Scottish Trans

Scottish Trans For gender identity and gender reassignment equality and rights. Part of Equality Network

The Scottish Trans Alliance (Scottish Trans for short) http://www.scottishtrans.org works for gender identity and gender reassignment equality and human rights in Scotland. We strive for everyone in Scotland to be safe and valued whatever their gender identity and to have full freedom in their gender expression.

Sandyford have extended the end date for their adult waiting list exercise to 29th June. This means you should wait unti...
03/06/2026

Sandyford have extended the end date for their adult waiting list exercise to 29th June. This means you should wait until the 29th before getting in touch if you haven’t heard from them.

Sandyford Adult Gender Service are running an exercise to check that everyone who is currently on their adult waiting list still wants to be. They are contacting everyone on the list via email, text, and letter. You can find out more about this here: https://www.scottishtrans.org/sandyford-validation-exercise/

If you are contacted by Sandyford, please confirm your details and let them know if you would like to stay on the list or be removed from it within 14 days.

Sandyford have told us that because of technical issues, they have only contacted the small number of people who only wished to be contacted by post. They will begin contacting the remaining people on the list via text message and email when these issues have been resolved.

If you believe you’re on the adult waiting list and still haven’t heard from them by 29th June, you can contact them directly here, but please wait until the 29th to do so: https://www.sandyford.scot/services/adult-gender-service/

We will keep you posted on any further updates that we are made aware of.

Over the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our findings from each section of our Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experi...
03/06/2026

Over the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our findings from each section of our Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experiences Disabled People’s Spotlight Report. You can read it here:https://www.scottishtrans.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Scottish_Trans_and_Non-Binary_Experiences_Disabled_Peoples_Spotlight_Report.pdf

This week we’re focusing on GP practices (p.18-22)

Disabled trans and non-binary people generally rated the care thy experienced as worse than non-disabled trans and non-binary people, and much worse than the general population.

We also found that GPs often dismissed disabled people’s gender identity because of their disability, and likewise would often deny disabled people access to specialist health services because of misunderstandings about the care provided by gender identity clinics.

This poor treatment often made people less likely to seek the care that they needed from their GP, potentially exacerbating some of their health problems.

Use our tool to email your MP and ask them to support motion EDM 240 and reject the EHRC’s harmful Code of Practice: htt...
02/06/2026

Use our tool to email your MP and ask them to support motion EDM 240 and reject the EHRC’s harmful Code of Practice: https://equalrecognition.eaction.org.uk/rejectthecode

This statutory guidance would usher in a dark age for LGBTQ+ rights in the UK, and encourage gender policing and lawfare. This, the government admits, will put trans and gender non-conforming people at risk. You can find out more about the Code here: https://www.scottishtrans.org/supreme-court-ruling-on-s*x-in-the-equality-act/our-thoughts-on-the-ehrcs-updated-code-of-practice-may-2026/

This is a historic moment, and what our political representatives do here matters.

Nadia Whittome MP has tabled a motion (EDM 240) to disapprove the Code of Practice, which has already recieved cross-party support. Please ask your MP to support the motion if they haven't already.

We must keep pressure up on the issue, in a way that can help. Every person who emails is vital, and every MP who formally objects makes a difference.

Along with TransActual and Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, we've created a template to help you tell your MP how you feel about this horrific guidance, and ask them to reject it.

Sending an email only takes a few minutes. Once you've done it, please ask 3 friends to do the same.

Our trans GP self-advocacy guide includes a page on advice for issues related to trans healthcare. You can find it here ...
01/06/2026

Our trans GP self-advocacy guide includes a page on advice for issues related to trans healthcare. You can find it here https://www.scottishtrans.org/gp-self-advocacy-guide/advice-for-issues-related-to-trans-healthcare/

This includes advice on: GIC referrals (including refusals), GPs misunderstanding the role GICs play in trans people’s healthcare, bridging prescriptions, and shared care agreements (both NHS and private).

The guide also includes advice on general advocacy, issues with trans admin, and poor treatment and complaints. We’ve also included pages where you can tell us what worked for you, and help us build a map of friendly GPs across Scotland.

After taking a few days to read and process the EHRC’s new Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associati...
27/05/2026

After taking a few days to read and process the EHRC’s new Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations, we have produced an in-depth summary and analysis of the key changes that it makes and what we believe they mean for trans people and organisations who wish to be inclusive. You can read it in full on our website here: https://www.scottishtrans.org/supreme-court-ruling-on-s*x-in-the-equality-act/our-thoughts-on-the-ehrcs-updated-code-of-practice-may-2026/

Last week, the UK Minister for Equalities laid the Code before the UK Parliament, approving changes made to it by the EHRC in light of last year’s Supreme Court judgment on the meaning of “s*x” in the Equality Act.

While we understand that the judgment has impacted interpretations of equality law, we believe the Code goes above and beyond “necessary changes”, cementing exclusion and segregation into the statutory guidance that businesses, services, and public bodies across the UK are strongly encouraged to follow.

We think that the Code is neither fit for purpose in how it understands trans people’s lives and needs when it comes to service provision, nor is it practical or clear for service providers. It treats trans people as second class citizens and a “third s*x”, an approach that is completely contrary to the original intentions of both the Equality Act 2010 and the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Our summary covers some of the key changes the Code makes on s*x, gender recognition, access to services, harassment, associations, and sports. Following that, it explores in detail how the Code fails the “three tests” we established with TransActual and Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, showing exactly why it is not fit for purpose.

The summary is long, and we apologise that we cannot give clear and simple answers on what the Code says. The fact is, the Code is not in any way clear or simple, and we think it will only make life more difficult for trans people, as well as the organisations that wish to include us. If it comes into effect, we expect that this guidance will result in further harm, litigation, and confusion for years to come.

After 40 days, around 10th July, if there is no objection from the UK Parliament, the Code can be made statutory by order of the Secretary of State, and becomes statutory guidance. There is perhaps a very small chance that a motion could be passed in Parliament to stop this, but there’s no guarantee that a vote on this would be given time.

If the UK Government and the EHRC are correct in their interpretations of what the Equality Act now means after the Supreme Court judgment, we are in a situation where trans people are not able to safely (or at all) access many essential services like hospitals or toilets. Then there is no other reasonable course of action but for the law to be changed to allow us to live in dignity.

The Equality Act 2010 no longer means what it was intended to mean. Trans people’s rights have been pushed back to before the 2004 Gender Recognition Act. The Equality Act needs amended to restore the original intention of Parliament, and trans people’s human rights and equality. Holyrood can’t do this, as the Act is reserved to Westminster.

We will do our best to make the case for this change in Westminster as well as in Scotland, and to share our understanding of how this Code works (or doesn’t) with the community, service providers, and lawmakers. We’ll keep you up to date on any further changes or developments as they occur.

For now, we encourage you to continue to be kind to yourself and your trans friends and loved ones. We may have a long road ahead of us in the fight to restore and improve trans people’s right to public life in the UK, and so it’s important to focus on sustaining ourselves and our communities.

If you need to speak to someone about how this is affecting you, support is available from:
LGBT Health and Wellbeing (https://lgbthealth.org.uk/lgbt-helpline-scotland-developments/) Helpline 0800 464 7000, email [email protected], webchat, available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays (12-9pm) Sundays (1-6pm)

LGBT Youth Scotland (https://lgbtyouth.org.uk/get-support/) live chat Mon 4-6pm, Wed/Thurs 4-8pm

Breathing Space (https://www.breathingspace.scot/how-we-can-help/need-to-talk/) Helpline 0800 83 85 87, available Mon-Thurs 6pm-2am Fri-Mon 6pm-6am

In March we published our Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experiences Disabled People’s Spotlight Report, which you can re...
27/05/2026

In March we published our Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experiences Disabled People’s Spotlight Report, which you can read here:https://www.scottishtrans.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Scottish_Trans_and_Non-Binary_Experiences_Disabled_Peoples_Spotlight_Report.pdf

The report was a closer look at the experiences of the disabled people who we heard from in our 2024 Scottish Trans and Non-binary Experiences Research Report. We found that they routinely had worse experiences than the non-disabled trans and non-binary people we heard from.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing some of our findings from each section of the spotlight report. This week we’ll be focusing on the first section: Public Services (p.12-17).

Disabled trans and non-binary people were more likely to have avoided one of the services we asked about due to fear of being harassed, being read as trans, or outed, and were also more likely to have had a negative experience when using these services.

Disabled respondents told us about how they faced barriers to using services because of their disability, because of being trans and non-binary, and sometimes both. People who face multiple forms of marginalisation may then be more likely to experience barriers, and it may be harder for them to find services or spaces designed with them in mind.

Join Scottish Trans tomorrow for our next meeting in Tayside to discuss how we can campaign to improve access to trans h...
26/05/2026

Join Scottish Trans tomorrow for our next meeting in Tayside to discuss how we can campaign to improve access to trans healthcare locally!

Trans healthcare in Scotland, especially in areas that refer to Sandyford, is in a dire state. In fact, recent figures show that Sandyford has the longest waiting time in the UK. We think the main cause of the length of Sandyford's waiting list is the sheer volume of referrals they get - they currently cover roughly half of Scotland's population. Eight health boards across Scotland refer to Sandyford, and we believe the only way to fix the waiting times would be for more of these health boards to begin to deliver gender identity healthcare themselves. So, we want to start campaigning in these health boards!

This second meeting will build on the discussions from the first, including who we might want to approach to talk about trans healthcare in Tayside, potentially meeting with the health board and how we can keep the campaign going! If you want to take action to improve trans healthcare and have some time and energy to spare, please come along!

Join us at Cake or Dice (89 Commercial St, Dundee DD1 2AF), 6-8pm on Wednesday 27th May.

https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35997/trans-healthcare-campaigning-tayside-meeting-2

Our new trans GP self-advocacy guide includes a range of general advice that should be helpful no matter what issue you’...
25/05/2026

Our new trans GP self-advocacy guide includes a range of general advice that should be helpful no matter what issue you’re trying to resolve. You can find it here https://www.scottishtrans.org/gp-self-advocacy-guide/general-self-advocacy-advice/

This page includes advice on: getting organised before the appointment, taking notes (including audio recording), bringing a friend or advocate with you, and asserting yourself and challenging what your GP says if you don’t think it’s correct.

The guide also includes advice on issues with trans admin, trans healthcare, and poor treatment and complaints. We’ve also included pages where you can tell us what worked for you, and help us build a map of friendly GPs across Scotland.

Join Scottish Trans for our second meeting in Tayside next week, to discuss how we can campaign to improve access to tra...
22/05/2026

Join Scottish Trans for our second meeting in Tayside next week, to discuss how we can campaign to improve access to trans healthcare locally!

Trans healthcare in Scotland, especially in areas that refer to Sandyford, is in a dire state. In fact, recent figures show that Sandyford has the longest waiting time in the UK. We think the main cause of the length of Sandyford's waiting list is the sheer volume of referrals they get - they currently cover roughly half of Scotland's population. Eight health boards across Scotland refer to Sandyford, and we believe the only way to fix the waiting times would be for more of these health boards to begin to deliver gender identity healthcare themselves. So, we want to start campaigning in these health boards!

This second meeting will build on the discussions from the first, including who we might want to approach to talk about trans healthcare in Tayside, potentially meeting with the health board and how we can keep the campaign going! If you want to take action to improve trans healthcare and have some time and energy to spare, please come along!

The event will be held at Cake or Dice (89 Commercial St, Dundee DD1 2AF) and will run between 6.00pm and 8.00pm on Wednesday 27th May.

https://www.outsavvy.com/event/35997/trans-healthcare-campaigning-tayside-meeting-2

The UK Minister for Equalities has laid the EHRC’s Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations befo...
21/05/2026

The UK Minister for Equalities has laid the EHRC’s Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations before UK Parliament. You can find it here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-draft-code-of-practice-for-services-public-functions-and-associations-2026

This means that she has approved the Code, and it is now available to MPs and the public. There’s no guarantee that MPs will get to debate or vote on the Code, and after 40 days an order from the Secretary of State can make it statutory guidance. It is now very unlikely that the Code can or will be changed before it is brought into effect. You can read her statement here: https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/105423/Pdf?subType=Standard

The Code is a very important document for how services, public bodies and associations make decisions around how they include trans people, and this new version has been updated in light of last year’s Supreme Court decision on the meaning of “s*x” in the Equality Act.

We know many of you will be very nervous about what the Code says, and we’re doing our best to read through it thoroughly and thoughtfully, but the document is over 300 pages long. We’re working as quickly as we can, and will provide you with our thoughts as soon as we’re able to.

As this document is so long, and has likely changed compared to the version the EHRC consulted on 10 months ago, we would advise you to be cautious of any commentators or media outlets that seem to have all the answers about what the Code means for trans people already. It will take some time for organisations to scrutinise the Code in full, and even longer to see how services, public bodies and associations put its advice into practice.

In the meantime, if you’d like to find our more about how we are approaching our analysis of the Code and its suitability for trans people, check out our website: https://www.scottishtrans.org/supreme-court-ruling-on-s*x-in-the-equality-act/three-tests/

Please take time to look after yourself if you need to over the coming days, and check in with your trans and non-binary loved ones too.

If you need to speak to someone about how this is affecting you, support is available from:
LGBT Health and Wellbeing (https://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/services-support/lgbt-helpline-scotland/) Helpline 0800 464 7000, email [email protected], webchat, available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays (12-9pm) Sundays (1-6pm)
LGBT Youth Scotland (https://lgbtyouth.org.uk/get-support/) live chat Mon 4-6pm, Wed/Thurs 4-8pm
Breathing Space (https://www.breathingspace.scot/how-we-can-help/need-to-talk/) Helpline 0800 83 85 87, available Mon-Thurs 6pm-2am Fri-Mon 6pm-6am

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