It includes calls for an ‘X marker’ in passports and a revision of the Gender Recognition Act.
In February 2015, after speaking to over 700 trans people, Stonewall announced plans to extend the charity’s reach to include trans equality.
The Stonewall Trans Advisory Group (STAG) held meetings throughout 2015 and 2016 and today, after feedback from hundreds of trans people from around the UK, launched the document A Vision for Change: Acceptance without exception for trans people.
The document itself “aims to ensure all trans people in Britain can live full authentic lives at home, at work and in public, free from discrimination or abuse”. Speaking about the meetings that produced this document, Rebecca Stinson, Head of Trans Inclusion at Stonewall said:
“Collaborating with trans people across Britain in consultation meetings was extremely important for drafting this document, as we want it to represent the views of our entire community.”
A Vision for Change is made up of three different sections: “empowering individuals, transforming institutions and changing laws”. Each section is then broken down into: “the current landscape, the vision for change, Stonewall’s response and what others can do”.
KEY POINTS
• Revision of the Gender Recognition Act, including the removal of the need to provide medical evidence for legal gender recognition
• Reforming the Equality Act to include gender identity as a protected characteristic, and removing the terms “gender reassignment” and “transsexual”
• Legal recognition of non-binary people, including an optional “X” category on passports
• Raising awareness of transphobic hate crime, and calling for the police to ensure the public know how to report it
• Better representation of trans people, in both the media and gender equality campaigns; and for LGBT events to be fully trans-inclusive
Surat-Shaan Knan of STAG, said: “A Vision for Change is a document that everyone can engage with and use to understand the landscape of trans equality in Britain, and think about their role in progressing it.
“The document, however, is just a starting point. We still have lots to do, and I hope that everyone will join Stonewall and the Stonewall Trans Advisory Group on this journey, in ensuring that all trans people can live full and authentic lives not just in Britain, but across the world.”
We spoke to Zachary Franck, former Trans Welfare Officer of the Sheffield University LGBT+ Representative Committee and non binary trans man, who said:
“I think it’s a brilliant piece of policy, and I look forward to a time when non-binary trans people are no longer subject to medical gatekeeping, and legal discrimination.
“As it stands, even though I am a non-binary trans man, I would not feel comfortable traveling abroad with an X on my passport for fear that this would lead to greater scrutiny, but I am overjoyed that this option is available to my trans siblings.”
stonewall.org.uk/vision-change
