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LGBTQ+ politicians express dismay at dropped GRA reform

Rachel Badham September 25, 2020

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – JUNE 12: Protesters demonstrate outside the Scotish Parliament for reform of the Gender Recognition Act, in an event organised by the Scottish Trans Alliance, on June 12, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ken Jack/Getty Images)

LGBTQ+ Conservatives official took to Twitter to express its disappointment at the government’s decision to drop the 2004 Gender Recognition Act (GRA) reformation. The post said ‘after three years of delay on addressing the burning injustices faced by trans people’, the slight tweaks made to the GRA are insufficient to increase protections for the trans community.  It continued ‘there has been no increase in support for trans youth’ and ‘no mention of non-binary and intersex people’.

Equalities minister Liz Truss

Plans to allow trans people to alter their birth certificates without medical approval were expected to be included in the GRA reform, however these were scrapped as the UK government decided against allowing individuals to ‘self-identify’. Equalities minister Liz Truss argued that ‘the Equality Act 2010 clearly protects transgender people from discrimination’, however many feel further reforms are needed.

LGBTQ+ organisation Stonewall will continue to campaign for trans people to be able to change their birth certificates without a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, saying ‘trans people are being asked to wait for equality that is long overdue.’ LGBTQ+ Conservatives also said they will ‘continue to demand better rights for trans people’.

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