Birmingham’s Trans Tearoom opened Wednesday, May 10, with a stakeholder event the following day. The fully accessible space includes a ‘pay as you feel’ café area, where activities such as socialising, board games, and crafts can be held, a queer books library, changing rooms for those who can’t safely present the way they wish to at home or in public, a quiet sensory space for neurodiverse visitors, a ‘pay as you feel’ clothing and shoe shop, and space to hold events such as gender-affirming make-up sessions.
Scene magazine caught up with one of the Trans Tearoom’s co-founders and trustees, August, who explained how the idea for the Trans Tearoom was born. “Back in October, four of us came together to really just discuss the lack of services and trans-specific services in the city.
“We recognise that there were a few small monthly run groups in the evenings but we felt that if someone was in crisis, we’d want something weekly, and something that could be sober, and really accessible for people. So, we came together and we formed the trans tearoom, and we’ve been working really hard for the past eight months to get this off the ground.”
August added: “We’ve got a really great short-term and long-term vision. We’re hoping to experiment with the drop-in for the first three months. Then hopefully, we’ll be looking to have maybe two or three [weekly] drop-ins to help people access us on different days if they work particular days, and also, we’re looking to run evening groups.
“The long-term, big picture is that we would love to do trans youth work and have a group supporting parents of trans children and trans adults.
“Everything [at the Trans Tearoom] is ‘pay as you feel’ so finances should never be a barrier to people having the books, the refreshments, the clothing. We just want people, whether they’re trans, gender diverse or non-binary, to feel like they can come to the space and be welcomed and supported.
“It’s a place for trans joy. It’s a place for people to express themselves. Often trans people are interfacing with things that I would call harder services such as counselling services and GPs, this is a place just for community and for joy and for support.”
Adam, another of the co-founders, is also one of the organisers of Trans Pride Birmingham, so alongside their current weekly drop-in sessions, the Tearoom will also be working very closely with Trans Pride Birmingham, which will be held Saturday, August 19.
The Trans Tearoom is open every Wednesday from 1-4pm at The Old Bookshop, Carrs Lane Church, Carrs Lane, Birmingham, B4 7SX. They’re accepting donations to support their work; whether monetary or clothing, shoes, and books. Find out more on their website.
