Charlie Craggs is a powerhouse transgender activist. Through her Nail Transphobia project she plans to change people’s attitudes towards transgender people, one manicure at a time. She was number one on The Guardian’s 2016 New Radicals list and listed as one of the most Influential LGBTI people in the UK according to The Independent.
It took me a long time to accept myself as trans and it made me realise that just because I was ready to accept myself, it didn’t mean the rest of the world was. My life became so much harder day-to-day. From taking the tube to work, to getting a job, things that I took for granted as a CIS person became such a fight.
Charlie engages in what she calls 'gentle activism' – popping up at galleries and museums to offer free manicures to the public and inviting them to ask direct questions about trans issues while she paints their nails. Traditional activism doesn’t appeal to her – “too aggressive and ugly for me” – so she tackles trans issues in the way that suits her best. "I’m good at talking and I’m fabulous, so I wanted to do something that made the most of those skills".
Find out more about Charlie Craggs
