Let trans people self-identify their gender, Corbyn urges May
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Jeremy Corbyn has challenged Theresa May to allow people to self-identify as transgender without having to go through medical checks, pledging that Labour would support any government attempt to change the law.
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But Corbyn said May would have his support if she scrapped the requirement for trans people to undergo medical tests, and instead allowed them to self-identify their gender, saying legislation could be passed with Labour backing if the Tories and DUP had a free vote.
“Discrimination has gone on too long. The Gender Recognition Act does not allow trans people to self-identify their gender and forces them to undergo invasive medical tests. This is wrong,” he said.
“Labour recognised this in our manifesto, pledging to update the act. Theresa May told Pink News that ‘changes need to be made’ but failed to include anything on this in the Conservative manifesto.
“So, I say to her today, Labour will help you keep your promise. Bring forward a bill to update the act and improve trans rights and Labour will back you. You can give your MPs and the DUP a free vote and Labour will make it law.”
There is no mention in the article of legal recognition of nonbinary genders, which is disappointing. I am a little nervous of a shoving-us-under-the-bus situation, even though this would be a hugely positive step for binary trans people.
Relatedly, Labour included recognition of nonbinary genders in its 2017 election manifesto, and we will probably be counted in the next UK census in 2021. If they were to update the Gender Recognition Act 2004 it would be surprising if they didn’t include nonbinary genders in the new gender recognition system.
