Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

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And today is episode 155 with the title, Healthcare with a Heart. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Susie Green. Susie is the cofounder and co director of Anne Health, dedicated to providing compassionate, accessible health care for trans people of all ages. And when I asked Susie to describe her superpower, she said that it is empowering trans kids and their families with care, resilience, and love. Hello, Susie. Welcome to the show.

Lovely to be here, and, good morning.

Yeah. I've been looking forward to this. We we Chesed, I think, on LinkedIn probably 6 months ago, then we met at the Trans of the City Awards night, back in November on, Trans Day of remembrance or no. Trans AF Wish of Visibility, wasn't it? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

And, yeah, I'm I've I've been a huge fan of the work you've done. I've I've come across you and your organizations in in over the years. So it's a real honor. So you've been at the forefront, as I probably just implied, of trans health care and supporting people for years. So what first inspired you to do this?

Well, it was having a trans kid. And before I knew I had a trans kid, I knew nothing about trans rights, trans kids, trans people in general. I was, you know, completely oblivious and knew nothing. But when my daughter told me that god had made a mistake and and she should have been a girl at 4 years old, I had to learn, and I had to learn quickly because I needed to be there to support her. And as her biggest advocate, I needed to learn what I could do and what was out there. And I I knew nothing, absolutely nothing. I didn't. I knew of the existence of trans people, obviously, but I certainly, I suppose, I just hadn't really thought about the fact that trans trans adults were trans kids.

You know? They had to have been trans kids. So having a trans kid was, a bit of a wake up call for me, and it took a lot of digging and searching and trying to find out what I could do to best support her, including, you know, going to the GP. I found the website of mermaids online and phoned the helpline number when when Jackie was 6 because by this point, I'd spent a lot of time telling her it was okay to be a boy and like girl things, and she just kept telling me that, no, she was a girl. That's 2 years of literally sort of ignoring what she was telling me and trying to reiterate a different reality to her, and she never wavered. So at 6, I, found the mermaids website online and and called them and sort of that set in motion things that sort of have have ended up with me here where I am now.

So just put some context in that. Your daughter is now in her twenties or thereabouts?

Early thirties.

Early thirties. Wow. It's early thirties. So we're talking about a considerable amount 25 years ago, give or take here.

Yeah. A long time. Yeah.