Thursday 18-10-2018 - 17:22

Imagine needing to take time away from your studies to access specialist health care, travelling hundreds of miles to one of the eight clinics in the country that offer treatment, or paying thousands of pounds for private treatment because of a 2-year waiting list.

Imagine needing to prove who you are to a panel of doctors who don’t know you, or what you’ve experienced.

Imagine your entire identity being completely unrecognised by the government. You are not legally allowed to be who you truly are.

This is the reality of the thousands of transgender people in the UK, who seek a Gender Recognition Certificate from the government. The process to get one of these certificates is incredibly humiliating, disruptive to work and study, and expensive – leaving trans people out of pocket. 

The government is currently holding a consultation with the public on the process for you to legally change your gender in England and Wales. This consultation presents an important opportunity to strengthen the rights that transgender people have in the UK and improve the experience they have when legally changing their gender.

Trans and non-binary people deserve respect, dignity and recognition in law. Getting involved with the consultation is one way – of many – in which we can show solidarity to our transgender students on campus. 

The three changes we would like to see because of this consultation is:

1.    Self-Declaration: We believe that transgender students should be able to self-declare through a simple and free administrative process. This removes the need for a person to provide a psychiatric report or a diagnosis of gender dysphoria to legally change gender.

2.    Inclusion of Non-Binary Genders: We believe that non-binary people should be able to legally change their gender and that any new process should adopt a legal non-binary gender.

3.     Removal of the £140 fee: We see this fee as a barrier to our students legally changing their gender. We prefer a system when an application to change legal gender comes without a charge.

Contributing to the consultation is quick and easy; and we are able to help you craft a response. Stonewall has also provided some guidance which is easy to understand and follow. 

Respond to the Gender Recognition Act Consultation

Andy Harmon (he/him)
Wellbeing Officer