Winner of the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT at the 2025 National Diversity Awards
How has your work made a difference to your community or the people you support?
I am contacted all the time by other trans people who thank me for my videos and social media posts which document my transition, as they have helped to reassure them that it really is OK to be trans and that the world will let them in. My videos have also helped to educate others, to show them that trans people are just ordinary people who want to be happy. I remember how vulnerable I felt when I was questioning my gender, after battling with gender Dysphoria for 48 years. I didn't want to be trans. No-one does. However, now I have accepted who I really am and that I am now living my truth, I just can't stop smiling. Being able to share my happiness gives a lot of confidence to other trans people - particularly at the start of their journey.
What first inspired you to begin this journey?
I came out very publicly as being trans, via a coming out video which I sent to all the clients of my photography business and which I put on all my social media. The reason for doing this so publicly was because my business was named after my old (male) name and as it had been an established brand for 22 years, I felt I couldn't change it when I changed my name to Katie. I was so frightened of how it would be received, but I needn't have worried as I was inundated with hundreds of messages of support. I felt so loved! My story was picked up in the media too and I started doing interviews which led to the advocacy and inspirational speaking work that I do. I continued to vlog my journey, which took 7.5 years to complete. It's been quite a journey, but I'm so glad I documented it all, as it continues to help so many people.
Tell us about your experience at this year’s National Diversity Awards ceremony.
The National Diversity Awards ceremony was an incredible experience. This was my second year of attending the glittering event, as I was shortlisted for the Inspirational Role Model for LGBT Award in 2024, but I didn't win it then, so I knew what to expect - a huge event, packed with a mixture of inspirational people and many celeb's to add a touch of glamour. I was overjoyed when I was shortlisted for the same award in 2025, but when I saw the calbre of the other incredible people who were also on the shortlist, I really didn't think I stood a chance of winning. When my name was announced as the winner, I had to do a double-take at the screens to see if there were any other Katie's on the shortlist as I really couldn't believe it! It was the best feeling in the world, but what really delighted me was that I was given the opportunity to deliver a hard-hitting acceptance speech on the dire state of trans rights in the UK today. There is so much hate against us and misinformation about us in the mainstream media and on social media, so this was the perfect opportunity to talk to a large and influential audience about how trans people are being legislated out of existence, when all we want to do is to live our lives in peace.
How do you think winning this award will influence your work or your future goals?
Winning this award hasn't changed the work I do or the goals I have, but what it does do, is to give me instant credibility whenever anyone looks at my email footer, my social media profiles or reads my bio for one of my speaking events. When people know that I have won such a major national award, they know how difficult it is to win such awards, so it really does impress them. Awards help to open doors. It's as simple as that.
Which of your projects, initiatives, or campaigns are you most proud of, and why do you think they’ve had such a strong impact?
While I am proud of the vlogs of my whole transition, I am most proud of producing a series of videos from my hospital bed while I was in hospital for the week of my gender affirming surgery. The series has been viewed around a million times so far and the videos are now being used by the hospital and by two gender clinics to help trans patients to prepare for their own surgery. I am contacted all the time by trans women who have thanked me for making videos, telling me that they have helped to calm their fears. I only wish that I had been able to watch such videos before my op, as I was petrified! I'm also really proud of the "Trans women can share my space" campaign which I started, in which cisgender (non-trans) women shared videos or photos of themselves, stating that they are happy for trans women to share spaces with them. We may hear a lot of anti-trans noise from a few women who don't feel that way, but in my experience, most cis women don't feel threatened by trans women at all.
Looking back, is there anything you would approach differently now, or something you’ve learned along the way that changed your perspective?
I wouldn't change a thing, apart from stopping to read the comments to my social media posts sooner (due to all the hate I receive from gender critical ideologists) and also from stopping using X (previously Twitter) a lot sooner, as it has become a sewer of hate since it was taken over by a Nazi.
What advice would you give to others who want to make a positive difference in their community or workplace?
I would advise anyone who wants to make a positive difference in their community or workplace to just go for it. They will gain far more than they give. If they are trans though, just be prepared to receive a lot of hate and make sure they have a good support network around them. And don't read the comments!
Who has inspired or supported you most on your journey, and how have they influenced your work?
I was inspired by many incredible high-profile trans people such as Jake and Hannah Graf and by trailblazers such a Stephen Whittle. They represent trans people in such a positive manner in everything they do, and that's exactly what I try to do in all my media interviews and in my social media videos.
What does receiving a National Diversity Award mean to you personally, and to the community or cause you represent?
Winning a National Diversity Award has helped to give a voice to trans people at a time when most of the mainstream media are not listening and are actively working against us.
Is there anything you’d like to see from local or national government that could better support your work or others doing similar things?
I would dearly love to have a Prime Minister and government which doesn't discriminate against trans people. Sadly, I think we may be waiting a while for that to happen. The last trans-friendly Prime Minister we had was Theresa May and all the others since then have been trans-hostile. We have yet to break away from the culture wars which are causing so much distress to so many vulnerable people.
What’s next for you?
I love the inspirational speaking and trans awareness work I do, but I simply adore presenting work, whether that's hosting events or presenting on TV and radio, so I definitely want to do more of that type of work. There are not enough high-profile trans people on TV to represent trans people in a positive manner, so I plan to put that right. I wouldn't need to be presenting anything to do with LGBTQIA+ topics though. Just being visible as a trans woman who is comfortable in her own body and who has a big sense of fun, is all it takes for viewers to realise that trans people really are just ordinary people who want to be happy.
Thank you for sharing your story, we can’t wait to celebrate your continued journey!