In December 2022, the Scottish Government passed its Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) with overwhelming cross-party support from Members of the Scottish Parliament after many years of consultation, review and discussion.
The UK Government is now considering challenging the Scottish Government’s mandate to implement this bill by ending reciprocal recognition of Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) from all countries that support trans people changing their legal gender using a self-determination mode - including Canada, Australia and New Zealand - after the UK has accepted them for years.
Seeking to end this system is an extraordinary move that is not based on any evidence or experience.
It sends a clear message that the UK Government does not feel trans people are worthy of respect in our society; instead, they are a threat to contain.
These moves also directly oppose the inclusive values that characterise modern Britain and will actively harm the UK’s international reputation as an open, diverse and dynamic society - an important reason why global corporations who proudly support LGBTQ+ rights are attracted to doing business in the UK.
We implore the Prime Minister to stop this unnecessary and damaging action immediately and instead recognise the significant positive contribution of trans people across the UK.
Statement Signatories
Paul Roberts OBE
Chief Executive of Consortium
Pip Gardner
Chief Executive of The Kite Trust
Ian Howley
Chief Executive of LGBT HERO
Osman Mohammed
Outreach Volunteer at Hidayah LGBT
Tina Carnally
Director of Forward CIC
Berkeley Wilde
Chief Executive of The Diversity Trust CIC
Daniel Hibbs-Woodings
Committee Member of First Brick Housing
Dr Siddhi Joshi
Chair person of British Asian LGBTI
Nichola Queen
Director of Trans Safety Network CIC
Tyler Chitty
Chairman of Herne bay LGBTQ+ society
Vicki Mulligan
Chair of the Board of Trustees for Sparkle - The National Transgender Charity
John McKernaghan
Chief Officer of The Brunswick Centre
Lisa Charlwood-Green
Director of The WOW Network
Aubrey Crawley
Founder of West London Queer Project
Susan Hart
Secretary of Scottish Borders LGBT Equality
Nigel Whitfield
Director of Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub
Marcus Morgan
Chair of The Bisexual Index
Lauren Bowen
Director of Pure Professional Fundraising Ltd
Leith Ramage
Chairman of The TIN Wardrobe
Ellis Beardsmore
Director of Pride Outside CIC
Andy Hunt
CEO of Intercom Trust
Katie Vicent
CEO of Allsorts Youth Project
Christos Bitzis-Politis
Club Secretary & Welfare Officer of London Frontrunners
Stewart O'Callaghan
CEO of Live Through This
Cat Hurst-McGahey
Chair of LGBT+ Northern Social Group
Richard Euston
Head of Charity of Chester Pride
Lukasz Konieczka
Executive Director of Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons' Trust
Karen Skipper
CEO of Spectra
Oscar Hoyle
Company Director of Blossom LGBT CIC
Lisa Harvey-Nebil
CEO of The Proud Trust
Richard Stevens
Chair of Pride in Gloucestershire
Sarah Furley
Chair of Trustees at FFLAG
Jordan Daly
Director of Time for Inclusive Education
Jacob Bayliss
Chief Executive Officer of Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard
Lizzie Jordan
CEO of Think2Speak
Shea Coffey
Co-founder of Medway Pride Radio
Sue Jones
Head of Operations at Ditch The Label
Ste Dunn
Director of Northern Pride Events Ltd
Carl Austin-Behan OBE
Lead of Greater Manchester Pride Network
Avi Kay
Chair of Bi Pride UK
Daniel Huw Bowen
Director of Paned o Gê
Ian Pearson-Brown
Treasurer of United with Pride
Helen Belcher OBE
Managing Director of TransActual
Jen Yockney MBE
Editor of Bi Community News
Miss saHHara Iris
President / Executive Producer of Miss Trans Global
Ashley Spiers
Director of LGBT Bedfordshire
Harvey Kennedy-Pitt
Chief Executive Officer of Black Beetle Health
Jenny-Anne Bishop OBE
Chairperson of Unique Transgender Network / TransForum Manchester
Stephen Bowyer
Chairperson of Stockport Pride
Tim Whitehead
Artistic Director of Happy Valley Pride
Tor Docherty
Chief Executive of New Family Social
Keira Evans
Volunteer for Trans Aid Cymru
Teresa Sharpe
CEO of elop
Josephine Shaw
Co-founder of Trans Legal Project
Paul Murray
Secretary of Fife Pride
Kevin Wright
Festival Director Pride Bolton
Rev David Austin
Chair of Oldham Pride
Rachel Reese & Emma Cusdin
Global Butterflies
Lisa Cordery-Bruce
Trustee of Pride Cymru
Jack Earley-Fagg
Chair of TransBareAll
Adam Tipping
Chairperson of Wolds Pride
Revd Jide Macaulay
Founder of House Of Rainbow CIC
Matthew Lloyd
National Co-Chair of LGBT+ Labour
Stephanie Fuller
CEO of Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline
Scott Williams
Chair of Wigan Pride
Kirsty Lewiis
Director of Trans-Staffordshire
Peter Angwyn Evans
Senior Pastor at Metropolitan Community Church of North London
Tim Fellows
CEO of Enfield LGBT Network
Sarah Moore
Director at London LGBTQ+ Community Centre
Kai L Millar
Reverend of Northern Lights Metropolitan Community Church
Bobbi Pickard
CEO of Trans in the City
Mark Kelvin
Chief Executive Officer of LGBT Health and Wellbeing
Helen R Walsh
CEO of Space Youth Project
Jack A Chapman
Chair of Navigate Brighton
Nancy Kelley
Chief Executive of Stonewall
Santi Sorrenti
Director of G(end)er Swap CIC
Adalberto Lonardi
Chief Creative Director of Katherine Low Settlement
Ellen Hill
Operations Manager of Yorkshire MESMAC
Sarah Maslen
Founder and CEO of Undivided Consultancy
Rebecca Davies
Founder of Branding By Becca
Stuart Duffy
Founder of Pink Saltire
Steph Keeble
Director of Birmingham LGBT
John Scott
Director of Skoosh Media Scotland
Sage M Stephanou
Managing Director of Radical Therapist Network CIC
Christopher Howard
Lead for Intertech LGBT+ Diversity Forum
Christopher Joell-Deshields
Chief Executive for Pride in London
Miss Kathryn Downs
Chair person of Chase Pride CIO
Natalie Bowen
Vice Chair person of RCT Pride
Anna Kear
CEO of Tonic Housing
Katy Harrad
Team Member of London BiFest
Louise Beardsmore
Director of Pride Outside CIC
Fergal McCullough
Director of The Manchester Men's Room
Spencer Blackwell
Chair of Trans Pride South West
Capt Catherine S Burton FRAeS
Chair of GIRES
Dr Alexander Rhys
Chair of It Gets Better UK
Michael Steven
Finance Director of Trans Pride NI
Bryony Beynon
Co-Founder of Good Night Out Campaign CIC
Lucie Brooke
Director of Free2B Alliance
Matt Taylor-Roberts
Managing Director of Proud 2 b parents
Steve Williamson
Chief Executive Officer of Cara-Friend
Avril Clark
Owner of Distinction Partner Support
Nicki Lambert
Business Manager of Trans In The City Ltd
Chris Porter
Wellbeing Team Lead (LGBTQ+) of YPAS- GYRO- LGBTQ+ Youth Liverpool
David Wheeler
Group Co-ordinator of Families Together London - Transgender (FTL-T)
Wendy Checksfield
Area Manager of Porchlight BeYou Project
Dr Paul Martin OBE
Chief Executive of LGBT Foundation
Rory Finn
Co-founder of Trans Can Sport
Lauren Stoner
Interim CEO of Mermaids
Giulia Tanasi
Chair of Queer Wandsworth
Zelly Lisanework
Co-Founder and Co-Director of House of Guramayle CIC
Georgia Day
LGBTQ+ Community Link Worker for The Gathering Cardiff
Alec Scott Rook
Founder of TMSA-UK (Trans Masculine Support & Advice UK)
Vic Tanner Davy MBE
CEO of Liberate Jersey
Paul Kemp
Director of Brighton and Hove Pride
Naomi Bennett
CEO of Lesflicks Ltd
Iain Smith
Secretary / Trustee of The Hive LGBT+ Centre
Dave Moreton
Community Advocate for LGBT+ Open House, Oasis Church Waterloo London
Matthew Higgins
Trustee of Walsall Pride
Monty Moncrieff
Chief Executive of London Friend
Ian Pearson-Brown
Co-chair of Pride in Tennis
Daniele Lul
Community Engagement Director of ParaPride
Nick Lewis
Director of Umbrella Cymru
John O'Doherty
Director of The Rainbow Project
Michael Gettins
Chair of Arran Pride
Reece Holmes
Project and Devt Lead Salford Pride
Martha Dunkley
Director CliniQ CIC
Chris Fox
Joint Chair of Pride on the Range
Tonii Bell
Managing Director of Arcus LGBT CIC
Dr Alfredo Carpineti PhD
Chair of Pride in STEM
Chris Everall
Treasurer and Trustee of Exmouth Pride
Dylan Lewis-Creser
Co-Chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens
Evie Brooks
National Co-Chair of LGBT+ Labour
Erin Lux
Co-Convenor of Out for Independence, the LGBTQ affiliate of the SNP
Daniel Browne
Chair of Trustees, Warwickshire Pride
Reverend Michael Hydes
Senior Pastor at The Village Metropolitan Community Church
Anya McKenna
CEO of Cheltenham Pride
Tyler Hatwell
Executive Director & Founder of Traveller Pride
Dr Lady Stephanie Holmes PhD MBCS
Chief Executive Officer of Chrysalis Transsexual Support
Zoe Grant
Youth Manager at Breakout Youth
Steven McIntyre
Chief Executive Officer of Stonewall Housing
Tim Spoor MBE
Chief Executive of AKT
Mark Fletcher
CEO of Manchester Pride
Louie Stafford
Founder & Managing Director of Learnest CIC
Cole Banton
Host of T Time Podcast
Danielle St James
Chief Executive of Not A Phase
Berny Simcox
CEO of The Wild Mind Project
Davinia-Louise Green
Director of Stonewall Cymru
Tom Doyle
CEO of Yorkshire MESMAC
Mark Nichols
Director of Pride World Media
Will Watters
Founder of Connexons LGBT Fife
Colin Macfarlane
Director Nations of Stonewall
Ignacio Labayen de Inza
CEO of CONTROLLING CHEMSEX
Emily Metcalfe
Chair of LGBT+ Lit Fest
Matt Wester
Community Support Worker of Rainbow Heartlands LGBT+
Sarah Savage
Chief Executive of Trans Pride Brighton
Ray Carter
LGBT Partnership Stakeholder Engagement Officer of LGBT Partnership
Zoe Richards
Chair of Queerfest
Lewis Turner
Chief Executive of Lancashire LGBT
Ian Walllace
Business Director of Gaydio
Quinn Collins
Chair of Prism LGBTQ+ Coventry
Deejay Bullock
CEO of Four Pillars
Matthew Kenworthy Gomes
Chief Executive of Cornwall Pride CIO
Jayne Ozanne
Director of Ozanne Foundation
Niranjan Kamatkar
Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Wise Thoughts
Sebastian Rocca
Founder and CEO of Micro Rainbow
Tashnuva Anan
Executive Director of Inclusive Bangladesh
Amy Roch
Deputy CEO of Galop
Lucy & Avril Clark
Founders of Trans Radio UK Group
Cara English
Head of Public Engagement at Gendered Intelligence
Tyler White
Chairman of Dursley Pride
Anna-Maria Tesfaye
CEO of Queer Svit
Andi Herring
CEO of LCR Pride Foundation
Stiofan O’Ceallaigh
Director of Balaclava.Q
Ben Vincent
Research Co-ordinator of Trans Learning Partnership
Rebecca Joseph Hazell
Director of Rebecca Hazell
Chris Jepson
Artist of Chris Jepson Photography
Biff Nesbitt
Participation Youth Worker, LGBTQIA+ for Youth Empowerment Service, Newham
James Braun
Founder and Chair of Unicorns LGBTQIA+ Netball Club
Amy Roberts
Chairperson of Friends of the Joiners Arms
Ian Pearson-Brown
Founder of Geordie Grand Slammers
Max and Maya Price
Founders of Proud2Be CIC
Jake Short
Incoming Chair of Sutton LGBTQ Forum
Chiara Razzi Di Nunzio
Organisation Representative for YAG - Young Adult Group
William Cox
Operations Manager of Generate
Andrew Evans
CEO of METRO Charity
Aderonke Apata
Founder & CEO of African Rainbow Family
Naomi Bennett
CEO of Sapphic Services
Kieran Bohan
Coordinator of Open Table Network
Debbie Brixey
Chair of Oxford Pride
Richard Williams
CEO of Swansea YMCA
Dr J Gosling
Co Chair of Regard
Gavin Brown
Chief Executive of Trade Sexual Health
Iain Anderson
Chair of Stonewall
Ricki Hewitt
Head of People Salford Pride
George Nicholls
CEO of Inkluder CIC
Leila Zadeh
Executive Director of Rainbow Migration
David Catterall DL
Co Chair of Bury LGBTQI+ Forum
and Bury Pride
Bryan Beresford
Community & Inclusion Manager for Your Trust
Charlotte P
Committee Chair of Tameside Pride
Carol Robinson
Director of Sh-OUT Northeast
Kate Howarth
Project Manager for Humankind LGBT+ North East
Lily Soaper
National Secretary of LGBT+ Labour
Rev Dwayne Morgan
Pastor and Chair of Inclusive Community Church
Jamie Wareham
Founder of QueerAF
Ocean Riley
Chairperson of Bromsgrove Pride
Heather Paterson
Chief Executive Officer of SAYiT (Sheena Amos Youth Trust)
Lucia Thompson
Freedom Team Manager at Freedom, Off The Record
Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston
Moderator of Metropolitan Community Churches