I welcome the Government’s commitment to equality and to build a society that celebrates and benefits from the talents of everyone. Everyone should feel safe and happy to be who they are without judgement or fear.
The UK is a world leader in transgender rights, and I welcome the significant legislative and social progress that has already been made. Guidance has been issued to employers and service providers, a £3 million programme is tackling transphobic bullying head on and the first ever action plan for improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has been published.
The gender recognition process is not currently working for the people who use it, which is why I welcome the recent consultation on reforming the existing system. The consultation asked how best to reform the GRA and make it less bureaucratic and intrusive for transgender people. There have not yet been any decisions about how the GRA might be reformed, but I remain confident that Ministers in the Government Equalities Office will consider carefully if safeguards are needed and what those might be.
More must be done to help transgender people with the unique and frequently difficult challenges that they face. Transgender people often face some of the worst discrimination in our society and I am proud that this consultation is a first step in addressing some of the difficulties they face.
I look forward to reading the Government response when it is published.