent from the list of signatories has left our members feeling “hurt,” “abandoned,” and wondering “why should we march with them if they won’t stand with us?” It conflicts with Dundee Pride’s objective to “take a positive stance against discrimination and violence toward the LGBTQ+ community,” (page 3) and makes your social media statement following the unconscionable UK Supreme Court ruling feel insincere.We hoped to learn an email had simply gone astray in the busy run up to your main event. However, we’re disappointed to see on social media that you are fully aware and have been doubling down and dismissing complaints while begging for donations. Dundee Pride is happy to make bland statements claiming to support trans people , but your words are hollow without action, and refusing to take the community’s legitimate concerns seriously in the face of your greed and self-interest renders your lip service less than worthless.Dundee Pride cannot credibly claim to respect, protect, and represent the entire LGBTQIA+ community if its trustees are not willing to speak up for trans people when it matters and act in solidarity with trans people under attack. Instead of joining the campaign, you were promoting revenue-generating tickets, stalls, and sponsorship opportunities; and in the intervening days, have chosen to deflect and downplay any criticism.You’re also involved in holding Dundee’s annual Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR, 20th Nov) vigil, which has historically been planned without much direct consultation with the trans community, and has been used by cisgender gatekeepers to platform their own corporate and political views over trans grief and mourning.We fear that these are all symptomatic of a consistent lack of concern for the trans community, lack of trans representation on your board, and that Pride’s foundational role as a protest has, shamefully, been forgotten. Our members feel that there is “no point” in supporting an organisation that does not adequately support us. If Dundee Pride wishes to sincerely reconcile with the trans community, we call upon your trustees to;

  1. Join all other Scottish Prides in signing their statement in support of TPC’s open letter, banning political parties from marching or holding stalls; while still allowing them to attend as unaffiliated individuals. ✅ Done, see update 25/05/2025.

  2. Explain why Dundee Pride didn’t join the pledge with everyone else or course correct when prompted, and disclose any factors or conflicts of interest that affected your decision.

  3. Undertake meaningful work to improve trans representation & engagement on your board, fundraising, and events programming, in line with your charitable objectives.

  4. Transfer ownership of Dundee’s TDoR vigil to the trans community, so it does not continue to be the reserve of cisgender corporate and political interests.

Until these actions are implemented, our members will not feel safe or welcome at Dundee Pride events, and so Transdonians will not march in the main parade, but behind in protest. We will not financially support Dundee Pride or its events, and we will continue to speak publicly on these shortcomings until they are addressed.It is our great hope that Dundee Pride’s trustees will understand our position and take steps to better serve the entire LGBTQIA+ community.Signed,

Transdonians members, and signatories

Updates

24/05/2025

  1. Transdonians sent letter to Dundee Pride trustees; requesting acklowledgement of receipt of our email, and a written response within 21 days (7th June).

  2. Transdonians published letter online, opened signatures, and posted it on Facebook and Instagram.

25/05/2025

  1. Dundee Pride signs Scottish Prides IDAHOBIT Statement (Facebook) and bans political parties in line with TPC's Open Letter via a statement on their website.

  2. Tommy Small (Chair, Dundee Pride) confirms email receipt of our letter with a full response "in due course".

27/05/2025

  1. Dundee Pride posts a Response to Transdonians members’ Open Letter on their website, and announces it on Facebook and Instagram.

  2. Transdonians confirms email receipt of their response, passes letter to its members for further discussion ahead of a more detailed reply.

06/06/2025

After meeting to discuss Dundee Pride's response, our members agreed that:

  1. Dundee Pride's trustees have quickly made a promising start in good faith, and are hopeful that further progress can be made with further dialogue.

  2. Interested members will participate in Dundee Pride's proposed trans, non-binary and intersex steering group. This is provisionally scheduled for Monday 9th June. Others who wish to attend are requested to email [email protected].

  3. We politely decline the trustees' invitation to march at the front of the protest parade. Depending on the outcome of the steering group meeting, we reserve the right to protest at the back of the march, but view this as an option of last resort. If the meeting leads to positive progress as we expect it to, we will apply to join the march as a voluntary group through the normal channels instead.

  4. We will host a small private post-Pride gathering for Transdonians members to decompress after the sensory overload of the march. It will be planned in line with the values of our original letter, and not in competition with Dundee Pride's festival in Slessor Gardens.

Our response to Dundee Pride's response.

Thanks again for the information and your patience. After the group had a chat about your letter on Saturday, I am happy to report that we appreciate the thoughtful response, accept your proposed actions, and are eager to offer support with fulfilling them.The steering group is a great first step, and we're looking forward to participating in the dialogue. Can I confirm that it will be online on Monday the 9th of June? [logistical queries]Also, when you have time, could you put us in touch with the relevant people that we'd need to contact to start arranging things for TDoR?[...] Transdonians will be hosting a small post-Pride gathering just for our members, and I wanted to let you know about that so it doesn't come as a confusing surprise nearer the time. It's just going to be a little sober hangout/quiet space (the latter being requested by our neurodivergent members, who will need to decompress after the march etc) with some chill activities and a few little informal stalls. As well as being Transdonians members only, it'll also be starting later in the afternoon, so it won't be in competition with the Dundee Pride stalls or events.

Last updated: 19:45 06/06/2025

How to Show Your Support

  1. Like and share our Facebook post.

  2. Like and share our Instagram post.

  3. Send our open letter to your friends and encourage them to sign it: https://dundeepride.transdonians.scot/

  4. Apply pressure to Dundee Pride yourself. Call them out online, send them an email complaint, contact alies and sponsors who actually care about trans rights. Use your imagination!

  5. Join the Transdonians protest bloc at the back of Dundee Pride's main parade on 14th June.

  6. Support us and our grassroots community with a donation on Open Collective (if you can afford it).

  7. If you are trans or non-binary, apply to join our membership. You're more than welcome.

Press

As a matter of policy, Transdonians neither responds to press enquiries, nor gives statements or interviews. We feel our letter speaks clearly enough for itself, is well cited, and needs no further comment at this time. When we have updates, we will post them on this website and on our social media profiles.

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