Transitioning - formalities

[Crwban]

As it stands, how does someone gain a GRC? I'm not talking about Self ID (yet), I'd like to try and understand what someone needs to experience/pursue, in order to gain a GRC.

Trying to understand something on Twitter and I made a comment about the push for Self ID surely being an own goal, especially in light of the many claims that Trans people are already very vulnerable.

I said that surely Self ID does away with support and someone replied "what support"?! I realise I don't actually know and I need to learn!

About to have dinner. Is there something helpful here?

[[
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3145470-Break-it-down-for-me]]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3145470-Break-it-down-for-me

gov.uk www.gov.uk/apply-gender-recognition-certificate

Juliet Jacques wrote a transitioning diary for the guardian (begins 2010 and continues over 2 plus years) I don’t think Jacques mentions the application for a certificate (might do, can’t remember!) but it’s a good step by step journey from first GPs visit onwards.

The waiting times have gone up since then, but otherwise it’s still the same process, if you follow the NHS pathway. I would imagine it’s a lot harder to get a GRC if you opted for private medical care and don’t have the NHS records/known doctors for the GRC panel to refer to:

This is the first entry: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/02/transgender-journey

And this link lists them all (but from last entry backwards)

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/transgender-journey

Mumsnet poster HomefromtheHills was an early recipient of a GRC and has written some pretty detailed and very interesting posts about it. They are scattered across multiple threads but here’s one that Google pulled up:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3309112-Who-is-trans-re-GRA

And Reddit ‘TransgenderUK’ forum has various personal accounts of recent applications.

Thanks both.
Will
Have a good read tonight.

1. Apply for a certificate to a gender recognition panel (experts in gender identity, one would suppose). Pay £140 (I believe). The panel then requires the following:
2. Provide 2 medical/psychological reports confirming diagnosis of gender dysphoria, one must be from a specialist in gender identity issues. If any medical/surgical treatment has been done/is proposed then it should be described in the report(s), but it is not a requirement. You can obtain a GRC without any medical/surgical changes being made.
3. Have 2 years ‘lived experience’ in the acquired gender. Names can be changed (on utility bills, passport, drivers license etc) without a GRC, and people can dress/present as their acquired gender.
4. Sign a statutory declaration that they intend to live ‘as’ their acquired gender until death
5. Provide any other evidence the panel requests to prove the above eg utility bills in the new name etc.

The panel then decides whether to issue a certificate or not. The overwhelming proportion are accepted.

I understand form previous posters on here that the tricky bit is getting the medical sign off. It can be done privately but that is expensive. It is possible that people are not getting medical sign off because of lack of suitably qualified people ( hat a time when even contraceptive services are struggling with demand) or if the problem is that the professional does not always agree with the self diagnosis ( for example if a gay boy has been socialised to think of themselves as a woman by refligious parents , then the medics may think that other treatement may be more appropriate)

Private care doesn't delay the process of getting a GRC - lots of people go private because of the waiting list, it is a well established pathway.

This is the NHS treatment pathway. Private is similar but without such long waiting lists.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/

Although official guidance is that hormones should only be prescribed after someone has 'real life experience' of living as their target gender, then it is common for people to self-medicate with hormones brought online, not necessarily having any formal medical involvement. This is much cheaper and simpler for trans women, as they can use birth control pills for hormones.

Sign a statutory declaration that they intend to live ‘as’ their acquired gender until death

What power or standing does this have in law - are there consequences? And if not, what's the point? I'm thinking of that case recently where someone had flip-flopped a few times.

for example if a gay boy has been socialised to think of themselves as a woman by refligious parents , then the medics may think that other treatement may be more appropriate)

Interesting example because it puts me in mind of Iran.

Iran is one of a handful of countries where homosexual acts are punishable by death. Clerics do, however accept the idea that a person may be trapped in a body of the wrong sex. So homosexuals can be pushed into having gender reassignment surgery - and to avoid it many flee the country.

www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29832690

UndercoverGC I realise that going private speeds up the medical process (just due to not having to wait) what I was wondering about is if doing the overseas private route (with no NHS diagnosis of gender dysphoria) would go against you at panel (something I’ve seen people fretting over on TG forums).

Have you known anyone who has actually come up against that or is it just a theoretical worry that I’ve come across?

this is really interesting and has given me more insight.

Is there support offered in an official capacity as part of the process I.e counselling services, or is that something that people would seek elsewhere (online)?

silentcrow I think it’s the intent that is key. Technically, making a false statutory declaration is punishable with a prison sentence. But how do you prove someone was lying about their intent? They could change their mind later, but still have intended it to be a permanent state at the time of making the declaration.

This is one question not yet answered for me. Pro legal self-ID people claim that a statutory declaration is a safeguard in itself because if you make one falsely, you can go to prison. I don’t see how you could ever prove someone made that declaration falsely, it’s about intent. That’s why the diagnosis criteria is key for me I think. It provides additional evidence outside of the person’s own mind as it were. And the 2 years lived experience proves persistence.

Should have mentioned, the list I posted is ‘standard’ track. There’s also ‘alternative’ track if the applicant is married/in a civil partnership when the spouse has to agree. And overseas track meaning the UK recognised any gender recognition certificate acquired in another country (there’s a specified list - which does include some countries which accept self-ID).