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Scottish Gender Identity Services

In Scotland, there are currently four NHS Gender Identity Clinics (GICs) – Glasgow Sandyford GIC (adults and young people), Edinburgh Chalmers GIC (adults), Aberdeen Cornhill GIC (adults), and Inverness Raigmore GIC (adults). There is also a private sector GIC for adults provided by Your-GP in Edinburgh.

Glasgow Sandyford GIC

Adult and Young Peoples Gender Identity Services, Sandyford, 6 Sandyford Place, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G3 7NB

Website: https://www.sandyford.scot/sexual-health-services/gender-identity-service/

Sandyford GIC accepts GP and self-referrals for adults and young people from across all parts of Scotland. It is the only GIC for young people under 18 in Scotland.

The waiting time for a first appointment at the young peoples service is currently around four years.

The waiting time for a first appointment at the adults service is currently over five years.

Phone lines are open from 8:30am–11:30am Monday–Friday . Please call 0141 211 8137 for the adult service and 0141 211 8618 for the young person’s service during this time. (If you can’t get through to the gender service and need to speak to someone urgently try calling the Sandyford main switchboard on 0141 211 8130.)

You can email the Sandyford adult service on [email protected] and you can email the Sandyford young person’s service on [email protected]

Lothian Edinburgh Chalmers GIC

Chalmers Gender Identity Clinic, 2A Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9ES

Website: https://www.lothiansexualhealth.scot/gender-identity-clinic/gic/

Chalmers GIC accepts GP referrals for service users aged over 17 living in NHS Lothian, NHS Borders and NHS Fife areas.

The waiting time for a first appointment is currently around two years.

Telephone: 0131 536 1570 , phone lines open 1pm-4pm Monday-Friday .

Chalmers GIC does not accept emails from patients. It will respond to emails from GPs.

Grampian Aberdeen Cornhill GIC

Grampian Gender Identity Clinic, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Cornhill Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZH

No Website.

Grampian GIC accepts GP referrals for service users aged over 18 living in the NHS Grampian area only.

Telephone:  01224 557651

You can email Grampian GIC on [email protected]

Highland Inverness Raigmore GIC

Highlands Gender Identity Clinic, Zone 14, Clinic 1 Raigmore Hospital Old Perth Road, Inverness IV2 3UJ

Website: http://www.highlandsexualhealth.co.uk/services/gender-identity

Highlands GIC accepts GP referrals for service users aged over 18 living in the NHS Highland area only.

Telephone: 01463 888300

Private Sector: Your-GP GIC

Your-GP is currently the only private sector GIC located in Scotland. Website: https://your-gp.com/gp-services/all-gp-services/gender-clinic/

National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland

The National Gender Identity Clinical Network for Scotland (NGICNS) aims to work with gender identity clinics, gender reassignment surgical providers, primary care, patient and third sector representation to achieve timely, coordinated, service provision and equitable access to planned gender identity clinical services across Scotland.

On its website, you can find lots of useful information about hormones, surgeries and other medical services provided under the NHS Scotland Gender Reassignment Protocol.

NGICNS website

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Scottish Trans is part of the Equality Network

Scottish Trans is the Equality Network project to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland. The Equality Network is a leading Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity.

The Equality Network is a registered Scottish charity: SC037852, and a company limited by guarantee: SC220213.

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Q&A: Why are the Scottish and UK governments going to court over gender recognition laws?

Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University of Aberdeen

Disclosure statement

Robert Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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The Scottish and UK governments are heading to court over a plan to change the law in Scotland to make it easier for people to change their legal gender. We asked a legal expert to explain what the dispute is about and why it has serious constitutional implications. _

What is the law at the centre of this argument?

The Scottish parliament passed the gender recognition reform (Scotland) bill in December 2022, amending the law in Scotland to make it easier for a person to change their legal sex. The bill makes it possible to obtain a gender recognition certificate without a medical diagnosis and reduces the time period that someone has to live with their acquired gender before qualifying for a certificate. It also makes it possible for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain a gender recognition certificate.

What action has the UK government taken in response to this law?

On January 17, the UK government made an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 .

This blocks the Scottish bill from receiving royal assent from the King, which is needed for it to become law. It does this by directing the Presiding Office of the Scottish Parliament (the Scottish equivalent of the Speaker of the House of Commons) to withhold the bill from receiving royal assent.

What is the Scotland Act?

Devolution is the process whereby Westminster gives or “devolves” legislative and executive powers to the constituent nations of the UK so that they may have greater control in governing their own affairs. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have some form of devolution, but England does not.

The Scotland Act 1998, enacted by the Westminster parliament, forms the basis of Scotland’s devolved settlement. It created both the Scottish parliament and the Scottish government. The legislative competence of the Scottish parliament is, however, not without limit. It cannot pass laws on “reserved matters” – those issues which the Scotland Act states only the UK parliament can legislate on. By implication, anything not identified as a reserved matter is classified as a “devolved matter” and thus within the competence of the Scottish parliament to legislate on.

The UK government has the power under the Scotland Act to veto a bill by issuing a section 35 order.

What is a section 35 order?

A section 35 order can only be made under limited circumstances. In this instance, the UK government has made the order under section 35(1)(b) of the Scotland Act. This concerns bills which the UK government believes “make modifications of the law as it applies to reserved matters” and which the UK government has “reasonable grounds to believe would have an adverse effect on the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters”. The UK government is required to set out its reasons for making this argument.

In its reasoning the UK government appears to accept that the Scottish parliament has the power to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2004 as it applies to Scotland. Its main objection to the Scottish bill is that the specific modifications it proposes affect a reserved matter – equal opportunities laws as set out in the 2010 Equality Act . While gender reassignment is a devolved matter for Scotland, equal opportunities is a reserved matter, and therefore something that can only be changed at Westminster.

What is the UK government’s argument against Scotland’s changes?

According to the UK government, the bill could exacerbate (mostly existing) issues involving clubs and associations that have rules relating to gender, the public sector equality duty , equal pay and the application of exceptions for both sex and gender reassignment.

The UK government also argues that the Scottish bill creates a new problem for schools because single-sex schools would be at greater risk of direct gender reassignment discrimination should they refuse admission to someone with a gender recognition certificate. This may have a further administrative impact and safeguarding risk for schools in England, especially near the Scottish border, which take in both Scottish and English pupils.

The UK government also says it is concerned that changing the way gender recognition certificates are granted in Scotland would mean it would be implementing a different system to the rest of the UK. As a result, a person could have one legal sex in Scotland but a different one in the rest of the UK. According to the UK government, this is likely to have adverse consequences on other reserved matters, such as the administration and management of tax, benefits and state pensions.

By making it easier to change legal sex in Scotland without a medical diagnosis and without evidence of living in their acquired gender for two years, the UK government also contends that the proposed Scottish system is more open to abuse, thus potentially making, for instance, sex-segregated spaces more unsafe for women and girls and therefore discouraging them from using them.

What will happen next?

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated that the Scottish government will seek a judicial review of the decision by the UK government to exercise its section 35 veto power in this case.

Judicial review is a legal action focused on the lawfulness of a governmental decision, not its merits. It is therefore likely that any judicial review will turn on the extent to which the law as it applies to reserved matters would be modified by the Scottish bill and whether there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that there would be adverse effects.

Should the Scottish government succeed in its case, it’s likely that the section 35 order would be struck down and the bill would receive royal assent and become law. Should it fail, it could reintroduce an amended bill into the Scottish parliament addressing the concerns of the UK government. However, given the UK government’s reasons for objecting to the bill, it’s hard to imagine how any amendments could achieve this in full.

The judicial review action will start at the court of session in Edinburgh and will then likely be appealed to the UK supreme court.

Why is this situation being viewed as a potential constitutional crisis?

This is the first time section 35 has ever been used in the almost 25 years since Scottish devolution.

Although the veto can only be used in limited circumstances, thus explaining in part why it has never been used until now, the constitutional implications of the decision cannot be overstated. In effect, a UK minister has vetoed a bill on a devolved matter enacted by a two-thirds majority of a democratically elected parliament. Regardless of one’s views on the merits of the Scottish bill, this has significant political and constitutional ramifications, especially during a protracted period of increased tension between the Scottish and UK governments.

The dispute may further strengthen calls to hold a second independence referendum in the near future, and may be a crucial factor in any de facto referendum on Scottish Independence at the next general election should the Scottish government proceed with this plan.

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News / Scotland

Scottish gender reforms explained as Bill passed in parliament

The new law will remove the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria to obtain a gender recognition certificate.

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More on this story, women who support gender reforms left 'voiceless' claims kezia dugdale, fm hopes msps vote to 'make lives of trans people that little bit better'.

Plans to reform how a transgender person changes the sex on their birth certificate have been passed in Scotland.

Marathon debates around more than 150 amendments took place over two days in Holyrood with 86 against 39 voting in favour of the reforms on Thursday.

The Scottish Government has insisted that the Bill will not introduce new rights for trans people, but is about “improving” the way that trans people gain legal recognition.

Supporters have celebrated the reforms is a small change helping to make the process for transgender people easier, less intrusive and distressing.

But opponents argue that the reforms will change who can access women-only services and make it easier for male offenders to enter single-sex spaces.

The Scottish Government insists the legislation will not impact the Equality Act, which allows for trans people to be excluded from single-sex spaces such as changing rooms and shelters, something that was affirmed by an earlier amendment from Labour’s Pam Duncan-Glancy.

What is the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill?

The Bill will make it easier for trans people to acquire a gender recognition certificate (GRC) by removing the requirement for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and introducing a system of self-declaration.

It will also lower the minimum age for applicants from 18 to 16 and drop the time required for an applicant to live in their acquired gender from two years to three months – six for people aged 16 and 17 – though with a subsequent, three-month reflection period.

What happened in parliament

MSPs debated 153 amendments lodged at stage three of the Bill.

It was initially set to go to a final vote on Wednesday, but it was pushed to Thursday afternoon due to the debate over amendments, while Tuesday and Wednesday’s debates went longer than any other in the history of the Scottish Parliament, with MSPs sitting until around 1.30am on Thursday morning.

On Tuesday, MSPs backed a change tabled by SNP MSP Gillian Martin to the law which meant anyone subject to a sexual harm prevention order or sexual offences prevention order would not be allowed to seek a GRC.

Meanwhile, a push by fellow SNP MSP to ensure applications would be paused if an applicant was charged with a sexual offence until their case was disposed of divided members by 61 votes to 61 – as is customary Deputy Presiding Officer Liam McArthur used his casting vote against the change.

The sitting on Tuesday was marred by protests from the public gallery, with opponents to the Bill shouting “shame on all of you” as another amendment that would make it harder for sex offenders to apply for a GRC was voted down.

Throughout proceedings, the Scottish Tories have made apparent attempts to make consideration take as long as possible with the raising of repeated points of order and pushing every amendment to a vote, even if the proposer chose not to do so.

Party leader Douglas Ross was even told he was close to “contempt of parliament” by the Deputy Presiding Officer after repeatedly pushing for a fuller explanation as to why a late amendment tabled by one of his MSPs would not be taken in the chamber.

When the vote was announced on Thursday, there was a huge round of applause in the chamber with cheering from the public gallery, followed by some shouts of “shame on you”. Parliament was then suspended.

Which parties have supported reforms?

All Holyrood parties except for the Conservatives expressed support for gender recognition reform in their 2021 manifesto. The Scottish Greens included gender reform as a key policy as part of their cooperation agreement with the SNP.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon defended her Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, saying it may be the “most scrutinised piece of legislation” in Holyrood’s history.

She said the need for a medical diagnosis is “one of the most intrusive, traumatic and dehumanising parts of the current system” and added : “I will never apologise for trying to spread equality, not reduce it, in our country.”

There has been backlash from SNP backbenchers and some Labour MSPs around the impact of the Bill.

Scottish Tories have insisted more time was needed to discuss changes to the Bill and described it  as a “travesty of democracy,” leading to accusations of its MSPs using delaying tactics during Tuesday’s debate.

The Bill’s passage could raise further disciplinary issues within the SNP, with seven MSPs from the ruling party voting against it – including minister Ash Regan, who was forced to quit – and two others abstaining at stage one.

Ms Regan said during the consideration of amendments that she would not be supporting the Bill, while fellow SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson hinted he would again rebel against the Bill, and Fergus Ewing and Michelle Thomson spoke in favour of amendments the Scottish Government opposed.

How many people will be affected?

Around 30 gender recognition certificates are granted to people born or adopted in Scotland each year. The Scottish Government estimated this could increase to 250-300 applicants a year.

What do the opponents say?

Opponents of the law fear it could be a danger to women and girls, particularly around the provision of single sex spaces.

On Monday Victor Madrigal-Borloz, a UN expert on gender identity, and Reem Alsalem, the UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women, spoke to members of Holyrood’s equalities committee ahead of the debate.

Ms Alsalem said plans to introduce self-ID could see violent men taking advantage of loopholes “to get into women’s spaces and have access to women”.

However, Mr Madrigal-Borloz told the more than two-hour committee meeting there was “no evidence” that “maintaining complexity in the process of recognition of gender identity would be an effective safeguard”.

But the Scottish Government has insisted repeatedly that the legislation will not impact on the Equality Act, which allows for trans people to be excluded from single sex spaces such as changing rooms and shelters.

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Bills and Laws

• Back to Bills (proposed laws)

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

The Bill changes the process to get a gender recognition certificate (GRC). A GRC is a certificate that legally recognises that a person’s gender is not the gender that they were assigned at birth, but is their “ acquired gender ”.

The current process for obtaining a GRC is set out in the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This Bill amends that Act to make a new process in Scotland.

The Bill sets out:

• who can apply for a GRC
• how to make an application
• the grounds on which an application is to be granted

It also makes provision about:

• different types of GRC that may be issued in different circumstances (“full” GRCs and “interim” GRCs)
• appeals and reviews of decisions to grant (or not grant) GRCs
• revocation of a GRC and offences in connection with false information being provided in an application

Read the rest of the Bill's overview

The Bill ended Stage 3 on 22 December 2022

About the Bill

Read the Bill and information which explains what it does, why it was introduced, and how much it will cost.

Stage 1 - General principles

Committees examine the Bill and gather views. They produce reports before MSPs debate the Bill in the Chamber. MSPs then decide on the purpose (“general principles”) of the Bill.

Stage 2 - Changes to detail

MSPs can propose changes (“amendments”) to the Bill. The amendments are considered and decided on by a committee.

Stage 3 - Final changes and vote

MSPs can propose further “amendments” (changes) to the Bill. MSPs decide on each of these. Finally, they debate and vote on whether to pass the Bill.

Committees involved in this bill

Equalities, human rights and civil justice committee.

Learn more about what this committee's work on this bill

Finance and Public Administration Committee

Find out more about this committee

Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee

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• Recent Reports Aithisgean ùra
• Committee Reports Aithisgean Chomataidh
• Research Briefings Brathan-ullachaidh Rannsachadh
• Feedback Ais-eòlas
• Published by The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
•  Expand
•  Report
• Introduction
• Glossary of terms
• Overview of the current grounds and procedure for applying for a gender recognition certificate
• First consultation
• Second Consultation
• Sections of the Bill
• The Equality Act
• Informal engagement events
• Consideration by other Committees
• Membership changes
• European examples of the self-declaration approach
• The case for and against reform
• Removal of the Gender Recognition Panel from the process and introduction of the Registrar General
• Removal of the requirement for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and the requirement for medical evidence
• Live in the acquired gender for three months
• "Acquired gender"
• Three-month reflection period
• Lowering the age of eligibility for applicants from 18 to 16
• The Cass Review
• Gender identity clinics in Scotland
• Ordinarily resident
• Overseas gender recognition and confirmatory GRC
• Spousal consent and interim GRCs
• Person with interest
• Criminal offence to make a false statutory declaration or application
• Removal of power to introduce fee and other powers
• Reporting duty
• EHRC's change of position on gender recognition reform
• Equality Act 2010: Separate and single-sex exceptions
• Equality Act 2010: Other exceptions
• Self-exclusion
• Religious sensitivities
• Impact on prisons
• Trans inclusion in sport
• Impact on data collection
• Non-binary recognition
• De-transition
• Recommendation on the general principles of the Bill

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Information for transgender and non-binary disclosure applicants

If you're transgender you can apply for a disclosure using your present gender and without telling your employer what your previous name was. You only have to tell Disclosure Scotland. 

You only need to use this process if your employer is countersigning your application. If you’re applying for a basic disclosure  you can include your previous names when asked because this is not included on your basic disclosure. 

You can use this process if you’re non-binary, but you’ll need to enter male or female when asked for gender. This does not need to be your legal sex. Disclosure Scotland is exploring alternative approaches that would mean you do not need to provide gender.

Disclosure Scotland will not share any information about your gender history with your employer or regulatory body. The information is not used for equalities monitoring or other purposes.

Disclosure application process

You should use your present name and gender on the disclosure application.

You do not have to:

• answer 'yes' to the part of the form about previous names, unless you had other names that do not relate to your transgender status
• disclose previous names that relate to your transgender status on the application
• give your Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to your employer

Notify Disclosure Scotland of your previous names

Even though you do not need to disclose your previous names on the application, you'll need to give these to Disclosure Scotland separately.

To do this, send an email to [email protected] . Write in your email that it is for the attention of the Operations Manager. Include the following information:

• your application reference number
• your contact details
• details of your previous names

Disclosure Scotland's Operations Management will let you know when they have received your information.

If you’ve applied online, your application reference number is the 9-digit number you’re given when you submit your application. If you’ve applied by paper, your reference number is the 16-digit barcode number in the top-right of your disclosure application form.

What your disclosure certificate will show

Your disclosure certificate will show your current name. It will not include any previous names.

Get help with the process

If you need help, call 0300 020 0040 and ask to speak to the Vetting Operations Manager.

The helpline is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, and Friday 9am to 3.30pm.

Find out about call charges

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Gender reassignment surgeries to take place in Scotland says two year plan from SNP Government

The Scottish Government has committed to the introduction of gender reassignment surgeries taking place in Scotland in a plan that will be developed over the next two years.

• 14:47, 20 DEC 2021
• Updated 15:42, 20 DEC 2021

New plans from the Scottish Government have committed to introducing gender reassignment surgeries taking place in Scotland by 2024.

Under a new two-year plan, the SNP administration anticipates that facilities will open for specialist male-to-female surgery called a vaginoplasty and a phalloplasty for trans-identified men.

Currently, any patient wishing to undergo surgical intervention will have to visit clinics in England where a very small number of urologists are trained.

The controversial and risky procedures are seen by some to be a step in the journey of reaffirming gender identity, a highly contentious topic for those who are critical of gender ideology.

This project is part of a wider plan by the Scottish Government to implement self ID laws that will make it easier for trans-identified people to legally change their sex without medical involvement - an unpopular plan only supported by three in 10 Scots.

The NHS gender identity services: Strategic action framework 2022 – 2024 sets out a spending and implementation plan that will aim to manage the rise in demand for gender identity services.

The report states: "We recognise the importance of accessing treatments locally where appropriate, as well as building resilience in provision. We have therefore committed in this Framework to look at the potential for providing gender reassignment surgeries in Scotland. We anticipate that this would complement and be part of the current four nations NHS contract."

It also states that a National Gender Identity Healthcare Reference Group will be established to inform the Scottish Government and enact plans.

This group will have involvement from NHS Boards including National Services Scotland, National Education for Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Public Health Scotland.

Waiting times across the board have a track record of making patients wait for months and even years to access mental health services with the pandemic only having made this worse.

Maree Todd MSP Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport said that they have gender patients who have been waiting for up to three and a half years to be seen by a specialist.

Regarding money Ms Todd said: "We plan to provide £9million over 3 years, with £2m in 2022/23, to fund new service models, address waiting times and support those waiting to access services."

There are currently four Gender Identity Clinics providing services to adults in NHS Scotland. These are based in four NHS Health Boards - NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland and NHS Lothian.

A separate service for young people, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s YoungPerson’s Service, accepts referrals from across Scotland.

For more news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter but never miss the latest top headlines and sign up to our daily newsletter here .

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Gender identity and your rights

Many acts and policies exist around gender identity. These are to protect people who identify as transgender from discrimination.

Visit the Scottish Trans Alliance website for further information

NHS Scotland Gender Reassignment Protocol

The Gender Reassignment Protocol  was issued to NHS health boards on 11 July 2012.

The Gender Reassignment Protocol contains many therapies and surgical procedures. The patient and their gender clinician should discuss these in detail. This helps to find the most appropriate treatment pathway.

The Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act, 2010  protects transgender people from discrimination and harassment. It provides protection in different areas, including in the workplace or in the provision of goods and services.

A person does not need to be under medical supervision to be protected by the Act. For example, someone assigned male at birth who decides to live as a woman, but does not consult a doctor or undergo any medical procedures, would be protected.

The Act also protects people associated with them. This includes family members, as well as others who are perceived to be transgender.

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Under the  Gender Recognition Act of 2004 , transgender people can:

• apply for and obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate  to legally change their gender
• get an updated birth certificate
• marry or form a civil partnership in their gender 
• have their gender recorded on their death certificate

To apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate you must be aged 18 or over. The application process requires you to prove that you:

• have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria
• have lived in your gender for the last 2 years
• intend to live permanently in this gender

Patient Advice and Support Service

The  Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities  summarises what you’re entitled to when you use NHS services or receive NHS care in Scotland. It also covers what you can do if you feel your rights have not been respected. This includes reference to the Patient Advice and Support Service.

The Patient Advice and Support Service  (PASS) is an independent service. It provides information, advice and support about NHS healthcare for patients, their carers and families. This information is free, accessible and confidential.

The service can give you information, advice and support if you want to:

• give feedback or comments about healthcare provided by NHS Scotland
• raise concerns or complaints about about healthcare provided by NHS Scotland
• helps you understand your rights and responsibilities as a patient
• works with the NHS in Scotland to improve healthcare provision

The Patient Advice and Support Service can be accessed from any  Citizens Advice Bureau in Scotland .

Support and advice

Help is available if you’re experiencing mental health issues as a result of gender dysphoria.

Switchboard LGBT+

Contact Switchboard LGBT+ on 0300 330 0630, from 10am to 10pm every day.

You can also use their webchat service through the  Switchboard LGBT+ website .

Breathing Space

You can also access support from  Breathing Space  by phoning 0800 83 85 87.

The Breathing Space phoneline is available:

• 24 hours at weekends (6pm Friday to 6am Monday)
• 6pm to 2am on weekdays (Monday to Thursday)

Phone 111 if you’re:

• in a state of despair
• need emotional support

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Last updated: 23 March 2023

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Gender Reassignment

What is gender reassignment.

In most cases we grow up feeling a sense of comfort or acceptance with our gender but this is not true for all people. Around 1 in 11,500 people will find that as they grow up, they feel less comfortable with the gender prescribed to them at birth, and will instead, find greater comfort and connection to another gender. They may then express the need to live in this different and more appropriate gender. In Scotland, those of us experiencing this are referred to as ‘transgender’ or ‘trans’ people. ‘Trans’  is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth.

In the Equality Act it is known as gender reassignment*. All transsexual people share the common characteristic of gender reassignment.

To be protected from gender reassignment discrimination, you do not need to have undergone any specific treatment or surgery to change from your birth sex to your preferred gender. This is because changing your physiological or other gender attributes is a personal process rather than a medical one.You can be at any stage in the transition process – from proposing to reassign your gender, to undergoing a process to reassign your gender, or having completed it.

*’Gender reassignment’ is a term of much contention and is one that Stonewall’s Trans Advisory Group feels should be reviewed.

The Equality Act 2010 says that you must not be discriminated against because you are transsexual, when your gender identity is different from the gender assigned to you when you were born. For example: • a person who was born female decides to spend the rest of his life as a man

In the Equality Act it is known as gender reassignment. All transsexual people share the common characteristic of gender reassignment.

The Equality Act says that you must not be discriminated against because: • of your gender reassignment as a transsexual. You may prefer the description transgender person or trans male or female. A wide range of people are included in the terms ‘trans’ or ‘transgender’ but you are not protected as transgender unless you propose to change your gender or have done so. For example, a group of men on a stag do who put on fancy dress as women are turned away from a restaurant. They are not transsexual so not protected from discrimination • someone thinks you are transsexual, for example because you occasionally cross-dress or are gender variant (this is known as discrimination by perception) • you are connected to a transsexual person, or someone wrongly thought to be transsexual (this is known as discrimination by association)

Intersex people (the term used to describe a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male) are not explicitly protected from discrimination by the Equality Act, but you must not be discriminated against because of your gender or perceived gender. For example: • if a woman with an intersex condition is refused entry to a women-only swimming pool because the attendants think her to be a man, this could be sex discrimination or disability discrimination

Following is a short film by the Equality & Human Rights Commission titled ‘What is gender reassignment discrimination?’.

Trans people are entitled to the same level of quality care as everyone else and should expect to receive it based on their gender identity, gender expression or physical body. However, it is important to appreciate the lived experience of many Trans people to ensure the care health services provide is appropriate and sensitive.

Findings from the recent INCLUSION Project research showed significant issues for Trans people include:

• Mental health problems including suicide, self harm, anxiety and depression
• Lack of primary care facilities as many GPs have no or little knowledge of Trans people’s needs
• Lack of access to essential medical treatment for gender identity issues, i.e. electrolysis for Trans women
• Lack of awareness and understanding of care providers so that Trans people are in appropriately treated in single gender out patient and in patient services.
• Inconsistent funding and access to transitioning services throughout Scotland
• Lack of social work service to support children, young people, adults and families with gender identity issues.
• Social exclusion, violence and abuse and the resulting negative impact on health and well-being

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were the first NHS Board in Scotland to publish a  Gender Reassignment Policy  which sets out our commitment to ensure equality of access to services that are both appropriate and sensitive. We have the busiest trans services in Scotland at the Sandyford Initiative and provide a number of specialist services that are recognised as being amongst the best in the UK. However, there are still barriers experienced by Trans people using mainstream NHS services. It is essential that frontline NHS staff do all they can to remove the stigma of transitioning and play their part in delivering services of the highest standard to Trans people. To this end, guidance has been issued to support staff in responding to queries from Trans service users.Add info here…

Fran’s Story

Fran transitioned from male to female 10 years ago. She has spent her life experiencing bullying and harassment because of her gender identity and has been the victim of several hate crime incidents.

Fran was experiencing pain in her right thigh and attended an outpatient appointment.  When Fran entered the waiting area she gave her name and confirmed her appointment time.  The receptionist explained there wasn’t an appointment for a Fran Walker but there was one for a Mr Frank Walker.  Fran explained that she should now be referred to as Fran as she had requested all records be updated to reflect her gender reassignment.  The receptionist explained she was unable to do that until the medical records were updated.  Fran was asked to take a seat in the waiting area.  Fran was in discomfort but before taking a seat explained again it was Fran or Ms Walker, not Frank or Mr Walker.

While Fran was waiting for her appointment she heard a member of staff calling for a Mr Frank Walker.  Fran sat where she was, angry, frustrated and embarrassed that she was still being referred to in the wrong gender.  Eventually after a repeat call she stood and walked into the treatment room.  She was still very upset and asked why, despite explaining she wished to be called by her new name, staff insisted on calling her by her previous name.  The member of staff explained the name on her record was Frank Walker, not Fran, and until they heard otherwise, she would continue to be addressed as Frank or Mr Walker. Fran tried to remain calm and explained that if she was referred to as Frank again she would make a formal complaint.  The member of staff reiterated the position so Fran explained that staff were in breach of legislation protecting trans people. They were deliberately disclosing her previous birth gender and so could be held liable and receive a significant financial penalty under UK law. Fran stated that if it happened again she would take formal action. The equality Act protects trans people in a number of ways, one of which is to ensure previous birth gender is only disclosed to another party when necessary with appropriate controls in place and then only with the expressed permission of the trans person.

Publications

• Changing for the Better
• Changing Your CHI
• Engaging All Staff in Trans Inclusion
• Gender Reassignment Policy Review 2021
• Getting Equalities Monitoring Right
• Homophobic and Transphobic Hate Crime
• LGBT in Scotland Health Report
• Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People
• Sharing Trans Information
• Transgender Equality
• Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES)
• LGBT Youth Scotland
• Press for Change
• Sandyford Initiative
• Scottish Trans Alliance

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The transgender community is facing a silent genocide in the U.K.

As the U.K. snap elections take place, a British-American trans woman reflects on the painful and lasting impact of the anti-trans movement in the country.

In the United Kingdom , a thriving radical feminist movement has popularized and radicalized opposition to the transgender population, capturing the narrative and heavily influencing media, society, and government as it rails against 'gender ideology.'

The transgender community lies beneath the wreckage of this juggernaut. Once acclaimed for its progressive stance on queer rights, the U.K. has become notorious for its hostile treatment of transgender people and legitimizing anti-trans hatred.

When I was a trans kid in rural England, I learned to survive life in transphobic spaces by kicking a hole in the back of the closet and hiding in Narnia. Even as a teen, I knew the National Health Service's (NHS, the U.K.'s publicly funded healthcare system) trans healthcare system was fundamentally broken. I soon learned, too, that I could not access care or treatment without a supportive family. As the wait time for an initial appointment takes years, I felt and watched as puberty changed my body.

Though I've since moved to the States , making Boston my home, my trans childhood casts a long shadow. I mourn a lost decade, a life at the edge, and what could – and should – have been.

Time is everything. Those diagnosed with gender dysphoria should receive timely access to the care they need. For a child, this might include psychosocial support and delaying puberty, and at 16, possible hormone treatment. For trans adults, they will often receive hormone therapy, and many pursue gender reassignment surgery. Time means better treatment prognoses and resources. But it also means limiting the time before someone can transition and maximizing the time they have after.

They rarely look back.

Yet in the U.K., it is routine for trans patients to wait upwards of half a decade for even an initial appointment. Treatment takes longer. The NHS often requires patients to have begun 'social transitioning' before receiving treatment, which is a high demand of people without support or care in an increasingly intolerant society.

The controversial Cass Review has seen puberty blockers effectively banned and their possession criminalized as those on hormones face battles to receive their medication. Children are being forced to detransition – an act of irreparable harm. If any other minority community were treated as such, it would cause a national scandal that could end careers and collapse governments.

But for the trans community, there is only silence.

Caught between prohibitive NHS waitlists and the economic barriers of private healthcare, some have turned to DIY care by acquiring hormone treatment overseas and administering it themselves. The British government has begun to restrict this widespread, well-developed practice. It is the desperate practice of a community in true crisis, devoid of the primary care and support it needs. When safe routes for what is often lifesaving medication are inaccessible to a majority, it is only natural that other pathways should emerge.

In the U.S., the transgender population is the target of sustained attacks in every state, with hundreds of anti-trans bills tabled at the local and state levels. An overwhelming majority have been defeated, but several red states have adopted anti-trans legislation as a response to misinformation about the treatment of trans children. In response, some transgender Americans have sought to move to safer, "blue" states.

Where the Biden Administration has been an outspoken advocate for the trans community, Prime Minister Sunak and his government have inflamed, encouraged, and legitimized anti-trans rhetoric. During one session in the House of Commons, Sunak cracked an anti-trans joke in the presence of a murdered trans teenager's mother. Where U.S. states have declared sanctuaries, the British government intervened to veto Scotland's passing of a trans recognition bill. While the U.S. can account for groups formed at the local, state and national levels, the United Kingdom has few. Its most influential groups - Stonewall and Mermaid - have been damaged by investigations and controversy from the government’s “War on Woke.”

Though rooted in second-wave feminism, the 'gender critical' movement has rapidly and radically shifted from low-level debate about pronouns and bathrooms to an overt and virulent assault on transgender life in the U.K. and beyond. Trans individuals are deliberately and viciously exposed both in the media and on social media. Led partly by the likes of J.K. Rowling , they are malevolently conflated en masse with criminals, pedophiles, and groomers. They are thus branded in the public eye as dangerous predators that present a clear, existential threat to women and children.

The threat to transgender Britain, once marginal and sporadic, is now all-consuming. There is no escape. The transgender community is now targeted in effectively every aspect of life: from hospital wards to the classroom, hospitals to the workplace, and bathrooms to pronouns. When challenged on their anti-trans views, opponents invariably and oh-so-innocently return to the gently spoken, reasonable line that they are 'just asking questions.' That, somehow, trans lives are up for debate.

Yet poison, no matter how softly spoken, is still poison.

It is no surprise that an exodus of trans-Britons is underway. Perhaps the most distressing part of this tragedy has been the stark realization no minister or party is coming to rescue the trans community. In the U.K.'s culture war, the trans community is an acceptable target. In the end, it will not matter who delivers the fatal blow to transgender Britain, for it will be the crime of an entirely complicit society.

There will be no tears.

But when the British government issues an apology in twenty years—and it will issue an apology—they look forward to rejecting it with the utter vehemence and contempt it deserves.

Billie Burton is a British-American transwoman based in Boston, MA and a recent graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. As a geospatial expert working on war crimes and human rights, Billie currently serves as a NASA Lifelines fellow. In her spare time, Billie finds meaning in writing about the transgender community and mental illness.

Voices is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ + and Allied community. Visit Advocate.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of our stories. Email us at [email protected]. Views expressed in Voices stories are those of the guest writers, columnists and editors, and do not directly represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, equalpride.

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Billie burton.

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Project Management Advisor: Gender based violence prevention and response

Advertised on behalf of.

Yangon, MYANMAR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Aug-2024

Application Deadline :

10-Jul-24 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

1.7.2024 to 31.1.2025

Time left :

Languages required :.

English  

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

The Myanmar CO provides technical gender expertise and policy advice to cluster working groups and their members on gender in humanitarian action. UN Women is a member of the Myanmar Humanitarian Country Team, co-leads with UNFPA the Gender in Humanitarian Action Workstream and co-chairs with UNFPA and UNICEF the PSEA Network.

UN Women is contributing to the UN Transitional Cooperation Framework to ensure support for basic human rights and essential services for women and girls, including prevention of and early detection of and referral of GBV; and exploring livelihood opportunities in for women and girls in crisis-affected regions in Myanmar.

UN Women is recruiting a local GBV specialist with excellent project management expertise to help launch a joint programme on GBV prevention and response in crisis affected regions in consultation with UNFPA, implementing partners and the donor.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Country Representative a.i., the Project management advisor: Gender based violence prevention and response (PMA GBV)  and in direct collaboration with implementing partners, UNFPA and UN inter-agency coordination mechanisms on GBV, the PMA GBV will lead on the preparation and launch of a new programme on GBV prevention and response on behalf of UN Women.

1. Manage the preparation and launch of the GBV prevention and response programme on behalf of UN Women:

• Finalise the Programme document, the Programme Results Framework and the M&E plan.
• Provide overall programme advisory support to the programme, including the launch of the programme Steering Committee and the launch and management of the calls for proposals;
• Provide strategic and specialized technical advice on the development of systems, processes and mechanisms to support programme planning, implementation, monitoring and progress reporting.
• Review and evaluate proposals by implementing partners;

2. Manage the monitoring and reporting for the programme jointly with the M&E officer:

• Recommend and establish programme monitoring standards, criteria, and other indicators for measuring and assessing progress/results;
• Manage the monitoring of progress by civil society partners against mutually agreed results frameworks and performance indicators;
• Gather information and prepare report on progress of programme implementation for programme Steering Committee; prepare semi-annual  report;

3. Provide technical support to the implementation of the programme:

• Organize periodic meetings with UNFPA and implementing partners.
• Analyze and ensure alignment of IP budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
• Ensure programme quality control with partner civil society organizations and identification of potential challenges.

4. Develop and maintain partnerships and provide technical advice on gender mainstreaming and GBV in inter-agency  GBV coordination mechanisms

• Participate in GBV inter-agency coordination mechanism (protection cluster, GBV technical working groups)

Strengthen collaboration and partnership with other UN agencies and facilitate access to UN Women capacity

development initiatives.

• Provide knowledge management knowledge sharing between different partner civil society organizations and contribute to their dissemination (with the communication officer).

5.   Perform other duties as deemed needed by UN Women :

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

Yangon, Myanmar and mission travel is needed during the contracted period.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• Respect for Diversity 
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

Core Competencies: 

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues 
• Accountability 
• Creative Problem Solving 
• Effective Communication 
• Inclusive Collaboration 
• Stakeholder Engagement 
• Leading by Example 

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:  

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values  

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Strong programme designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills ·
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management ·
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making ·
• Strong knowledge of Thematic Area ·
• Strong analytical skills ·

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree in social sciences with a focus on gender, health, development studies or a related field is required, 5 years of relevant work experience with at least 4 focused on GBV, humanitarian assistance or livelihood provision.;

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing and managing GBV programmes, with a particular focus on gender and protection in emergencies;
• Technical experience in humanitarian inter-agency coordination;
• Experience working on durable solutions to displacement is an asset;
• Experience working with, and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations internationally and in the field;
• Experience of working with UN Agencies, especially UN Women, will be an asset
• Excellent reporting skills, knowledge of RBM and result-based reporting
• Fluency in Myanmar and in English is required;
• Knowledge of an additional Myanmar local language is an asset.

V. How to Apply 

• Personal P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• The contact details of three referees.
• Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials.

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The Sydney Morning Herald

• UK politics

JK Rowling, David Tennant clash over gender issues in UK election

By rob harris, save articles for later.

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London: In an election campaign lacking star power and pizzazz, the intervention of two British cultural icons has provided the biggest punch.

Last week David Tennant, the former star of Doctor Who and beloved Scottish actor, used an LGBT awards ceremony to launch an attack on Kemi Badenoch, the UK’s minister for women and equalities, over trans rights.

David Tennant and JK Rowling have made interventions in the UK election. Credit: Jamie Brown

“Until we wake up and Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist any more, I don’t wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up,” he said in his acceptance speech after being named a celebrity ally.

Backstage he went further, saying that his message to young trans people was that “it’s a tiny bunch of whinging little f---ers that are on the wrong side of history and they’ll all go away soon”.

The stoush, just days before Brits go to the polls, came amid a now-familiar political debate on transgender policy, with the issue becoming a key battleground in the election.

The Tories have accused Labour of planning to “dilute women’s rights” by introducing self-ID “by the back door”. They recently made an election pledge to make biological sex a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Gender reassignment is currently protected.

UK’s Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch. Credit: AP

Tennant, whose child is reportedly non-binary, said he was on the side of “human decency” and believed “everyone has the right to be who they want to be”.

“Pride is very important in our house, it’s a family affair – we have skin in the game so this event tonight thrills me.”

He became a prominent public advocate for trans kids over the past two years, famously wearing a T-shirt with the words “leave trans kids alone, you absolute freaks” to the launch of the second series of his Amazon Prime fantasy comedy series Good Omen s.

During her time in government, Badenoch has advocated for banning trans women from entering women’s toilets and sports teams to protect female rights and safety. Her campaign has involved several broadsides against the police, the media, the NHS and universities over their policies on transgender issues.

Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Credit: AP

She demanded an apology from Tennant and attempted to weaponise his comments to fuel a culture war.

“I will not shut up,” she posted on social media. “A rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can’t see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary James Cleverly were among those to leap to her defence.

But Dawn Butler, the Labour candidate for Brent East, weighed in to support Tennant, writing: “Not all Black women think the same. I agree with David Tennant.”

Among those to defend the woman who some predict could be a future Tory leader was fellow Scot, author JK Rowling.

The Harry Potter author – a long-time supporter of and donor to British Labour – has faced a sustained backlash in recent years over her outspoken stance on trans issues and her claims that trans women “are not women”.

She posted a BBC article on social media, which characterised Tennant and Badenoch’s public sparring as a “row”. Rowling labelled Tennant a part of the “gender Taliban”, accusing him of receiving “special dispensation” from the media, “for they are a holy caste”.

Sharing a screenshot of Tennant’s “tiny bunch of little whinging f---ers” comments, she said: “This man is talking about rape survivors who want female-only care, the nurses currently suing their health trust for making them change in front of a man, girls and women losing sporting opportunities to males and female prisoners incarcerated with convicted sex offenders”.

Trans rights activists take part in a protest against the ban on hormone blockers in London. Credit: Getty Images

Tennant, who portrayed Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , joined a growing list of the franchise’s actors who clashed with Rowling on trans issues.

In April, Rowling told Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson – who played Harry and Hermoine – to “save their apologies” for “traumatised detransitioners” after the stars made statements supporting transgender rights.

Rowling’s criticism of left-wing gender politics from the Scottish National Party and Labour has grown over recent years. In 2021, she was outraged when Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was “not right” for Rosie Duffield, a Labour MP who has stressed the importance of biological sex, to say that only women have a cervix.

In an article for The Times last month, Rowling said she had a “poor opinion” of Starmer’s character, claiming he was “dismissive and often offensive” in respect of women’s concerns about their sex-based rights.

Last week, Starmer clashed with a radio caller who accused him of speaking “absolute twaddle” over access to single-sex spaces.

Asked about Tennant’s comments, Starmer said he “wouldn’t have engaged” with the discussion in the same way.

To much criticism from the LGBTQ community, he hardened his stance this week, saying transgender women do not have a right to access female-only spaces, amid confusion over Labour’s stance on which toilets trans people should use.

In recent days, Labour clarified its position on transgender rights, with its health spokesman Wes Streeting saying the party would “modernise and reform” gender laws if it comes into power on July 4.

The party said it would keep the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria but that this could now be provided by a single clinician.

Labour has also offered to meet Rowling after Rachel Reeves, the would-be chancellor and the highest-ranking woman in a Starmer government, said she would be “really happy” to “give her assurances” over plans to change the process through which people can legally change gender.

But Rowling remains doubtful Labour is prepared to push back.

“As long as Labour remains dismissive and often offensive towards women fighting to retain the rights their foremothers thought were won for all time, I’ll struggle to support them,” she wrote.

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Sex, gender identity, trans status - data collection and publication: guidance

Guidance for public bodies on the collection of data on sex and gender.

I was asked by the then Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People to bring together a working group to look at the way data on sex and gender is collected and published, and put together guidance for public bodies.

This was announced at the same time as the Cabinet Secretary updated Scottish Parliament on plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in Scotland. While the two are not directly related, some groups had, in response to the proposals to reform gender recognition, raised concerns about the collection and use of data by sex and gender.

The scope of this work is about data collected and used by Scottish public bodies – for operational, statistical and research purposes. It is separate from Scotland's Census 2022.

The book "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado Perez, and work by a number of organisations, has also drawn attention to the frequency with which data is neither collected, aggregated or used in a way that takes account of the differences including biological and physical differences – between men and women, and their impact in areas such as transport, health and access to services.

I have brought together a group of experts in collecting and presenting data from across the UK . I have listened to the varied views and drawn my own conclusions from these. An important part of this work was making sure that the guidance is informed by evidence from a wide range of individuals and organisations with views based on a lived experience of these issues. To do this, I met a number of external stakeholders to listen to their views, as well as holding public engagement events to give everyone with an interest the opportunity to have their views heard. Finally, a public consultation was held on a draft version of this guidance.

I gathered together these insights and considered them when putting together this guidance.

Given the importance of this topic, it was important for me to carry out this work in a transparent way, so that people can see how it has been put together. To this end, I have been posting regular blog updates on my Statistics blog, as well as publishing all minutes from the working group meetings on the Scottish Government website.

My role as Chief Statistician brings with it responsibility for the coordination and implementation of professional statistical standards that help maintain trustworthiness in the use of data, its quality, and delivering improved outcomes for people in Scotland. In putting together this guidance I have, therefore, rooted the work in a set of widely accepted statistical principles. Whilst the concepts behind definitions are important, so too is having data that is high quality, and can be used to drive changes and improvements that will save time, money and lives – for the benefit of everyone.

Roger Halliday, Chief Statistician

Email: [email protected]

Update to section on collecting data on non-binary groups to include reference to Non-binary Action Plan.

Section 13 added following the publication of new guidance from the Office for Statistics Regulation.

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