Self-ID for transgendered people has been stopped for now. But the struggle for truth and sense continues
by Radical, Conservative Home:
Last weekend, The Sunday Times reported that gender “self-ID” proposals originally put forward by the May government in 2018 will not be taken forward. We’ve written here many times about this topic, but it’s worth a quick reminder of the context, before we address this momentous news.
Since the introduction of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) in 2004, people meeting certain conditions have been able to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). A GRC legally recognises someone’s change of gender, and allows them to have their sex on their birth certificate changed to match this gender change, for legal purposes.
Under the terms of the act, obtaining a GRC requires a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and evidence of having lived in one’s “acquired gender” for two years. It is worth noting here the difference afforded to sex and gender within the process. For instance, it is often stated that a GRC “changes someone’s gender” on their birth certificate, yet this is clearly wrong, as gender is not recorded on a birth certificate – rather, sex is.
The terms “sex” and “gender” are often used interchangeably in conversation, and various relevant pieces of legislations are lax on their clarity of use of these terms. But, as the Government’s GRA consultation document notes, “gender” technically relates to “socially constructed characteristics” associated with societal notions of masculinity and femininity, whereas “sex” relates to the biological characteristics that determine whether someone is male or female. Regardless of the terms used, this distinction is crucial for many reasons.
See also: In brief: Why is scrapping Gender Recognition Act reform such good news for women and girls? from Fair Play for Women
Transgender Trend response to the government announcement on GRA reform: Stephanie Davies-Arai, Founder and Director, said: “Transgender Trend welcomes today’s announcement by Liz Truss that there will be no change to the GRA to allow gender self-ID.
How the Nonbinary Trend Hurts Those with Real Gender Dysphoria, by Debra Soh, Quillette:
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