Tonight, Glamour‘s Women of the Year Awards returned with a bang. Taking place at 180 The Strand, we celebrated an array of trail-blazing women who have shaped the culture this year.

The likes of Rachel Zegler, Tyla, and Hannah Hampton all took home awards, as well as The Dolls: nine transgender women – Shon Faye, Bel Priestley, Munroe Bergdorf, Munya, Ceval Omar, Taira, Dani St James, Maxine Heron, and Mya Mehmi – who have all embodied values of sisterhood and solidarity.

In the current political climate, which is particularly hostile to trans people, it was vital for Glamour to celebrate these women who are all incredible role models. We were unmoved to see J.K. Rowling, who created the Harry Potter series, criticising the cover. The author and gender critical activist tweeted, “I grew up in an era when mainstream women’s magazines told girls they needed to be thinner and prettier. Now mainstream women’s magazines tell girls that men are better women than they are.”

We categorically reject Rowling’s misgendering of our brilliant cover stars. In her acceptance speech, Munroe Bergdorf said, “We have found ourselves in a deeply disturbing and uncertain point in history. It can no longer be said that we are descending into fascism… Fascism is here and it’s up to all of us, to keep each other safe, to yes, protect the dolls, but also to protect each other…

“Whilst all of us standing on this stage are each other sisters, we are also your sisters, your allies, your friends and your comrades. We keep each other safe; protection will always be a two-way street.

“The demonisation of transgender people serves not only to segregate trans women from cis women and the trans community from public life. But it also serves to segregate society from its humanity, and eventually human rights from us all”

She continued: “Safety, dignity, shelter, privacy, healthcare, protest, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination are rights that should be protected for us all. However, trans people are being failed by our government at almost every turn.

Transphobia is and has always been the thin side of the wedge… The violence we condone for any of us is the violence we condemn us all to.”

Dani St James, the chief executive of Not A Phase, added, “Pay the dolls, Employ the dolls, Take the dolls off the moodboard and put them in front of and behind the camera. Love the dolls out loud. And speak up for the dolls in the face of adversity, whether or not we’re in the room.”

For more from Glamour UK’s Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.