Transgender: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:31, 1 April 2026

Transgender is a term applied to people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. It is often shortened to trans.

A trans woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth; a trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. Both terms describe the person's current gender identity, not the sex they were assigned at birth. Non-binary people identify as neither exclusively male nor female. Transgender is used as an umbrella term encompassing all of these identities.

In Scotland, the legal definition of transgender also includes people who cross dress ^[1].

Being transgender is distinct from sexual orientation.

Some transgender people seek medical assistance to transition, including hormone replacement therapy and surgery; those who do are sometimes described as transsexual. Others transition socially without medical intervention. Not all transgender people wish to, or are able to, transition medically.

Legal recognition

In the UK, the Gender Recognition Act 2004 provides a legal process by which transgender people can obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), changing their legal sex. The process requires a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and evidence of living in the acquired gender for at least two years.

Medical care

In April 2024, Dr Hilary Cass published an independent review of gender identity services for children and young people in England, commissioned by NHS England. The review found that the evidence base for medical interventions in gender care for young people was limited, and recommended holistic assessment for young people referred to specialist clinics ^[2]. The review was welcomed by some as a necessary safeguarding measure; trans rights organisations argued it risked denying necessary care to transgender young people.

Detransition

A small number of people who have transitioned later choose to detransition, returning to living as their birth sex. See detransition.

Transgender people in public life

The first Member of Parliament to publicly identify as transgender was Katie Wallis, elected in December 2019 as a Conservative MP for Bridgend in Wales, serving until 2024.

Legal and social developments

In April 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers that "woman", "man" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. The ruling has had significant implications for trans people's access to single-sex services and spaces across the UK.

In December 2025, Girlguiding announced it would no longer accept trans girls as new members, citing the Supreme Court ruling. See Girlguiding and transgender membership.

References

↑ s 11(7) Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.
↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68770641

[1] s 11(7) Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.

[2] ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68770641

[1]

[2]

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-'''Transgender''' is a relatively new term that is usually applied to changing one's birth sex and its associated gender.
+'''Transgender''' is a term applied to people whose gender identity differs from the sex
-Some transgender people who desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another identify as [[transsexual]]. Transgender, often shortened as trans, is also used as an umbrella term; where it includes people whose gender identity is the opposite of their sex at birth (trans men and trans women),and people who are non-binary. In Scotland the term also includes people who cross dress, also known as [[transvestite]] <ref> s 11 (7) Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 gives the meaning of transgender to include a non-binary person and a person who cross dresses </ref>.
+they were assigned at birth. It is often shortened to '''trans'''.
+A '''trans woman''' is a woman who was assigned male at birth; a '''trans man''' is a man
+who was assigned female at birth. Both terms describe the person's current gender identity,
+not the sex they were assigned at birth. '''Non-binary''' people identify as neither
+exclusively male nor female. Transgender is used as an umbrella term encompassing all of
+these identities.
+In Scotland, the legal definition of transgender also includes people who cross dress
+<ref>s 11(7) Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.</ref>.
 Being transgender is distinct from sexual orientation.
-People who transition from one sex to another sometimes return to their original birth sex identity. This is called de transitioning (see [[detransition]]). A high profile case which lead to a court case is [[Keira Bell]] who lost her ability to give birth to children because of treatment received as a young person becoming a trans man.<ref> https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/01/woman-sue-nhs-rushed-gender-reassignment-treatment-12330020/ </ref>
+Some transgender people seek medical assistance to transition, including hormone replacement
-In recent years there has been a lot of polarisation in lgbt communities over the issue of transgender rights and whether people identifying as transgender should be able to change their legal identity based on self identification. There is also debate about women's rights to single sex spaces such as toilets and changing rooms. And controversially many transwomen who grew up as males through puberty have been allowed to participate in women's sports <ref> https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckgnwgnge4yo reports of a young woman who was disciplined for challenging the participation of a transgender woman in a football match BBC News 10 May 2025 </ref>.
+therapy and surgery; those who do are sometimes described as [[transsexual]]. Others
-The [[Gender Recognition Act]] requires an assessment and has safeguards to ensure those changing their legal status are fully qualified and prepared for the change.
+transition socially without medical intervention. Not all transgender people wish to, or
+are able to, transition medically.
+==Legal recognition==
+In the UK, the [[Gender Recognition Act]] 2004 provides a legal process by which
+transgender people can obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), changing their
+legal sex. The process requires a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and evidence of
+living in the acquired gender for at least two years.
+==Medical care==
+In April 2024, Dr [[Hilary Cass]] published an independent review of gender identity
+services for children and young people in England, commissioned by NHS England. The
+review found that the evidence base for medical interventions in gender care for young
+people was limited, and recommended holistic assessment for young people referred to
+specialist clinics <ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68770641</ref>. The review
+was welcomed by some as a necessary safeguarding measure; trans rights organisations
+argued it risked denying necessary care to transgender young people.
+==Detransition==
+A small number of people who have transitioned later choose to detransition, returning
+to living as their birth sex. See [[detransition]].
-A lack of evidence on medical interventions in gender care was highlighted by the review conducted by [[Dr Hilary Cass]], published in April 2024. With specific reference to children, Dr Cass raised concerns about what she called "diagnostic overshadowing" - when patients' other healthcare issues were overlooked in cases of patients questioning their gender. The report recommends that young people referred to the new clinics should have a "holistic assessment", which Dr Cass says should include screening for neuro-development conditions such as autism and a mental-health assessment <ref> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68770641 Hilary Cass: Weak evidence letting down children over gender care BBC 10 April 2024 </ref>.
+==Transgender people in public life==
+The first Member of Parliament to publicly identify as transgender was [[Katie Wallis]],
+elected in December 2019 as a Conservative MP for [[Bridgend]] in Wales, serving until
+.
-The number of people identifying as transgender in the UK is not known. A question was asked in the 2021 UK Census but the figures given were shown to be unreliable. The Census data suggested that the London Boroughs of Newham and Brent  had the highest number of transgender people. Both have a large number of residents who spoke English as their second language, adding to concerns that the question may have been misinterpreted <ref> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13346919/uk-trans-population-census-figures.html?ico=topics_pagination_desktop The UK's trans population is not as high as the 'totally unreliable' census figures suggest, critics claim. Professor Michael Biggs said the 2021 census findings were based on a flawed question 24 April 2024 </ref>.
+==Legal and social developments==
+In April 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled in [[For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers]]
+that "woman", "man" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. The ruling
+has had significant implications for trans people's access to single-sex services and
+spaces across the UK.
-The first Member of Parliament to declare themselves as transgender was Katie Wallis, who was elected to Parliament as Jamie Hamilton Wallis in December 2019, as a Conservative Party politician. Wallis served as Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Bridgend]] in Wales for one parliamentary term until 2024 <ref> https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/other/transgender-ex-mp-harassed-wife-after-divorce/ar-AA1F4Sq3?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=664de575ec014991a8632e2760dc8509&ei=18 </ref>.
+In December 2025, [[Girlguiding]] announced it would no longer accept trans girls as new
+members, citing the Supreme Court ruling. See [[Girlguiding and transgender membership]].
 ==References==