Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry to meet head of charity for transgender children
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 12: (L-R) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry during “The Patron’s Lunch” celebrations for The Queen’s 90th birthday at The Mall on June 12, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
The royal family is set to meet the Chief Executive of a transgender children’s charity at a reception for World Mental Health Day.
Susie Green, CEO of Mermaids, will attend the Buckingham Palace reception “to acknowledge the contribution of those working in the mental health sector in the U.K.”
The event will be hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, who have spearheaded the Heads Together campaign to tackle stigma around mental health.
The hour-long event will be the Duchess of Cambridge’s first public appearance since the announcement of her third pregnancy.
Transgender people are disproportionately likely to face mental health challenges.
Nearly half of all individuals who identify as transgender experience depression or anxiety issues, while more than four in every five transgender schoolchildren have self-harmed.
Nearly half of trans children have considered suicide, according to Stonewall.
Speaking to PinkNews, Susie Green said: “Following a rough few days of media mayhem, it is a huge honour to be invited to represent Mermaids and all the work we do at Buckingham Palace today.
Susie Green and Justine Greening (Image by Chris Jepson)
“Kate, Will and Harry have made their commitment to mental health very clear, and although gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, unfortunately, due to massive prejudice and ignorance, discrimination is still rife and young people and their families are suffering because of this.
“Being recognised by the royal family is a huge boost to Mermaids, and the dedicated team of volunteers, staff and trustees that make our work possible.
“Our detractors try to play down the suicide attempt stats, the bullying and the self-harm, why?
“But for Mermaids, and for me as CEO, this is recognition of the fact that we are making an impact, and as the voice for so many families and young people unable to speak out for fear of repercussions against themselves and their children, we are thankful that gender variant and transgender children are being recognised, and our work on their behalf valued.”
Our CEO is at Buckingham Palace today to be recognised by the Royal family for her outstanding work supporting trans kids & their families. pic.twitter.com/2T9pD5d05H
— Mermaids ??♀️ (@Mermaids_Gender) October 10, 2017
Formed in 1995 as a support group, Mermaids works to advocates for and support transgender children and their families.
The charity works to raise awareness about gender issues amongst professionals and the general public, campaigning for the recognition of gender dysphoria in young people and lobbying for improvements in professional services.
