Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project captured the voices of trans and gender diverse people and their supporters, uncovering the memories through generations of past, present and new members; trans activists and pioneers, who helped to establish the charity. GIRES was established in 1997 when Bernard Reed, OBE, and Terry Reed, OBE helped their transgender daughter win a landmark sex discrimination case. The charity has been instrumental in several positive changes to trans rights in the UK.

The depository was put together through months of collaborative effort and community research – by GIRES staff and team members, LoK project stakeholders community curators, and senior archivist.

The materials provide an antidote to the fatigue we all experience from living with transphobia-induced tinnitus. The records not only save traces of the shifts in language that are indicative of the ever-evolving understanding we have of both of our trans selves and our trans bodies, they also hold a history of the perceptions broader society has of us: including the kindness shown by allies. They document a tireless – albeit tiring – collaborative effort to garner societal respect for trans people, via robust research that has informed confident campaigning. Underpinning every archived endeavour is an insistence upon fair and equal treatment for trans people living in the UK.

Ultimately, this archive informs us of our community’s leaders’ and members’ strategy for change, their determination and grit, the effort that’s required to achieve the results hoped for and needed, and the stamina necessary to overcome the setbacks. Above all, they are records of resilience. They inspire courage, hope and ambition.’ (E-J Scott, curator of Museum of Transology and Trans Pride founder, in an extract from the GIRES LoK Zine Introduction).