While the UK is one of the most socially liberal countries in the world regarding the LGBT community, there are still issues in terms of care policies and general public understanding towards trans people. 

The Human Rights Act 1998 (which came into force in 2000) protects individuals from abuse and preserves their privacy through Article 8 'Right to respect for private and family life' and through Article 14 'Prohibition of discrimination'.

The Equality Act 2010, Section 7, introduced gender reassignment as one of its protected characteristics, providing protection against discrimination, prohibited conduct and victimization.

Nevertheless, hate crimes complaints registered against trans people went from 313 in 2011/12 to 605 in 2014/15.

Of those 605 crimes, 48% are classified as 'public order offences', which account for public fear, alarm or distress.*

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In the EU

While public attitudes are hard to change and take time, a number of legal provisions can help speed up that process. 

A major game-changer lies in the way transgenderism is perceived by public health organizations and how it is termed within specialist literature such as medicine because this translates into the language and perception of the public. 

Branding it as a pathology has stigmatizing effects which is why as of 2009,  the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has stated that “from a human rights and health care perspective no mental disorder needs to be diagnosed in order to give access to treatment for a condition in need of medical care”*

*Hammarberg, T. (2009), Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights and Gender Identity, Issue Paper, CommDH/IssuePaper 2, 29 July 2009, p. 26. 

*source: police Recorded crime home office

A long way to go

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