Ministers draw up blacklist of countries letting people change gender ‘too easily’

Dec 3, 2023 by Jill

by Glen Owen, Mail on Sunday:

They will face tougher rules if they move to the UK.

Ministers have drawn up a blacklist of countries that they say allow people to change gender too easily – meaning their citizens will be forced to comply with tougher British rules if they move to the UK.

Whitehall sources say that more than 50 countries and US states, including New Zealand, Belgium and California, have been removed from a list of jurisdictions regarded as having sufficiently robust processes for recognising gender.

The move comes amid growing concern within the Government about the relaxation of gender-recognition rules around the world.

In New Zealand, people can change gender simply by filling in an application form, making a statutory declaration and providing photo ID.

The reform is likely to focus attention on Labour’s flip-flopping on gender policies: leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed his support for people being able to self-identify their gender, only to back away after an attempt by former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon to introduce the change in Scotland triggered a political storm.

Following the change, individuals coming to the UK from those countries will no longer be automatically issued with a gender-recognition certificate, which allows people to be legally recognised as their preferred gender on all legal documents such as drivers’ licences.

Under the current British rules, people can receive a certificate only if they are aged over 18, have a medical diagnosis for gender dysphoria and have lived in their preferred gender for at least two years.

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