What do we think about the proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act?
Gendered Intelligence is treating this consultation as a serious step in reducing the difficulties trans and non-binary people have to go through to be legally recognised in their right gender.
If the reforms we - and many other organisations and individuals such as you - are brought into place, those seeking to change their legal gender will find it a much easier process. The stigma, bureaucracy and sheer unnecessary length of the Gender Recognition process will be vastly reduced.
What is Gendered Intelligence doing?
We’re working closely with the Government Equalities Office to make sure this is a real opportunity for all trans and non-binary people to have their voices heard.
Crucially, we’re speaking with the young people we work with every day to understand what changes are important for them. Everything we do at Gendered Intelligence is informed by our young people’s lived experiences, and this consultation is no exception. Please let us know what you're thinking here.
We're working with a whole host of other trans and LGBTQI organisations to respond most effectively. We’re launching a policy steering group so that we can hear from a diverse range of voices, centring trans and non-binary youth as their voices are all too often ignored.
Gendered Intelligence's response
We've released some guidance around key questions in the consultation here.
With the consultation having only been launched on Tuesday 3rd July, it will take us a while to respond to each individual question but when we do, our answers will appear here. In the meantime, some of our key aims from this consultation are:
Reduction of the lower age limit from 18 to 16*
Making sure non-binary people get legal recognition of their gender identity
Reducing difficulties around the GRA process
Removing the pathology model of getting a Gender Recognition Certificate, hand in hand with the World Health Organisation removing Gender Dysphoria as a ‘mental disorder’
NB: the consultation does not explicitly ask about lowering the age at which you can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate, but we've added a bit of guidance about getting around that here!
Other organisations
Gendered Intelligence is just one of a host of organisations and campaigners working on the Gender Recognition Act. A non-exhaustive list of some of the people doing amazing work, who work passionately to produce resources for you, include: