Birth, death and marriage certificates plastered over government building in protest over gender laws
Trans protestors stuck fake ID certificates in opposition of the GRA reform being blocked in Scotland (Trans Aid Cymru)
Protesters in Wales have stuck death, marriage and birth certificates to a UK government building in protest of Westminster’s blocking of Scottish gender recognition reform.
The small activist-led group Trans Aid Cymru wanted to “make clear” its desire for the UK government to overturn its decision.
The protestors stuck homemade certificates to the windows of the building in the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
In a December vote in the Scottish parliament, MSPs backed a bill to make obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) simpler and easier for trans people. The UK government announced on 16 January that it would block the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland (GRR) bill from passing into law.
Welsh politicians recently spoke about their goal of bringing a similar bill to Wales, but this has already been kiboshed by Westminster.
‘Jeopardising the dignity of trans people’
Trans Aid Cymru – just one of countless LGBTQ+ groups to condemn Sunak’s use of a Section 35 order to block the GRR bill – said in a statement it was “dissatisfied” with the government’s decision.
“Our aim is to show the UK government that they are jeopardising the dignity of trans people by robbing us of the opportunity to be legally recognised as who we are,” the group told PinkNews about the birth certificate protest.
“We believe that all people have a right to live, marry and die as their true selves. Denying us the ability to be legally recognised by our lived experiences dehumanises us.”
The group went on to describe how it has heard from people who’ve decided not to get married, due to their marriage certificate misgendering them.
It added that many trans and non-binary people are scared of dying, due to the death certificate being marked with the wrong gender.
“We are taking this action in order to show the UK government that we are dissatisfied with its decision and make clear our desire for it to overturn this decision to show respect for both trans people and Scottish devolution.”
The Scottish GRR bill would make it easier for trans people to update the sex marker on their birth, marriage and death certificates, as well as opening up the application process to 16 and 17 year olds for the first time.
It has been wrongfully suggested by both prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, that the bill would have a negative impact on single-sex spaces.
Trans people are able to access spaces in line with their gender identity without a GRC.
Campaign for trans ‘dignity in death’
A campaign has recently been launched to give Brianna Ghey – and other trans people – dignity in death, allowing them to have the correct gender markers on their death certificate.
Brianna Ghey, 16, was killed in a park in Warrington just on 11 February. But under UK law, only those aged 18 and over are able to obtain a GRC.
Now, one campaigner has launched a bid to get Ghey a posthumous GRC. Using the hashtag #DignityForBrianna, she is calling on trans people and their allies to email their MPs and speak to their loved ones about the cause.
Two teenagers, both aged 15, have been charged with Ghey’s murder, with the trial due to begin in July. They cannot be named for legal reasons.
