Unite for Trans Rights Mass Lobby – Step by Step

STEP 1: Registering to come

Please fill out this form to let us know you are coming. This helps us prepare to support the lobby, and also to get media engagement with our core messages.

 

STEP 2: Contact your MP

If you don’t know who your MP is  or you haven’t emailed them before, you can find that information here: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons.
 

Write them an email, asking them to meet with you in Westminster Hall on 25th June between 1pm and 4pm.
 

​Feel free to use your own words, but here is some sample text if you’d like to use it:
 

Dear XXXX

I am writing as a constituent to request a meeting with you on 25th June between 1-4 in Westminster, as I am taking part in a mass lobby as part of the Unite for Trans Rights campaign.

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I’d like to speak with you to raise my concern about the draft code of practice to the Equality Act which has been published by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.  This draft, if it becomes law, will have a devastating impact on the day to day lives of trans+ people, and make the UK a global outlier on LGBTQIA+ rights.

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This issue is extremely important to me because [put your own reasons here].

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Yours sincerely

XXXX
 

If you hear back from your MP with an accept or decline to your meeting please let us know here
 

Remember - DON'T WORRY if you don’t have an appointment - you can and should still come on the day and ‘green card’ your MP. The more of us that show up to talk about this issue, the clearer it will be that something has got to change.
 

What is ‘green carding’?

‘Green Carding’ is a process of making a same day request for your MP to meet with you, by speaking to the Parliamentary staff and filling out a simple form.  If your MP or their team are free, they should come down to meet you. 

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STEP 3: Preparing to come

Getting here:

For information about travel to Westminster, see: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/directions/

If travel costs are a barrier to you taking part, please let us know on the registration form, and if we can offer a travel bursary we will. 
 

Remember - you need to allow at least 30 minutes to get through security, so if you have a meeting time booked, make sure you arrive in good time.
 

What you can bring:

The Houses of Parliament have tight security restrictions on what can come into the building.  There are two things to bear in mind:
 

1. You will go through airport style security, with similar restrictions in place – though water / drinks are allowed into the Houses of Parliament.

2. There is a ban on political or offensive slogans on clothing – which can include badges. Breaking these rules will mean having materials taken from you, or being refused entry. You should assume that any LGBTQIA+ rights slogans will be interpreted as ‘political’ in the context of this mass lobby.  Posters and banners are not allowed, and flags will count as a banner for these purposes. For full details, visit: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/security/
    

Please note, no chanting is allowed inside Westminster Hall, and people chanting will be at risk of removal and missed meetings with MPs.
 

Accessibility

The mass lobby will involve coming in through the Cromwell Green entrance and spending time in Westminster Hall, all of which is accessible to people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids.   You can find out more about accessibility in the Houses of Parliament here: https://www.parliament.uk/accessibility/.
 

Facilities

We will be in Westminster Hall for the mass lobby, which has a public cafe where you can buy food and drink.  You are also allowed to bring a drink with you through security if you prefer.
 

Westminster Hall has mens, womens, all gender and accessible toilets.  Our understanding is that Houses of Parliament will be operating on the basis that people accessing the mens and womens toilets should do so in a way that aligns with their sex assigned at birth.  More information about this will be available here from 19/06/2025.
 

We understand that this will be distressing to some.  If you’d like support from us on the day, please let a member of the Trans+ Solidarity Team know.

 

How do I prepare what to say?

Check out the detailed briefing notes and Q&A.

We will also have leaflets on the day that outline key talking points.
 

Getting to Westminster – Transport and Accessibility

More information on getting to Westminster including transport and accessibility is available here.
 

 

STEP 4: Arrival

Please come to the main Cromwell Green entrance of the Houses of Parliament.
 

If you have a meeting booked with your MP or a member of the House of Lords

Tell the security staff that you have a meeting with your MP, and show them evidence.  This can be an email from your MP’s office that you show them on your phone.  Doing this means they will make sure you get through security on time.  You will be directed down the ramp to join the queue.
 

If you do not have a meeting booked with your MP or a member of the House of Lords 

Tell the security staff that you have come to participate in the mass lobby organised by Trans Solidarity Alliance.  You will be directed down the ramp to join the queue.

STEP 5: Security

At the bottom of the ramp you will go through an airport style security check.
 

Key points to note (in addition to the rules on what you can bring into the building):
 

You will be searched, and the policy of the Houses of Parliament is that you will be searched by a member of staff of the gender you prefer.  If you are concerned, you can simply say ‘I would like to be searched by XXX’.
 

We intend for a member of the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance team will be there in the security area to support you if needed.  All of our team on the day will be wearing high vis jacket with ‘Trans+ Solidarity Alliance’ printed on it.
 

You can book support to get through security. For more information on this, please go to this website: https://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/disabled-access/getting-in/ 

 

STEP 6 Westminster Hall

Once you are through security, follow the signs to Westminster Hall, which is a very short walk from the Cromwell Green entrance.  

As you come into Westminster Hall you will be greeted by members of the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance team and Parliamentary staff who direct you to the mass lobby meeting point.
 

Checking in

When you get to the mass lobby meeting point, please come to the check in desk, which will be staffed by Trans+Solidarity Alliance team members and members of parliamentary staff.
 

First, please check in with the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance Team - this helps us track attendance on the day, which is key to securing media coverage and making sure your voices are heard outside of parliament as well as in it.  When you check in we will give you a copy of our leaflet to remind you of key points to make.
 

If you have already booked a meeting with your MP, you can then follow whatever guidance your MP’s office has given you in terms of making contact.
 

If you don’t have a meeting with your MP booked, the parliamentary staff at the check in desk can help you ‘green card’ your MP. 

If they are available, your MP or a member of their staff should come down to meet you, but if they don’t you will be able to leave behind a statement, and green carding is an important way of showing that you are passionate about this issue.

While you wait for your MP

Review the materials we’ve provided, including the leaflet and the background briefing.
 

Think about the ways the draft code of practice would impact your lives and the lives of people you care about – these are the stories that MPs and Lords will be most influenced by.
 

If you’d like to talk through your ideas, we will have experienced volunteers who can give you advice about what works best in persuading and influencing politicians.  Just ask a Trans+ Solidarity Alliance team member and we will direct you to the right people.
 

Here are a few other tips for meeting your MP: 

1. Thank them for meeting with you 

2. Find out how much time they have to meet; some will be able to talk for longer than others, depending on their schedule and the number of constituents they have to talk to 

3. Make sure they have heard the key messages 

4. Try and get a photo with them that you can share on social media.

 

If you’re feeling distressed

We understand that this lobby involves people sharing personal thoughts and feelings, and that talking about the impact of the EHRC’s guidance on trans+ people’s lives can be distressing. 
 

There will be a quiet room in Westminster Hall where you can spend time if you need to, with volunteers to offer support and a listening ear.  Just ask any member of the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance team and we can direct you.
 

 

STEP 7: Check out

As soon as

• You have met your MP or

• You have been told your MP is not available to meet you

We’d like you to check out and leave the Houses of Parliament. Hundreds of trans+ people and allies will be coming to the lobby, and we want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to have their views heard.  Leaving in a timely fashion means people can get in to have their say!
 

Before you leave, please come and speak to the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance Team at the ‘check out’ desk, to let us know how your meeting went, and then follow the signs to the Cromwell Green exit.

 

STEP 8: Parliament Square / Social media

If you have time, before you travel home, please go visit the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance team in Parliament Square, opposite the Cromwell Green exit.  We will be supporting and encouraging lobbyists to make and share reels and pictures, to make sure our mass lobby is seen and heard outside the walls of Westminster!
 

If you met your MP we want you to share that, along with how your meeting went.  If you weren’t able to meet them, we want you to share that too, and let them know what you wanted to say.
 

Thank you for being part of this mass lobby, and for standing up for trans+ people in the UK.

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If you have any other questions email info@transsolidarityalliance.com 

 

We will endeavour to respond as soon as possible. 

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