Trans flag

A date has been set for a debate on a parliamentary petition calling for the law to be change to allow transgender people to be granted gender recognition certificates on the basis of self-identification.

The petition – submitted through the parliamentary petitions website – reads: “We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.”

As the petition received more than 100,000 signatures, it will now be debated in the House of Commons.

Despite the debate, the government has already made clear it does not intent to act on the petition. In its response to the petition, made when it received 10,000 signatures, the government said: “The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is a robust piece of legislation that reflects the seriousness of changing a person’s legal gender. The Government will not be introducing self-identification.”

The House of Commons debate will take place on 19 May.

Image credit: Torbakkhopper – Creative Commons