Today I saw a petition on the UK Parliament petitions website which I actually felt was worth signing. Most of them are just bullshit or pointless, but this one is important to a lot of people I know and is something that might actually get changed.
However, the petition process isn't really going to get it done. What'll get it done is asking each or our elected representatives (which you can do really easily through WriteToThem) asking if they can help raise this issue.
So I've written to my local MP, and kept a copy below. If you think asking trans and non-binary gender people to justify their existence is wrong, then maybe you could sign the petition and write to your MP too.
Dear Douglas Chapman,
There is currently a petition on the UK Government petition website which I would like to draw to your attention in the hope that you can help to take action on it.
Here is the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104639/
This petition seeks to change the process for transgender people's legal recognition of their correct gender. Currently this is performed by a Gender Recognition Panel, and evidence is required to be presented to 'prove' their gender identity. This is costly, time-consuming, and demeaning. It also works on a simplistic assumption of 'binary' gender identities, which does not reflect the real-world experience of many people. I appreciate that unless you have an existing interest in this area the concept of a non-binary gender identity is confusing, here is a link which I hope will help explain: http://gender.wikia.com/wiki/Non-binary
As a cisgender male, no one will ever make me justify my gender identity and I feel that it is profoundly unfair to demand that trans and non-binary gender people are made to jump through these hoops in order to be legal recognised for who they are.
I believe that the Gender Recognition Act 2004 which governs this is Westminster legislation and applies to the whole of the UK, including Scotland. This does not appear to be an issue devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and anything you can do to help raise this issue in parliament would be appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
John Daniels