Gender change plans welcomed by campaigners

Plans to make it more simple for transgender people to choose their legal sex have been welcomed by equal rights campaigners in Scotland. The UK government announced yesterday that it will consult on reforms allowing trans people to change the gender on their birth certificates by self declaration.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed last year to reforming gender recognition law in line with international best practice and the Scottish Government will consult on the same change for Scotland at the end of the summer.

Campaigners said the proposed reform would mean trans people could have their birth certificate altered without having to provide “intrusive” psychiatric reports and other evidence.