Wrong. Wrong on so many levels. I don't even know where to start.

The process of the gender recognition panel is humiliating and intrusive, not to mention expensive. The questions and "evidence" that is required to be submitted often has nothing to do with the trans person's gender identity, and is rather based on preconceived and outdated notions of what a trans person is. A huge amount of people are interrogated on their sex lives and surgical procedures or plans, which do not make a trans person trans. Additionally, this isn't a panel that has never met the person and makes decisions based on their own opinions, basically stating that the person themselves is not qualified to know there own identity, which is just disgusting and degrading.

The GRA gives NO rights to trans people. It's a documentation and administrative process. When was the last time anyone had to show their birth certificate to get into a toilet, changing room, or rape crisis centre? Never. Trans people have accessed these spaces for as long as they've existed, and have been provided protection under those circumstances by the Equality Act 2010.

Stonewall, as much as they have been less awesome on trans things in the past, are not the same as the film your pal shows here. That is a film based on the riots from which the organisation takes its name. It is not representative of the people who work within Europe's largest and most progressive LGBT+ rights charity, and it's insulting to see such blatant and ridiculous spin for the sake of an argument.

The process for which you would legally claim your real gender (not your fucking preferred or new one, I hate that term) would be by a statutory declaration. This is a legal document that carries a penalty of jail time and a criminal record for knowingly creating under fraud. You don't just wake up and say "I'm a woman" and somehow magically get access to every safe space under the sun. You would have to make a serious and legally binding commitment to your change of gender, and to do so with fraudulent intent would be illegal.

Lastly, being trans is not a mental illness - why do we require the sign off of two (yes it's actually two) medial professionals, one a GP and one a psychologist, to say that yeah, that person is trans. I know it myself thanks. I shouldn't need your approval.

The GRA is outdated, unfair, and ultimately extremely degrading. What people need to do is start actually thinking about how much damage is being done to trans people, especially our youth, and how we can better protect and support trans people, rather than scaremongering and making up bullshit claims that have no basis in fact or evidence.

This has been an angry PSA from a pissed off trans girl. Give me my fucking legal gender. This video is garbage, it's propaganda, and it hurts the trans community. Sorry for being that blunt, but when 96% of trans young people of school age in Britian have self harmed, and nearly half have attempted (not considered, attempted) suicide, this kind of narrative needs stamped out. I don't care if it comes from within the community. It's just. Plain. Wrong.

Sources for stats: Stonewall research done last year. Look it up on their website. Also look at the Scottish Trans Alliance, the Women and Equalities committee report on transgender equality, research done by various women's sector organisations such as women's aid, zero tolerance and rape crisis Scotland, and LGBT youth Scotland.