Background to the GRA

[Thenagainmaybenot]

Please can someone help me with a 2 sentence explanation for why the GRA was originally introduced? I know it was because of the government opposition to same sex marriage but can't get it quite straight in my head.

Am I right in thinking it was introduced to give transwomen to right to marry a male (and transmen the right to marry a female) and not to do so would breach their human rights?

I can't understand why it did at that time if it was not legal for a male to marry another male? Presumably it was also to do with the right to privacy? A transwoman could not explain why she could not legal marry her male partner?

Am I right in thinking it was introduced to give transwomen to right to marry a male (and transmen the right to marry a female)

Yes, I think that was the primary reason.

I can't understand why it did at that time if it was not legal for a male to marry another male?

Many homophobes seem much more comfortable with the idea of transition than homosexuality. You see this with Iran's treatment of gay men or with some of the stories of parents of trans people.

It was much easier to get through an exception for 5000 people with a medical condition than to pass an equal marriage act.

If you read the records of the HoL debate at the time, they were much more comfortable with creating a legal fiction for some males than with gay marriage.

They also discussed all the potential things that could go wrong, pretty much all of which have now happened and much more besides.

I have a feeling equality of pension rights were involved too? Also now fixed. The GRA is being re purposed.

I did a quick search, these threads might help (I haven't read through them all, apologies if they are useless!)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3388507-Fascinating-background-on-parliamentary-questions-re-the-original-GRA-bill

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3388967-Illuminating-Twitter-thread-about-the-origins-of-the-Gender-Recognition-Act

Actually it looks at a quick glance that the second thread has the same twitter thread as the first, but the comments on the threads give different views

You're spot on, OP.

It arose from a dispute between the UK gov't and the European Court for Human Rights about the European Convention on Human Rights - specifically Article 8 - the right to private life and Article 12 - the right to marry.

Thank you!