The government committed in April to making it easier for transsexual people to legally change sex, as part of a review of the Gender Recognition Act.
A spokesman said ministers want to ‘streamline and de-medicalise’ the process for ‘changing a person’s legal gender’. He was responding to several demands by homosexual lobby group Stonewall to ensure that trans people are ‘accepted without exception’.
Currently, a transsexual person can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate to change the sex on their birth certificate. They need to live in their assumed gender for two years and be diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
‘Self-declare’
Tara Stone, a Stonewall representative, told BBC Radio 4 that trans people should be able to ‘self-declare’ their gender. She said: ‘I think it’s about self-definition and allowing people that right of self-definition.’
Colin Hart, director of The Christian Institute said that the idea of self-declaration is alarming.
Stonewall is also demanding that passports be changed to include a ‘gender X option’, so people who don’t identify as their birth sex do not feel uncomfortable at airport security.
Stonewall claims that many are ‘afraid to travel’ because of ‘intrusive’ questions at passport control.
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of Christian Concern said that the move would be a dangerous step. She said: ‘Introducing a ‘gender X’ option to validate an individual’s gender confusion, would effectively validate a denial of reality’.
