The recent UK Supreme Court ruling on trans rights has forced many trans citizens to reevaluate their place under a government emboldened by transphobic law. Now one trans woman explains why enough is enough, and she’s leaving the UK.
In a recent conversation with Pink News, Alexis Solia explained how she has endured years of mounting attacks on the trans community, which have repeatedly bled into her personal life. The UK Supreme Court ruling, which declared that sex as defined under the Equality Act is binary and based on biology, has proved her breaking point.
Related
“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” the legendary actor shared in a statement.
“It feels like this country is almost a test of how much injustice can we give you until you break,” Alexis said. “There’s this combination of rising anti-immigration, rising racism, and wave of fascism.”
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
“It’s just too much,” she added. “We’re never given any room to breathe, no matter where you are in society… in the corporate world or in an industry or just out in society. You’re punished because of, what, existing?”
Like many trans people in the UK, Alexis has experienced firsthand rising anti-trans sentiment and administrative hurdles before the Supreme Court ruling. Recently, her doctor cancelled her hormone prescription without warning, claiming she’d failed to complete blood tests which Alexis says she was never told about.
As a trans woman of color, Alexis has also experienced intimidation from the police. “This was three years ago,” she recalled. “This man tried to attack me. My friend, who is a white trans woman, protected me and fought back. She broke her nails, she was covered in blood. When the police came, they didn’t ask her much and instead confronted me.”
Alexis hopes to relocate to Thailand, which has a rich history of trans inclusion, despite lacking full legal support in the form of ID changes. “Sure, it’s a country where they still don’t count trans women as women but there’s not this pushback on us in society,” Alexis said.
“It’s more of an altruistic attitude in terms of how they view [one another]. They have genuine respect for most people… I just want to be in a country where I’m not going to be arrested or interrogated for who I am.”
Alexis has put together a GoFundMe to facilitate her move out of the UK.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
