Charity calls for action to secure equality for transgender and intersex people.
OVER 150 transgender and intersex equality activists from across the UK and Ireland will gather in Edinburgh this weekend (Oct 31 – Nov 2) in the biggest push for transgender and intersex rights Scotland has seen.
The inaugural Trans and Intersex Conference of the Isles is being organised by the Scottish Transgender Alliance, part of Scottish LGBTI equality charity Equality Network. The conference will call for action from the Scottish Government and public service providers to address the high levels of discrimination that transgender and intersex people continue to face both in the law and in society.
The charity says that following the introduction of equal marriage, transgender and intersex rights are now its key legislative priority.
While lesbian, gay and bisexual people now have almost full equality under the law, the human rights of transgender and intersex people are still not fully respected in Scotland, with huge problems securing legal gender recognition and only limited protections from discrimination.
In addition to legal equality, the conference will also call for action to tackle prejudice in Scottish society. Equality Network research shows that 98% of transgender people in Scotland say they have faced discrimination, with reported incidents ranging from verbal and physical abuse to discriminatory treatment in employment and when accessing services. While the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2010 showed that 49% of the public would be unhappy if a member of their family had a relationship with a transgender person.
Research has consistently shown that at least a third of transgender people in Scotland attempt suicide, with many citing the prejudice they face and the long barriers to securing gender reassignment treatment as contributing factors.
The Scottish Transgender Alliance says that, for transgender people, NHS Scotland is currently failing to meet its national patient waiting time guarantee of 18 weeks from referral to treatment. Instead transgender patients have to wait up to two years just for an initial appointment with a damaging impact on their mental wellbeing.
Nathan Gale, Scottish Transgender Alliance Policy Officer for the Equality Network, said: “Scotland likes to pride itself on our ambition to create a fair and equal society for everyone, but the rights of transgender and intersex people are too often left behind. In 2014, equality under the law should be a minimum standard for all citizens but for trans and intersex people we still haven’t achieved it. We also have much further to go to ensure that people no longer experience prejudice and discrimination in their day-to-day lives. We cannot truly say that Scotland stands for equality while trans and intersex people are still unable toaccess basic services that meet their needs, or even walk down the street without fear of getting abused. That’s why we are holding this conference and calling on the Scottish Government and public bodies to take action.”
Transgender people attending the conference have explained how prejudice and discrimination in Scotland currently impacts on their lives.
Cate Lauder, 37, from Edinburgh, said: “As a trans woman you learn to put up with abuse on a daily basis. I have lost count of how many times people have shouted offensive comments, given me dirty looks, or laughed at me in the street. I’ve even been groped on a few occasions and asked about my genitals by complete strangers. I like to think of myself as a confident person, but it can be really humiliating and sometimes you get scared that it could turn violent. No one should have to put up with that.”
Laura Aston, 47, from Edinburgh, added: “The doctor agreed to refer me for gender reassignment surgery back in 2012. That was over two years ago and I’ve only just been given a date for a first appointment. To make it worse, because the NHS have taken so long to get their act together, I’ve now been told my original assessment is out of date and I’ll need to get another one before I can finally get treatment. This will be the fifth assessment I’ve had to go through. I don’t think they understand the impact this has on you, I just want to get on with my life.”
The conference is being run as part of the Equality Network’s Scottish Transgender Alliance project, a national project funded by the Scottish Government to secure greater equality for transgender people in Scotland. It has been made possible by funding from VisitScotland.
In addition to equality activists, the event will also be attended by representatives of key public bodies and leading businesses, who will receive training to help meet the needs of transgender and intersex service-users. These include NHS Scotland, Police Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, NUS Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Drugs Forum, Rape & Abuse Support, as well as local authorities, universities, colleges, and third sector organisations.
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