When we talk about gender reassignment, we mean when a person is proposing to undergo, undergoing or has undergone a process to reassign their sex.
Transgender or trans people have a gender identity that is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. A trans person may identify as a man, woman, trans man, trans woman or non-binary person.
Non-binary describes people who identify as having a gender which is in-between or beyond the two categories of man or woman, as fluctuating between man and woman or as having no gender, either permanently or some of the time. Many non-binary people consider themselves to be part of the wider trans community. However, not all non-binary people consider themselves to be trans.
People’s experiences of discrimination
People are sometimes treated unfairly because of something to do with their gender reassignment.
Examples of discrimination may include:
- Deliberately using incorrect pronouns when addressing transgender colleagues or patients.
- An unreasonable refusal to agree a request for time off work for part of a gender reassignment process.
- Making derogatory comments about or using offensive language to describe trans people.
The NHS share Jay’s experiences of his transition from female to male.
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity shares a video about Ask, Don’t Guess in Children’s services
The Scottish Government non-binary equality working group report and recommendations share a person’s experience of being non binary:
“As an agender non-binary person, my life experiences have been shaped by a gender most people do not understand, include, or even know about. Nobody ever expects to meet a non-binary person, and they are not looking for us even when they know we exist. Unless I say “I’m non-binary” people assign a binary gender based on appearance and assume binary pronouns, which are always wrong for me. It makes a big difference to my mental health when people use they/them pronouns for me, but the education and coming out process is tiring and never-ending.
The world is currently a very binary environment, with a historical and ongoing obsession with describing, organising, and categorising everything as male or female, masculine or feminine. So, when you don’t fit into either of the categories, it can leave you feeling isolated and excluded. There’s no need for it to be this way, but the systems are set up to perpetuate it, and taking part in society often means making a choice between female and male categories, which to me always feels like lying.”
Useful Links:
- Watch films produced by My Genderation that celebrate trans lives and trans experiences.
- Watch a BBC video about ‘Things not to say to a non-binary’ to share experiences of being non-binary.
- The Equality and Human Rights Commission share Professor Whittle’s experiences of his transition from female to male. This video is from 2008 and some of the terminology about sex and gender has changed since it was filmed.
