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The Tory government of U.K. Prime Minster Rishi Sunak will block any effort by the government of Wales to push forward plans to reform gender-recognition laws that would allow transgender Welsh to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate without a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a government spokesperson told Britain’s leading LGBTQ news outlet.
In a statement to PinkNewsUK, a spokesperson from the Equalities Office told the LGBTQ+ news outlet the Tory-led government wants to ensure that “LGBT people are treated equally” but would not budge on permitting devolved reform of the GRA (Gender Recognition Act) in Wales.
On Tuesday, the Welsh government (Llywodraeth Cymru) in Cardiff announced that it had launched its LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales. Deputy Social Partnership Minister Hannah Blythyn said that Wales’ plan aims to improve the rights of LGBTQ people such as banning all aspects of so-called conversion therapy practice. She did acknowledge that but currently the Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) cannot make its own gender recognition laws.
The plans for improvement of the Gender Recognition Act to affect trans Welsh that has the backing of the Senedd Cymru is based on similar legislation put forward and by the Scottish Parliament.
Four weeks ago the conservative U.K. government in Westminster blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from being signed into law by King Charles III.
The Gender Recognition Reform bill introduced by the Scottish government in Parliament (Holywood) last spring was passed in a final 86-39 vote days before this past Christmas. The sweeping reform bill modifies the Gender Recognition Act, signed into law in 2004, by allowing trans Scots to gain legal recognition without the need for a medical diagnosis.
The measure further stipulates that age limit for legal recognition is lowered to 16.
There are those in and out of government in Britain and Wales claiming that reform would mean a safety issue for women and children.
“Ensuring that LGBT people are treated equally is a priority for this government. In recent months, we have committed to an inclusive ban on conversion practices, and we are taking steps to improve health care and eliminate new transmissions of HIV by 2030,” an Equalities Office spokesperson told PinkNews.
“We share the concerns that others have set out with proposed reforms to the GRC application process, particularly around safety issues for women and children.
“As a result of this, there are no plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act in England or Wales.”
Having a GRC allows trans people to update their birth certificate, get married or form a civil partnership in their affirmed gender, update their marriage or civil partnership certificate, and have their affirmed gender on their death certificate.
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