A healthcare charity leader has stepped down months after receiving “transphobic” reactions to her appointment.
Endometriosis South Coast has said Steph Richards, a trans woman, is no longer its CEO after she was appointed six months ago.
A spokesperson for the charity told Civil Society that Richards had stepped back from the role for personal reasons, but remains “on the team”.
The charity is now in the process of determining Richards’ new role and has not confirmed who is acting as CEO in her stead.
It comes after her appointment last November was widely publicised, with news outlets including the Daily Mail professing “outrage”.
At the time, Richards responded on social media by calling the criticisms “transphobic”.
Income boost
Richards told Civil Society last December, a month after she began the role, that donations to the charity had doubled in the week her appointment was criticised in the press.
She said: “There’s been lots of good come out of this as well. Let’s not forget the positives. Like I said on Women’s Hour, I was brought into this job to raise awareness of endometriosis.
“And the fact it was trending on Twitter [now known as X] for about eight days is remarkable. It’s just a shame that that was done on the back of transphobia.”
Endometriosis South Coast had a reported income of £8,400 for the financial year ending April 2022, which almost quadrupled to £31,800 the following year, according to recently filed documents.
The charity did not respond to a request for additional comment.
Personal Statement:
— Steph Richards: (She/her). (@PompeySteph) May 20, 2024
I can confirm that I have left Endometriosis South Coast's CEO role. A significant part of my tenure was dedicated to assembling a new board of Trustees, which was successfully completed ahead of our expected timeframe.
Many new faces have joined the team,…
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a statement posted by Richards on 20 May which addresses her reasons for stepping down from the charity.
