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Written by Geraldine Scott and published by The Times on June 23rd 2024.
Labour will make it easier for people to legally transition by removing the need for them to prove they have lived as their preferred gender for two years.
Under existing rules, transgender people wishing to have their new gender legally recognised must obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
• UN Women says gender-critical activists are ‘anti-rights movement’
Writing in The Times on Saturday she accused Labour of being “dismissive and often offensive towards women fighting to retain the rights their foremothers thought were won for all time” and said she would struggle to vote for the party.
A Labour source said: “Our intention was always that we don’t want to change how the diagnosis [of gender dysphoria] is made. It’s not about how it’s diagnosed but we do want one diagnosis.”
The source described the requirement to show two years’ worth of proof as “nonsense”.
• Gender self-identification ‘loophole’ could be closed
Only about 2 per cent of transgender people have a GRC and it is not required to update a driving licence, passport, or medical records.
Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, promised Labour would set out “strengthened guidance” to protect women-only spaces and added: “I also believe that trans people have the right to appropriate care as well”.
Written by Geraldine Scott and published by The Times on June 23rd 2024.
Labour will make it easier for people to legally transition by removing the need for them to prove they have lived as their preferred gender for two years.
Under existing rules, transgender people wishing to have their new gender legally recognised must obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
They are required to submit proof that they have changed genders, which can include official documents such as utility bills or passports, or even library cards or supermarket loyalty cards.
Officials insist on two years’ worth of documentation to ensure the person is prepared for a permanent change. However, The Times has learnt that Labour will ditch the requirement in an attempt to “remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance”.
Instead, transgender people will be required to undergo an effective cooling-off period for two years after their application for a GRC is submitted. Their new gender will then be signed off by a single doctor specialising in gender issues.
The party will also ditch the panel of doctors and lawyers which now approves GRCs.
However, an idea to have them signed off by a single GP has been jettisoned, after party figures including Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, raised concerns about the impact on family doctors.
As well as simplifying the application process, Labour will also get rid of a requirement to have consent from the spouse of the person wishing to change gender.
The changes are likely to heighten concern among critics over Labour’s approach to transgender issues. It comes after JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, accused Labour of “abandoning women” over its stance of gender.
Officials insist on two years’ worth of documentation to ensure the person is prepared for a permanent change. However, The Times has learnt that Labour will ditch the requirement in an attempt to “remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance”.
Instead, transgender people will be required to undergo an effective cooling-off period for two years after their application for a GRC is submitted. Their new gender will then be signed off by a single doctor specialising in gender issues.
The party will also ditch the panel of doctors and lawyers which now approves GRCs.
However, an idea to have them signed off by a single GP has been jettisoned, after party figures including Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, raised concerns about the impact on family doctors.
As well as simplifying the application process, Labour will also get rid of a requirement to have consent from the spouse of the person wishing to change gender.
The changes are likely to heighten concern among critics over Labour’s approach to transgender issues. It comes after JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, accused Labour of “abandoning women” over its stance of gender.
• UN Women says gender-critical activists are ‘anti-rights movement’
Writing in The Times on Saturday she accused Labour of being “dismissive and often offensive towards women fighting to retain the rights their foremothers thought were won for all time” and said she would struggle to vote for the party.
A Labour source said: “Our intention was always that we don’t want to change how the diagnosis [of gender dysphoria] is made. It’s not about how it’s diagnosed but we do want one diagnosis.”
The source described the requirement to show two years’ worth of proof as “nonsense”.
They added: “We’ll replace it with a reflection period. It counters the idea that you can put on a dress and then the next day you’ve got a GRC. It’ll be a considerable period of time of two years. But of course you are still protected under the Equality Act even if you don’t have a GRC … There are protections so you can’t legally change your gender overnight.”
Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities secretary, previously said she wanted to strip out the “futile and dehumanising parts” of acquiring a GRC.
Labour’s proposal was criticised by Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, who said it would “unravel all the protections in the current system designed to protect women and girls” and create “loopholes for predators and bad-faith actors to infiltrate women-only spaces and put us at risk”.
Any perceived relaxation of the process of achieving a GRC is likely to prompt pushback from those who fear women may be put at risk. There is disagreement over whether holding a GRC could grant access for transgender people into single-sex spaces, however, there are provisions in place which allow providers to exclude those with a GRC.
Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities secretary, previously said she wanted to strip out the “futile and dehumanising parts” of acquiring a GRC.
Labour’s proposal was criticised by Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, who said it would “unravel all the protections in the current system designed to protect women and girls” and create “loopholes for predators and bad-faith actors to infiltrate women-only spaces and put us at risk”.
Any perceived relaxation of the process of achieving a GRC is likely to prompt pushback from those who fear women may be put at risk. There is disagreement over whether holding a GRC could grant access for transgender people into single-sex spaces, however, there are provisions in place which allow providers to exclude those with a GRC.
• Gender self-identification ‘loophole’ could be closed
Only about 2 per cent of transgender people have a GRC and it is not required to update a driving licence, passport, or medical records.
Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, promised Labour would set out “strengthened guidance” to protect women-only spaces and added: “I also believe that trans people have the right to appropriate care as well”.
Phillipson suggested Labour would look again at guidance provided to schools on the teaching of gender identity. She said while the guidance had some “good and straightforward principles” it had also “drifted far too much into partisan and unnecessary language”.
She also guaranteed that a biological woman would not have to share a space with a person of the opposite sex. She told Sky News: “The Equality Act allows for that.”
She said: “I do believe in the importance of single-sex provision, but I also believe that trans people have the right to appropriate care as well. I don’t think it is about one or the other.”
Phillipson said she was “genuinely sorry to hear” of Rowling’s doubts and she had a “real degree of respect” for the author and added: “I would say really, do judge us on what we’ve done in the past to support women”.
It comes after Keir Starmer said this week that he agreed with Sir Tony Blair that a biological woman has a vagina and a man has a penis.
The Labour leader had previously said that “99.9 per cent of women” do not have a penis but his position has toughened in recent months.
Last year, the party dropped plans to allow people to change their legal sex without a medical diagnosis.
The Labour leader had previously said that “99.9 per cent of women” do not have a penis but his position has toughened in recent months.
Last year, the party dropped plans to allow people to change their legal sex without a medical diagnosis.
A Labour spokesman said: “Labour will modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; while retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.
“Britain is a reasonable and tolerant society where most people know that there are a small number of individuals who do not identify with the gender that they were born into. Labour’s plans will protect single-sex spaces, treat everybody with respect and dignity, maintain the existing two-year time frame for gender recognition, and ensure that robust provisions are in place to protect legitimate applications.”
She also guaranteed that a biological woman would not have to share a space with a person of the opposite sex. She told Sky News: “The Equality Act allows for that.”
She said: “I do believe in the importance of single-sex provision, but I also believe that trans people have the right to appropriate care as well. I don’t think it is about one or the other.”
Phillipson said she was “genuinely sorry to hear” of Rowling’s doubts and she had a “real degree of respect” for the author and added: “I would say really, do judge us on what we’ve done in the past to support women”.
It comes after Keir Starmer said this week that he agreed with Sir Tony Blair that a biological woman has a vagina and a man has a penis.
The Labour leader had previously said that “99.9 per cent of women” do not have a penis but his position has toughened in recent months.
Last year, the party dropped plans to allow people to change their legal sex without a medical diagnosis.
The Labour leader had previously said that “99.9 per cent of women” do not have a penis but his position has toughened in recent months.
Last year, the party dropped plans to allow people to change their legal sex without a medical diagnosis.
A Labour spokesman said: “Labour will modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; while retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.
“Britain is a reasonable and tolerant society where most people know that there are a small number of individuals who do not identify with the gender that they were born into. Labour’s plans will protect single-sex spaces, treat everybody with respect and dignity, maintain the existing two-year time frame for gender recognition, and ensure that robust provisions are in place to protect legitimate applications.”
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