58
Trans police officer celebrated in Pride of Birmingham Awards
Skye states that attitudes at work have definitely changed and she feels that she would not have been able to come out earlier in her career. “Twenty years ago, the police was a very different organisation, culturally. I certainly would not have known how to come out. It was something I locked away. I bottled it away and carried on only telling close friends and family. “We’re undoubtedly in a more tolerant era now than 10 or 20 years ago – that’s what held me back from coming out earlier – but it’s still scary.”
) The annual Birmingham Live Pride of Birmingham Awards, in association with TSB, is an event which allows members of the public to nominate and vote for people from their community who they view as “true heroes of the city”. Expert taser trainer PC Skye Morden is one of two police officers who have been honoured in the Pride of Birmingham Awards 2021. Skye has been presented with a Special Recognition Award while her colleague PC Emad Choudhury has received the Pride of Birmingham Emergency Services Award for his work tackling knife crime and youth violence. Skye has been a West Midlands police officer for 20 years. She joined the police force in 2001 and was one of the first officers to be trained in using the X26 taser. She is now a police taser subject matter expert and tactical trainer – one of the Midlands’ foremost trainers in this area. What’s more, she is also currently working with Amnesty International and academics on a project which explores the public perception of the use of force by police officers. For most of her distinguished career, Skye has been working on the front line. She has dealt with rioters, tackled armed robbers, rescued people in crisis, and she was even stabbed in the line of duty while
protecting members of the public. The 44-year-old officer, however, considers her bravest act to be her coming out as transgender in 2018. Skye went public with her story in November 2018, in support of Trans Day of Remembrance. “Ever since I was young, I knew something was different about me,” Skye explains. “There was a disconnect between my brain and my body. It caused constant worry, anxiety and stress which I have tried to hide, ignore, run from, and bluster my way through. By 2018, I simply had enough. I realised that I needed to be me, for my own sanity.” Skye says it was scary and took a lot of courage to come out to her colleagues. She says: “Walking into a training centre as a transgender woman to 30 police officers I’ve never met before was pretty terrifying. “But it was the right thing to do,” she added, “I couldn’t live a lie anymore. And every day it gets a little bit easier. “I’ve no doubt we all know someone who’s struggling with their gender identity. I wanted to show them it’s alright, to encourage them to talk about it and get support.”
Much to Skye’s relief though, her fellow officers have been overwhelmingly supportive, which has allowed her to continue in her career and journey, as well as flying the flag for others who may be struggling to be their true selves. Despite the fact that attitudes have changed, Skye admits that we still have a way to go and she still faces challenges in everyday life. She explains: “My friends and family have been supportive. But just being me seems to be a political statement and that shouldn’t be the case. Everyone has an opinion and a view. I just want to be me.” Skye has revealed that even grocery shopping can feel like an ordeal as people often stare at her. She says that she will likely feel this way until she has undergone her gender reassignment treatment. Due to long NHS waiting lists, Skye has chosen to do this privately and is picking up extra shifts at work to cover the costs. “At work, my colleagues see that I am having a slow transition and that in itself is important. And however hard it is, I feel ridiculously happier now though. It’s like I’ve been let off the leash and that my world has gone from black and white into colour.” She also adds: “The love I’ve had since going public has been incredible. I’ve had countless messages of support and I hope I’ve been able to help others on their own journey.” The police officer was shocked to receive her Special Recognition Award: “It’s lovely and I’m truly touched,” she said. “It takes a lot to leave me speechless but winning the award did. I feel so humbled. The thing is, I’m no braver than any other trans person. Just being yourself is terrifying, telling friends and family, ‘I am trans’, is the most courageous act I’ve done. “Being in the police, standing up and trying to say who I am is really important. But I certainly never thought about any recognition for doing so. I just think we need to carry on being compassionate and kind.”
