Some of those caught in the system find it cruel, while some of those attacking plans to change it ignore their plight
It is 17 years since the Gender Recognition Act was enacted in the UK, permitting those aged over 18 to have their acquired gender legally recognised and recorded on a new birth certificate, as long as certain criteria are met. However, for many transgender people the process is outdated, intrusive and bureaucratic.
In order for an individual to have their acquired gender recognised, a person has to prove to a panel of strangers that they will never meet – the gender recognition panel – that they are either feminine or masculine. It has caused a great deal of concern in the transgender community that the panel, in effect, sits in judgment upon them and their transition. Who is anyone to decide whether someone is feminine or masculine enough? Gender identity is no longer as rigid as it once was, thank goodness. Women wear trousers. Some of us choose to eschew makeup altogether, others only on some days. Hair can be long, or short, or shaved off. But there is no way of knowing whether the panel is making judgments based on outdated stereotypes because it is devoid of transparency.
Caroline Nokes is the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North
