Eva Echo

Eva Echo (she/they) is a distinguished activist, writer, and TEDx speaker, focusing on transgender rights, intersectionality, and mental health. Known for her compelling storytelling and insightful perspectives, Eva has become a powerful voice within the LGBTQIA+ community. One of Eva’s most significant achievements was her legal challenge against NHS England, addressing unlawful waiting times for trans patients. While the case was ultimately unsuccessful at the High Court and Court of Appeal, Eva and her fellow claimants successfully argued that children have the ‘protected characteristic’ of gender reassignment under the Equality Act. This landmark ruling broadened the number of trans people who benefit from legal protection against discrimination. Eva is also a Director of Innovation at Birmingham Pride, a Director at Trans in the City—the world’s largest organisation for trans and non-binary people in business—and an ambassador for two UK charities: Diversity Role Models, which seeks to embed inclusion and empathy in the next generation, and Queer Britain, the UK’s first and only LGBTQ+ museum.

Eva began her career in litigation, working for some of the UK’s best-known organisations before rediscovering her passion for design. She went on to co-found and manage an inclusive tattoo studio with her wife, fostering a safe and supportive space for self-expression. In 2017, Eva began documenting her journey as a trans woman through her blog, which quickly gained international attention for its poignantly honest and relatable content. Her writing inspired the #PassItOn campaign in 2020, advocating for better representation of trans and non-binary bodies in the media. A regular speaker at Pride events across the UK, Eva’s dynamic and engaging approach encourages practical allyship and promotes authentic representation of marginalised communities. She was selected as one of UN Women UK’s digital participants to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for both 2024 (CSW68) and 2025 (CSW69), further solidifying her global impact.

Eva has received numerous accolades for her activism and contributions. In 2022, she was honoured with the Unsung Hero of the Year award at the DIVA Awards and has appeared on the DIVA Power List for three consecutive years, as well as the Pride Power List for the last two. In 2024, Eva was named one of the Top 12 Outstanding Contributors to LGBT+ Life at the British LGBT Awards. She delivered her TEDx talk at the inaugural TEDx Teesside Women in 2023, challenging society’s unwritten rules in a talk featuring nipples and pizza toppings. Eva was invited back as a judge the following year to help others find their voice. She is also Head Judge at the Queer Student Awards, the UK’s first annual celebration of LGBTQ+ students, apprentices, interns, and graduates. In 2024, Eva created and self-funded We All Have A Voice, a project amplifying trans voices often excluded from mainstream spaces. The project featured a dress with messages from over 100 individuals, worn at the DIVA Awards 2024, supported by a documentary and pop-up exhibition. The dress was praised by allies including comedian Joe Lycett, singer Lucy Spraggan, and former SNP MP Hannah Bardell, and was later showcased on Late Night Lycett.

Beyond activism, Eva is an accomplished musician and a Guinness World Record holder, having taken part in the world’s largest full drum kit ensemble in 2012, raising money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has contributed to several publications, including Letter To My Little Trans Self (Hotpencil Press), where her letter and Guinness World Record drumstick are displayed at the Museum of Transology. Eva is also credited as an authenticity reader for Taylor Blake is a Legend by Laura Jane Williams (Bloomsbury), and as a contributor to My Holiday on Planet Earth by Bill Treacy (Oxford). In 2025, Eva was named by LGBT+ History Month’s official account as one of the individuals whose activism has helped shape social change and advance society for everyone. She was also shortlisted for Influencer of the Year at the DIVA Awards 2025. A cast of Eva’s face is included in Teresa Margolles’ sculpture, Mil Veces Un Instante (A Thousand Times In An Instant), commissioned for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, on display until 2026. Eva’s message is simple yet profound: be your own kind of beautiful.