Antonia Belcher, founder of the Antonia & Andrea Belcher Trans Fund with GiveOut, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022 for her inspirational work for Services to Equality in Business supporting trans communities.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours lists recognise people across the country who have made significant achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping Britain. Antonia joins other high-profile figures and community leaders being celebrated for their valuable and impactful contributions to life in the UK as part of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
In 2018 Antonia established the Antonia & Andrea Belcher Trans Fund with GiveOut to support trans organisations working for equality around the world. The Fund supports activists with reliable funding so they can advocate for their communities in the places where it’s hardest to be trans. So far, the Fund has raised over £100,000 to support seven trans organisations working around the world.
As Antonia explains: “I’ve met with trans activists working around the world, from India to Tonga, and heard about the challenges they face. I believe fervently that we need to support these activists with reliable funding so they can advocate for their communities in the places where it’s hardest to be trans. That’s why I established the Antonia & Andrea Belcher Trans Fund with GiveOut.”
“In these confused times, when Government and parts of Civil Society would rather that Trans issues go away, it is with immense pride that this woman, who is Trans, has great delight in accepting an OBE Honour from Her Majesty, on the occasion of HRH 2022 Birthday Honours, and in the year of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. This OBE is awarded for Services to Equality in Business, based on my Trans advocacy.”
“Thank you to Her Majesty, and thank you to my very inclusive family, my wife Andrea, my children Nic, Shaun and Justine, my grandchildren, Jensen and Roman, and all my wonderful Allies, who have in equal and meaningful ways been part of this Honour now bestowed upon me. #TransRightsAreHumanRights”
Elliot Vaughn, GiveOut’s Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees said: “Antonia is an inspirational leader and role model to me and many others. As a successful businesswoman Antonia is hugely respected in the construction and property industry.”
“Antonia also leads deep change — by being herself and sharing her journey as a trans woman across dozens of talks, and by providing significant funding and mentorship to many individuals and organisations supporting trans people around the world, including through GiveOut, but also privately and through her work with Terrence Higgins Trust and the Trevor Project.”
“Antonia is a true inspiration, and it is wonderful to see her receive this long deserved recognition.”
If you would like to support trans activism worldwide through the Antonia & Andrea Belcher Trans Fund, go to the link below.