In light of recent media stories and subsequent discussions related to the role of Dr Michael Brady, National Advisor for LGBT Health at NHS England, in the government’s decision to abandon the direly needed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (2004) (GRA) it had originally consulted on, TransActual feel compelled to speak to our relationship to and knowledge of Dr Brady.
Dr Brady has worked with many in the trans and wider LGBTQ+ advocacy world, including supporting CliniQ, one of the few community providers of dedicated sexual and mental healthcare for trans people in the UK. In that time he has shown himself to be a reliable ally to the trans community, going over and above to help ensure they have access to care that meets their needs.
In conversations with TransActualUK to discuss concerns around the wholly inadequate state of trans healthcare in the UK, Dr Brady was able to discuss his involvement in several of the important efforts to modernise and humanise trans healthcare – while the wider system remains unfit for purpose and actively harmful to trans people. For example, by working on projects to improve GP’s understanding of trans people’s needs.
We believe Dr Brady is and has been an ally on the road to removal of the gender dysphoria diagnosis requirement, and welcome his statement re-affirming this. It is our view that his role in events surrounding the government decision to abandon their proposed reforms to the GRA has been misconstrued.
Our focus will remain on advocating for change to the GRA in line with our responses to the 2018 consultation in particular:
- Recognition of non-binary people
- Recognition of trans people under the age of 18
- Recognition on the basis of self-determination
- Removal of the requirement for medical reports or for the diagnosis of gender dysphoria
- Removal of the requirement for two years’ evidence
- Removal of the spousal veto