This is a very interesting thread on the issue of self-id (self-id being the policy currently used as a tool to drum up hatred against trans people, specifically trans women, more widely):
I'll include it all below for those who don't want to scroll through on twitter:
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The proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act (2004) in order to allow trans people to self-identify, without the necessity for a medical diagnosis and two-years of treatment, has unsurprisingly been fodder for TERF trolls
But it also seems to have provoked a lot of anxiety among v. reasonable women who consider themselves allies to trans people, why?
Because, these people are worried that the proposed changes will mean that *anyone* could self-identify as “trans” and wander into women’s only spaces
So, here are some secrets (they’re not secret, this information is widely available, trans people are not hiding it from you) about being trans for cis people feeling concerned about the implications of this bill
1.We’re already allowed to use the spaces that align with our gender identity
The GRA is not the piece of law that protects a trans persons right to use spaces which align with their gender identity. That’s the Equality Act (2010). We've been here the whole time.
2. You do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate to be Trans*
In fact, a GRC is about the last thing any trans person will get as part of their transition. To get a GRC you have to have been “living in role” for 2 years, and be able to demonstrate this with official documentation, most commonly a name change.
What is “living in role”? Well, it’s bureaucracy speak for presenting in your preferred gender *to everyone*. That means not just coming out to a few friends, but changing your name by deed poll or statutory declaration, presenting full time in your preferred gender, etc.
So, that means, anyone obtaining a GRC will already have been known by their preferred name and pronouns for at least 2 years, they may also have been receiving medical treatment for that amount of time – sometimes longer
That’s right, you don’t necessarily need an official name change to begin medical intervention
So really, *and here’s the kicker*, to be a trans person in the UK, all you really have to do is *self-identify as trans*
Mostly, it goes a little bit like this: Me: I’m trans, I’ve been feeling this for a while and I’m finally ready to do something about it. Please refer me to a specialist. My GP: Okay.
*waits* *waits some more* GIC: So, you’re Trans* – tell me about your experience. Let’s check in in 6 months. *six months later* GIC: Still trans? Okay, if you want we’ll prescribe some hormones. Me: *starts hormones*
BUT, some trans people can’t or don’t want to take hormones, or receive medical interventions, that doesn’t make them any less trans, or make their gender identity any less valid.
Quick aside: I do wonder how cis people think trans people *become* trans if not by self-identifying. This isn’t Hogwarts, we don’t get picked out of a hat, or have a letter fall from the sky. My GRC didn’t just arrive in the post one day and then I sprouted a beard and was trans
For some people, myself included, it isn’t easy to get those official bits of paper the GRC needs you to have had for 2 years. Changing your name officially is very easy to do, but if you’re financially dependent on others, or have other things going on it can take a while
So many will have actually been “living in role” for a while before any of that official paperwork comes in, and may have started on treatment etc. too
Someone may have been taking hormones for several years before they get a GRC, where then do you draw the line and so, well you’re a *genuine* trans person?
3. The GRC doesn’t actually *do* very much.
It may have become apparent that I do not have a GRC, and I actually don’t need one to get by in my day-to-day life. I have a passport and driving licence both of which are in my preferred name and gender
You can apply for these as soon as your name change is official. To change the gender on your passport you also need a letter from your GP to confirm the change is likely to be permanent. Again, these are official documents you self-identify in order to get
The GRC itself really gets you very little. With a GRC you can apply to have your birth certificate changed. You also need it to change your gender with HMRC. Those are the only things I have not been able to change without a GRC
When was the last time anyone asked to see your birth certificate in daily life, let alone when you were trying to access a changing room or swim class? It doesn’t happen
It baffles me what people think they are asking for when they say trans women shouldn’t be allowed in women’s spaces. What is the test here? Are we going to have passport checks on the door?
Oh wait, I don’t need a GRC to get a passport.
The material difference this change will make to even trans peoples day-to-day existence is practically zero.
What it does make a difference to is the levels of bureaucracy, psychological stress, medicalization etc. we have to wade through, and time we have to wait, to bring all our paperwork into line and justify our existence.
4. Trans men exist.
I know its hard to believe that anyone would opt to be a man, I feel that way myself regularly, but it does happen
When cis women say they don’t want trans women in women's spaces – because the system might be abused, because they weren’t socialised along the same lines, etc. – I always wonder: does that mean they want me in there?
Or my bigger, hairier, more masculine trans brothers?
If the genitals maketh the gender then you are not just asking for trans women out, you are asking for trans men in, and in reality I don’t think that is what you want…
5. It’s much more dangerous for us than it is for you.
The first time I used the men’s room I was terrified: what if I was spotted? What if someone says something? What if I get hurt? The same fears exist for trans women.
According to Stonewall, over a third of trans people in the UK (41%) have been the victim of a hate crime in the last 12 months; more than a quarter have been the victim of domestic abuse; 1:4 have experienced homelessness.
Nearly half of all trans people (48%) avoid using public bathrooms for fear of harassment and discrimination. All these figures can be found in Stonewall’s comprehensive Trans Report
Entering a gendered space can be terrifying for a trans person, especially someone early in their transition. What they are doing is honest, and brave, and ultimately should not be a big deal. We all just want somewhere to pee.
6. Sexual harassment is illegal
That’s it really, this doesn’t need more explanation, changing the GRA will not change the fact that harassment is illegal.
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