WESC inquiry: transgender equality and reform of the GRA

In 2015 the Women and Equalities Select Committee undertook an inquiry into transgender equality. It received 208 written submissions. In 2021 it launched a second inquiry into reform of the Gender Recognition Act, receiving more than 2,000 submissions. This page provides a reference to some of these submissions.

Academics and researchers 2021

Dr Ruth Pearce
Professor Alex Sharpe
Professor Rosa Freedman, Professor Kathleen Stock, and Professor Alice Sullivan
Professor Stephen Whittle OBE
Professor Sharon Cowan
Professor Jo Phoenix
Cathy Devine
Professors Alice Sullivan, Amanda Gosling, Nick Allum, Tarani Chandola, Colin Mills, Lindsay Paterson
Dr Michael Biggs
Dr Gillian Love
Dr Natacha Kennedy
Megan Talbot
Dr Fran Amery
Dr Sophie Allen
Rayya Ghul
Dr Jane Clare Jones/

On 9th December 2020 Professor Stephen Whittle OBE (Professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Vice President and Head of Legal Services at Press for Change), Professor Alex Sharpe (Professor at the School of Law at University of Warwick), and Dr Ruth Pearce (Research Coordinator at Trans Learning Partnership, and Visiting Researcher in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at University of Leeds) gave oral evidence – read the transcript


Lawyers

20152018
OrganisationsDiscrimination Law Association
K&L Gates LLP
Employment Lawyers Association
The Law Society of England and Wales
Legal Feminist
NGA Law (law firm) and Brilliant Beginnings (surrogacy agency)
IndividualsAlex Sharpe
Claire McCann
Robin Moira White
Sarah Vine

On 10th February 2021 Robin Moira White (Barrister at Old Square Chambers), Naomi Cunningham (Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers), Sally Brett (Head of Diversity and Inclusion at The Law Society), and Karon Monaghan QC (Barrister at Matrix Chambers) gave oral evidence – read the transcript.


Trans activist organisations

There were around 30 submissions from trans rights organisations and groups in 2021. These are some of the larger ones.

Institution2015 Submission2021 Submission 
Action for Trans Health TRA0230
Bent Bars Project TRA0264GRA1050
Equaliteach C.I.C TRA0123GRA0949
Galop TRA0183GRA1614
GIRESTRA0058GRA1479
Gendered Intelligence TRA0163GRA1485
Mermaids TRA0156GRA0852
Scottish Transgender Alliance TRA0225GRA0881
The Beaumont Society TRA0099GRA0926
Trans Media Watch TRA0162GRA1331

On 17th March 2021 Nancy Kelley (Chief Executive Officer at Stonewall), Lui Asquith (Director of Legal and Policy at Mermaids), Cat Burton (Chair of GIRES), and Dr Jane Hamlin (President at Beaumont Society) gave oral evidence – read the transcript.


Large charities

Institution2015 Submission2021 Submission 
Amnesty International GRA0893
Age UK TRA0241
Brook TRA0182
BarnardosGRA1547
National Aids Trust TRA0206GRA1603
Stonewall TRA0243GRA 1575
Women’s AidTRA0200GRA2014

Government departments and agencies

In 2015 there were many submissions from government departments; in 2021 there were far fewer. The Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to say that it would not be submitting evidence; the Committee has said it will call the commission to give oral evidence.

Paula Grey, President of the Gender Recognition Panel, submitted written evidence on how the panel works. She declined to attend to give oral evidence, but did send written answers to questions.

Institution2015 Submission2021 Submission 
Department for Culture, Media and Sport TRA0270
Department for Culture, Media and Sport TRA0259
Department for Work and Pensions TRA0269
Department of Health TRA0274
Equality and Human Rights Commission TRA0078
Government Equalities Office TRA0245GRA2016
Home Office TRA0271
Ministry of Justice TRA0272
Ministry of Justice TRA0275
NHS England TRA0244
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman TRA0252

Medical organisations

Medical specialists who submitted evidence in 2015 are notably absent in 2021. A new addition in this category is Gender GP, a private online supplier of diagnosis and hormone therapy.

Institution2015 Submission2021 Submission 
British Association of Gender Identity Specialists TRA0149
British Medical AssociationGRA1504
General Medical Council TRA0267
Gender Identity Development Service TRA0236
Gender GPGRA2025
Royal College of General Practitioners TRA0268
The British Psychological Society TRA0113
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists TRA0045

Trades unions

20152021
IWW Nottinghamshire GMB
National Union of Students
TUC
UNISON

GMB Union
NASUWT Teachers’ Union
National Education Union (NEU)
Public and Commercial Services Union
Public and Commercial Services union Broad Left Network
Trades Union Congress
UNISON
University and College Union (UCU)