British Army officer Hannah Winterbourne wed film director Jake Graf in London in March. Their nuptials received widespread media coverage including The Sun’s much-derided “Tran and Wife” front page.
The couple were highly critical of the headline, which they branded “offensive”, “sensationalist” and “tacky”, but they praised the article itself, stating that they hoped it had widened people’s understanding of trans lives and experiences.
They have since spoken candidly about their relationship and have campaigned to increase acceptance about transgender people.
Described by the press as a “power couple”, they have very different backgrounds. Winterbourne, who is the British Army’s highest ranking transgender soldier, came out as a transgender woman in 2013.
As part of the Army LGBT Forum, she became their transgender representative, and was given the responsibility of advising senior Army commanders on transgender policy and to educate the Army’s transgender soldiers.
She is also passionate about serving as a role model for LGBT youth, and in 2015 she became patron of the charity Mermaids, which supports gender nonconforming children. Winterbourne attends all their events in a bid to demonstrate to young people “their identities are valid and they don’t have to accept a life of misery and pain”.
She has also made several TV appearances, including The One Show and The Victoria Derbyshire Show.
Meanwhile, Graf is a London-based director, writer and actor known for a number of short films including Headspace, Dawn, Brace and his latest film, Dusk, which won 29 Best Short Film awards. Graf’s first feature film is also in development and he has a number of upcoming acting roles including ITV’s Butterfly and a lead role in short film Telekinesis.
He is an active member of the transgender community, speaking internationally on trans issues and, like Winterbourne, is a patron of the Mermaids Charity, working with transgender children and their families and the Ditch The Label anti-bullying project.
He is also an ambassador for the Albert Kennedy Trust, working with homeless LGBT youth, the British LGBT Awards, The National Diversity Awards and the BeingMe Campaign.
Winterbourne and Graf have appeared in TV interviews together, including ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine. During the TTG LGBT Conference, they will describe their experiences as a transgender couple.
The conference, which takes place on July 4 and is headline-sponsored by Valencia, also features speakers from Stonewall, Barclays, Gay Star News and We Are Social, among many others (see full agenda below).
The day will also see the return of the Marketplace – an extended lunch break in which suppliers can discuss their products.
To purchase tickets for the conference or to find out more about the day click here.
