Email Theresa May to tell her to allow self-declaration of gender identity!

The current UK process to change the gender on a birth certificate is an humiliating, offensive and expensive red-tape nightmare which requires submission of intrusive psychiatric evidence to a faceless tribunal panel. The gender on UK passports, driving licences, medical records and other identity documents already get changed by self-declaration at the very start of transition. Birth certificates need to be brought in line with the process for all other UK identity documents.

Changing the gender on their birth certificate to match their other identity documents is important primarily to uphold trans people’s privacy and dignity but also to ensure that their pensions, insurance policies, civil partnerships and marriages are all administered correctly.

International best practice is to allow legal gender recognition through self-declaration, and to provide a non-binary option for those who do not identify solely as men or women.

Making it simpler to change birth certificates will not affect how trans people access single-sex services because they can already use their self-declared gender recorded on their passport or driving licence as identification. 

Join us in urging Theresa May to take a stand for trans equality and urgently reform the Gender Recognition Act in line with international best practice. Signing will send an email to Theresa May if you live in the UK. Important: check your inbox for an email from donotreply@number10.gov.uk to confirm sending the message to the Prime Minister!

Additional notes: 
While the Gender Recognition Act was hailed as progressive 13 years ago because it does not require any surgery, understanding of trans equality has advanced considerably since then. The UK has now fallen far behind the gender recognition procedures in more than a dozen other countries, including our closest neighbour, Ireland. There is cross-party support for reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. 

Sports bodies will still be allowed to set their own medical rules for trans people’s sports participation. It is a serious criminal offence punishable by imprisonment to lie on a statutory declaration so the process will not be open to misuse. It will also not affect access to NHS medical gender reassignment services. 

Petition letter:

Dear Theresa May,

I am emailing you via the Care2 petition at http://bit.ly/2tZF6J3.

The current UK process to change the gender on a birth certificate is an humiliating and expensive nightmare which requires submission of intrusive psychiatric evidence to a tribunal panel. The gender on UK passports and other identity documents already get changed by self-declaration. Birth certificates need to be brought in line with this.


International best practice is to allow legal gender recognition through self-declaration, and to provide a non-binary option for those who do not identify solely as men or women.


Please take a stand for trans equality and urgently reform the Gender Recognition Act in line with international best practice. 


Yours sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your email address]

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