UK

CEO of trans youth charity Mermaids leaves after six years

Susie Green marches with Mermaids at Pride in London

Susie Green marches with Mermaids marches at Pride in London, 2019. (Barcroft Media via Getty/ Wiktor Szymanowicz)

Susie Green, the CEO of trans youth charity Mermaids, has left the organisation.

On Friday (25 November), the charity announced that Green would be leaving the charity after six years of incredible work for trans young people.

The charity’s chair of trustees Belinda Bell said: “The Trustees are very grateful to Susie for everything she has done over the last six years to support trans, non-binary and gender-diverse young people and their families, and to build Mermaids into the organisation it is today. We wish her all the best for the future.” 

An interim CEO will be appointed shortly, the charity said.

https://twitter.com/TransActualUK/status/1596204407850401792

Green was sent well wishes by Mermaids’ supporters, who thanked her for the tireless work she put in to support trans youth, especially in the current media landscape.

Mermaids has been subjected to escalated attacks in recent months, after The Telegraph embarked on a string of articles targeting the vital charity, alleging safeguarding issues.

The paper also published an “investigation”, relying entirely on an unidentified adult masquerading as a 14-year-old child to access services, including the charity’s youth forum and web chat helpline, before suggesting that the use of chest binders, a safe and common practice for some trans and non-binary people, could be considered child abuse.

Mermaids’ staff have also been under increasing scrutiny after the charity spearheaded an appeal against LGB Alliance and the Charity Commission, seeking to overturn the anti-trans group’s registration as a charity.

Green told PinkNews earlier this month that her staff had received abuse and threats so severe that police had to be notified of 80 separate incidents.

She said at the time: “We’ve had staff who are having nightmares after having received those messages, their information has been put up on social media, we’ve had pictures of staff posted online, with really unpleasant, horrible comments underneath.”

She continued: “There are members of our staff team and our volunteer team that have never been exposed to that hostility on such a personal level.

“It was and continues to be deeply traumatising.”

In response to the attacks, Mermaids launched a “fight back fund”, to enable the charity to continue its essential work supporting trans and gender-diverse youth and their families.

At the time of writing, the fund has raised more than £45,000.

PinkNews has approached Susie Green for comment.

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