Jaxon Feeley has one vision for a better, more inclusive future
After organising a peaceful protest in support of trans rights last October, model and campaigner Jaxon Feeley is determined to bring about change for trans people
Jaxon Feeley is a man on a mission. Despite admitting he’s “not the most political person”, the strength of his resolve to improve trans people’s lives in the UK is undeniable. “Put me in front of a roomful of politicians and I will make them all cry,” he says confidently, yet also without a hint of arrogance. “Fifty percent of that room will change its mindset. The other half will come back in 10 years and thank me for what I’m doing because it’s affected someone they love.” It’s this determination that made him an obvious lead for the Third Sector, Community, and Politics category in Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley.
Having risen at lightning speed to become one of the faces of the UK’s trans community, Feeley is pushing for meaningful discussion of trans issues. “We need to have these conversations in a way where everybody realises that it will affect their lives at some point. If you’re putting policies in place now that are going to create chaos for your grandchildren, what are you doing?”
Sadly, neither of the parties that dominate UK politics have demonstrated that they are the one who will stand up for the LGBTQ+ community. In October, Feeley organised a protest in response to the anti-trans sentiments uttered by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (“A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. That’s just common sense”) at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester earlier that month. Meanwhile, Labour, usually a steady supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, has flip-flopped on trans issues.
So, what exactly motivated Feeley to become the advocate he is now? He grew up in Wigan and describes himself as a “tomboy” who didn’t like shopping in the girls’ section. He remembers the feelings of anxiety and discomfort he experienced during those formative years, something he and his family couldn’t make sense of at the time. At 19, he then joined the RAF and came out as gay.
At 24, he joined the Prison Service. He struggled with his mental health and recalls a conversation with his mum where he asked: “Is it because I want to be a boy?” Both accepted that he was a woman, but buried this realisation, putting it down to “bad mental health” instead. In 2020, aged 26, Feeley came out as trans. Looking back, everything he felt during his childhood started to make sense, but it is only as an adult that he has been able to articulate it.
Like many LGBTQ+ people, Feeley never had a role model to look up to, and that lack of representation has made him passionate about providing that example for others. “Visibility is the thing that reassures someone else that their life is worth living,” he says. Often, he hears from people inspired by him, whether that relates to gender, or where his story has helped someone to leave a difficult relationship or to strive for something better.
One message that has stuck with him came from a parent whose trans child was in hospital after attempting to take their own life. They asked Feeley not to stop his fight. And he won’t. “It’s just heartbreaking to hear, and I can’t believe that I’m a role model for anybody. But I’m never going to stop. There’s still someone out there who believes it’s better if they take their own life rather than live their truth.”
After coming out as trans, Feeley went back to working at Hindley Prison. He spoke to prisoners about making changes in their lives. After 12 months, he set up an event called Live Your Truth to educate people about his journey and to thank his family, the prison, and prisoners for going on it with him. The impact he had on the inmates inspired Feeley to do more. He began building his social following, appearing on podcasts and sharing his story further. “I had faith I could have the conversation in the right way. That’s what I’m determined to do.” Then came Sunak’s comments, which didn’t surprise Feeley. So, he organised a protest. “All I wanted to do was bring people together, give them hope, and allow people to realise that they’re not on
their own.”
Around 600 people turned up. “All of those people arrived deflated and hopeless. They left feeling empowered.” In his speech at the rally, Feeley described a leader as “someone who inspires confidence in other people and helps move them to action”. When I suggest many would agree that Feeley fits this description, he’s bashful. I qualify this by turning his words on him: he empowered people, left them feeling hopeful. He made an impact. “I’d be completely honoured if someone thought that of me,” he replies. “If what I’m doing helps one person, that’s fantastic. When you change one mind, you change a hundred. They take that away, and it spreads, and it builds. And that’s how we create change.”
A telling moment in Feeley’s speech was when he said his first thought upon hearing Sunak’s comments was for the prime minister’s own children. He’s clearly empathetic — I wonder how many others would spare a thought for Sunak’s children. “I’ve worked in a lot of situations where I’ve had to see what’s behind the chaos,” says Feeley, referencing his prison work. “We’re all human, more than anything else. Regardless of Sunak’s opinions, his children are watching.” Should any of them identify as LGBTQ+ now or in the future, Feeley worries how they’ll deal with that. “He’s saying, ‘You can’t come to me: I’m not a safe space. I’m your parent. I’m meant to make you feel loved, but you can’t come to me about who you truly are.’ That eats away at people. And that’s going to create turmoil in that family.”
If Feeley could talk to Sunak, he says the only question he’d ask is, “Do you love your kids unconditionally? And the answer will always be, ‘Yes, but they can’t be trans.’ Then that’s not unconditional love. If your child comes to you tomorrow and says, ‘I either take my own life or transition,’ what’s your answer to that?”. In the meantime, Feeley’s mission continues.
For those wanting to support his work, he has organised a benefit concert to raise money for Peace & Mind UK. It will take place on 18 February at The Brewers in Manchester.
Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley is our list of the year’s 101 most influential LGBTQ+ people.
The 10 categories, each featuring 10 individuals, are Media & Broadcast, Film, TV, and Music supported by LA Tourism, Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM), Third Sector & Community, Financial & Legal, Fashion, Art & Design, Sport, Travel, Business, and The Future supported by Clifford Chance.
The full Third Sector, Community, and Politics list of Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley
Jaxon Feeley – Model and campaigner
Catherine Dixon – Activist
Gabriel Attal – French politician
Lady Phyll – Activist
Layla Moran – Politician
Xavier Espot Zamora – Andorran politician
Stefanos Kasselakis – Greek politician
Shawna Baker – Cherokee Nation Supreme Court judge
Sarah McBride – US politician
Dr Rob Berkeley MBE – Activist
This feature appears in issue 357 of Attitude magazine, available to order online here, and alongside 15 years of back issues on the free Attitude app.
