A petition urging the UK government to let transgender people self-define their own legal gender has gained nearly 10,000 supporters. The call for signatures on the document urges the government to change the process of getting a Gender Recognition Certificate, during which half a dozen forms of ID are required.
The petition compares the Gender Recognition Act of 2004 with the new Irish Gender Recognition Act, which allows trans people to self-identify. It reads:
“Transgender people in the UK are forced to pay to prove their identity to a Gender Recognition Panel. This process is humiliating, outdated and unnecessary. We urge the government to introduce an act equivalent to the Irish Gender Recognition Act, and allow trans* people to self-define their gender.
“Having your gender recognised by the Gender Recognition Panel requires trans* people to go to pointless expense – whether requiring them to pay administration fees (and having to go through the lengthy and underfunded NHS gender transition system) or paying to attend a private clinic to receive the required evidence as well as paying to be seen by the panel.”
Should the petition reach 10,000 signatures, the government will respond and if it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for a debate in Parliament.
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