A non-binary parent and their son have finished a 1000 mile cycle in the name of trans rights. Paeton and their son Callum who are both from the United Kingdom have bravely weathered the late summer’s heat and rain for 13 days just to finish their goal in what they call Tour De Trans.
“I’m feeling overwhelmed. The reality of it hasn’t sunk in. It’s been a tough two weeks of riding, emotion, physically and mentally. In aggressive weather – I haven’t had time to process it all just yet,” Paeton said in an interview by Forbes.
The journey of two weeks started from the southern end of the U.K. at Land’s End in Cornwall to the northernmost tip of John O’Groats in Scotland.
The parent and child team wanted to do this as a project to raise awareness of trans rights while fundraising for their local trans charity called Chrysalis. The charity has been instrumental in helping out queer folk, non-binary individuals, and transgender people in the form of counseling and support groups.
Since the pandemic, funding for the charity has been rerouted to CoVid-19. This made Paeton, who came out as non-binary in March 2020, want to spearhead this fundraiser for the Chrysalis. They aim to raise £2000 for the organization.
For Paeton, this too was a personal journey since coming out early this year.
“I’ve come a long way in a short space of time. I’m 53, struggled with gender incongruence my whole life. I started to hide it during my teens. And by the time I finished uni and enter the corporate world – I’ve kept it locked away since then. In the last six months, I’ve come through a lot.”
Paeton also expressed gratitude to Callum who was there for emotional support during the whole journey.
“For Callum to stand up and nail his colour to the mast, not just for the journey, but for everything the Tour de trans, stands for – that trans people are human beings – it’s been wonderful. He’s been so outspoken and unequivocal in his support.”
The duo was supported by many throughout the tour. As they stopped at Edinburgh, Manchester, they were greeted by trans allies who supported their journey. They were lauded by British Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in the U.K.
“We’re really pleased to be supporting Paeton and Callum’s challenge,” British Cycling’s Cycling Delivery Director, Dani Every tells me.
“They are doing a brilliant job of promoting inclusive cycling, raising awareness of important issues and supporting the vital work of Chrysalis.
“At British Cycling, we are fully committed to embedding equality into all areas of our work and making cycling a welcome place for everyone.”
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