At METRO, we are proud to stand with LGBTQ+ communities, including trans and non-binary people. For over five years, we have delivered Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) training to a range of public sector and community organisations to support safer, more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ people, including children, young people, and the staff who work with them.
We recognise that this work now takes place in an increasingly contested and politicised environment. Questions around gender identity, particularly relating to children and young people, are generating intense public debate and policy shifts across education, health, and safeguarding.
As an organisation, METRO continues to take an affirmative approach to gender identity, grounded in our values, the lived experiences of gender-diverse communities, and our commitment to inclusion, respect, and self-determination. This means supporting young people to explore and express their identities in safe, non-judgemental, and age-appropriate ways.
We are also deeply aware that the Cass Review has significantly influenced institutional policy and public discourse, often reinforcing a wider climate of fear, misinformation, and marginalisation. As the sector continues to absorb and respond to the review’s findings, we are focused on the real-world consequences, including reduced access to care, delays in support, and increasing stigma. METRO remains committed to evidence-informed, empathetic, and values-led practice in the face of these shifts. Trans people, particularly trans young people, are facing real-world impacts: from loss of access to care, to increasing hostility in public spaces, and longer delays in already stretched services. While METRO’s role is not to provide medical treatment, we stand firmly with those affected and acknowledge the harm this review has compounded.
We recognise that many of our NHS and education partners may take a more cautious approach, particularly in clinical or regulated contexts. In these cases, our role is to work constructively while remaining rooted in our own organisational values and safeguarding responsibilities. METRO does not provide medical advice. Our contribution is to offer education on inclusion, challenge misinformation, and deliver wraparound services that support mental health, well-being, identity, and resilience.
We are clear that delivering this work is emotionally demanding and sometimes carries professional and personal risk. We are currently undertaking a focused process to co-develop a formal organisational position and a staff support offer. This includes a dedicated task and finish group, made up of senior leads, and frontline staff including staff with lived experience, and a series of confidential conversations with external organisations further along in their journey. The holding position set out here will continue to evolve in the coming months. As part of our response, we are strengthening internal processes to identify, manage, and mitigate potential risks to staff well-being, including psychological safety, reputational pressure, and safeguarding complexity. This work is a priority within the co-development process.