Petition · Cabinet Office

Allow transgender people to self-identify their legal gender.

Closed 128,749 signatures

What the petition asks

We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
Transgender people have a history of major discrimination in the UK and around the world. Major studies in reputable journals have shown a positive correlation between allowing trans people to live as their gender, rather than their sex assigned at birth in regards to positive mental and physical health outcomes.

Government response · 19 March 2025

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is a robust piece of legislation that reflects the seriousness of changing a person’s legal gender. The Government will not be introducing self-identification.

The UK has long championed the rights of LGBT+ people at home and abroad.

This Government is proud of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) 2004 and the rights it affords to transgender people in this country. The GRA has operated for 20 years and has allowed trans people to be recognised in law. The Act enables trans people to live, work and die in their acquired gender and this is important in ensuring that trans people can live with dignity and respect.

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 is a robust piece of legislation, with appropriate checks and balances that reflect the seriousness of changing a person’s legal sex. The Government is committed to modernising, simplifying and reforming the legal gender recognition process to remove indignities for trans people whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. We believe this strikes the right balance, and the Government will not introduce self-identification as part of these reforms.

The government is committed to ensuring trans people can live their lives as they wish. In line with the King’s Speech, this Government will deliver on our manifesto commitment to bring forward a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.

We are also working with the Home Office to deliver our commitment to equalise all existing strands of hate crime to make them aggravated offences.

Cabinet Office

Debate in Parliament

MPs debated this petition on 19 May 2025.

Read the transcript · Watch the debate · Research briefing

Timeline

12 Dec 2024 Petition opened for signatures
28 Feb 2025 Passed 10,000 signatures, requiring a government response
19 Mar 2025 Government responded
22 Apr 2025 Passed 100,000 signatures, qualifying for a parliamentary debate
19 May 2025 Debated in Parliament
12 Jun 2025 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 128,749
Status Closed
Department Cabinet Office
Opened 12 Dec 2024
Closed 12 Jun 2025
Response 19 Mar 2025
Debated 19 May 2025

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.