Today ILGA announced that the UK has fallen down to number 14 in the European Rainbow List. This news is sad, but also sadly inevitable. (1/4) This year we have seen the government discriminating against trans people in respect of a ban on conversion practices. (2/4)

If you're trans, 18+ and UK based, we need you. We especially need to hear from you if you're Black, of South Asian Heritage or over 35.

Why? In short because those groups of people are currently under represented in our responses.

tinyurl.com/TransitionSurv…

More FAQs...(1/6)

https://twitter.com/TransActualUK/status/1507028248194166789

Who is eligible to take part?
Any UK based trans (including non-binary) person over 18. For those that have medically transitioned , it doesn't matter how long ago it was - we still want to hear from you! (2/6)

Islington Council and London Metropolitan University are looking for adults who identify as LGBTQI+ to participate in a research project exploring LGBTQI+ experiences of inequality in Islington. Over the course of 5 workshops in April & May 2022, selected participants will work with local LGBTQI+ filmmakers, using practical activities to learn the art of documentary filmmaking & explore how to make meaning from video footage they produce in order to tell their stories.

With news from the government that there won’t be an announcement on the Gender Recognition Act until September, we know that a lot of people will be feeling frustrated, upset or angry. It would be easy to be despondent right now, but take heart. (1/10) Things were looking bleak. We thought that we might be facing a bathroom bill. But trans people and our allies spoke up, we pushed back have given the government pause to reconsider any decisions they might have been about to make. (2/10)

We’re dismayed to find out that a number of local authorities have dropped their trans inclusion guidance for schools - not because the guidance is incorrect but because of pressure from a litigious pressure group. (1/n) Just to be clear, schools still have a duty under the Equality Act (2010) to #SupportTransKids and that won’t change, it’s just that many local authorities don’t have a best practice document that explains how to do it. Thankfully the education unions do. (2/n)

The Scottish Government is consulting on proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Here's what trans people are asking for from a reformed GRA.

(Accessibility info to follow) The Scottish Government is consulting on proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Here's what trans people are asking for from a reformed GRA.

We asked hundreds of trans people what changes are needed to the UK’s Gender Recognition Act. This is what some of them told us.

There’s a myth that trans children and young people are somehow fast tracked into medical transition. However, that couldn’t be further from the case. (1/n) The waiting time for GIDS is 2+ years. Then if there is parental consent (unless the young person is over 16), there’s at least a year of assessment. If appropriate, puberty blockers are then prescribed. By the way, puberty blockers have been in use for more than 30 years.(2/n)

What does press transphobia look like?
1. Misuse of language. For example, referring to trans men as “girls”, referring to trans women as “trans identified men”. There are 2 significant issues with this. First of all, it ignores trans people’s identities. (1/n) Second, when this practice is widespread in the media, it makes it harder for trans people to talk to others about themselves or the issues affecting us, as people often don’t understand what a trans man is or what a trans woman is (often they get it the wrong way round). (2/n)

On the court case about consent to puberty blockers:
1. They’re designed to stop puberty, prescribing them at 18 is not going to prevent puberty. They’re prescribed at the onset of puberty for obvious reasons. However....(1/n) 2. Children & young people wait for approx 2 years to be seen by GIDS. There’s then at least a year of assessment before blockers are prescribed.
3. Hormones are only prescribed at 16 or older, when the young person has been on blockers for at least a year. (2/n)

Today @thetimes continues its misinformation campaign about trans people, specifically trans kids (4 articles).

Here we go again:
1. The Gender Identity Development Service require parental consent to treat under 16s. (1/9) 2. The wait for treatment from the Gender Identity Development service is 2 years. After that the assessment process is lengthy.
3. Some kids might explore their identity & conclude that they're not trans. That's what the assessment process is for. (2/9)