I want to explain a few things and then it might be clearer why UK trans people are upset.
In 2001 I married my wife, Sylvia.
In 2005 I started medical transition. For the state to recognise this I had to submit to standards of "care" which were humiliating, degrading and which placed me at risk of violence.
But I did it "by the book"
As I did it "by the book", the NHS agreed to reregister me as female, which makes sense because my anatomy now is.
In 2007 I had sex reassignment surgery. This had to be signed off by two mental health professionals, "by the book", and it was.
In 2008 I applied for gender recognition. This involved signing a statutory obligation, stating that I promised, BY LAW, to live fully as female for the rest of my life. As this was done, "by the book", the government promised that it would treat me as such.
Its first act as treating me as female was to annul our marriage because it was a same sex marriage and those were not allowed.
The state then reissued my birth certificate, correcting the "mistake" it had originally made when it recorded me as male, "by the book".
In 2009 Sylvia and I married for the second time, in a same sex civil partnership, which was done "by the book", because the state regarded me as female and I was bound by law to be female.
In 2013 we married again, because the state decided that same sex marriage was in fact allowed after all. This was done, "by the book". Despite having been married for 12 years, we had to submit ourselves to individual questioning to prove our relationship was genuine, "by the book".
In April of 2025 the state turned round and told me that I had been mistaken. That it never regarded me as female. That I was male the whole time. That the marriage it annulled because it was a same sex marriage was never a same sex marriage (but it stays annulled). That the civil partnership in 2009 never really happened because "opposite sex" civil partnerships were not allowed in 2009.
And that the legal obligation I have to live as female for the rest of my life, which I signed and gave up my marriage for, is still in effect but also if I keep following it, I am breaking the law and subject to arrest. As it's still valid, presumably if I don't keep following it, I am also breaking the law and subject to arrest.
The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest.
At every stage I did what the state asked me to, even though it was humiliating, degrading and cruel.
And it kept moving the goalposts, and reneging on the agreements it made, whilst continuing to hold me to them even when they are now mutually contradictory.
Apparently this is "all my fault" and I should have known that this would be the consequences of my actions when I started medical transition 2 decades ago.
Perhaps you can now appreciate why we are upset?
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Nikkileah ๐ฎ๐๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ๐ฌ๐ง
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •jer
in reply to Nikkileah ๐ฎ๐๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ๐ฌ๐ง • • •You are beautiful and the state is ugly.
axebos reshared this.
NormanDunbar
in reply to jer • • •Alfred Chow - Maker of Things
in reply to NormanDunbar • • •Seconded!
@goatsarah
This Government, and the whole stupid system is not only an ass, but deliberately cruel.
I am so sorry this has happened to you and others.
axebos reshared this.
UnicornsRockUK
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Heartbreaking to read. I was in a similar boat but about a decade behind you. My earlier relationship didn't last because she said she wasn't a lesbian. I lost everything to be 'me', got a GRC, had GRS, and now it's all invalid and I'm now liable to be breaking the law if I try to continue being me.
It's testing my mental health for sure.
Matthew Exon likes this.
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Looking for explanationsโฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Lazarou Monkey Terror ๐๐๐ reshared this.
Sarah Brown
in reply to Looking for explanationsโฆ • • •@Looking for explanationsโฆ They're not confused. Not at all. Hanlon's razor is a useful guideline, but in this case it does not apply.
This is quite deliberate.
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Scimmia di Mare
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Lazarou Monkey Terror ๐๐๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •this government is a cruel antagonist in our lives, it works against us, it spites us rather than lose face. ๐ก
You deserve so much better
Sarah Brown likes this.
Mab_813
Unknown parent • • •@Dodo_sipping
Mmh maybe read her bio?
Ben Curthoys
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown
in reply to Ben Curthoys • • •Maggie Maybe
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •hey I live in New Hampshire USA and do you mind if I submit this for public testimony next time we have an anti-trans bill being heard in committee in the house?
Itโs really helpful for them to hear about the unintended consequences of their bullshit because they donโt think ahead at all. Sometimes itโs better to let them do it then realize they screwed up so they cancel it, like the thing with auto inspections (hopefully they cancel it). But since people will suffer more that way I would prefer them to at least think of some of the wreckage they cause and write these in a way that limits the damage it if theyโre going to pass this stuff anyway. (like if theyโre going to do all this they need to add an amendment that grandfathers in marriages that already exist, for example.)
Asier ๐ช๐ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •ฮVฮ๐ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Completely unnecessary to take people through all that. Sounds more like a government that just canโt get its shit together.
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kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown
in reply to kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐ • • •@kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐ The UK Supreme Court decided that women like me had always actually been men.
A number of members of the government, who themselves had voted for the 2004 law that requires me to live as female, agreed with it, presumably because they have some sort of memory lapse.
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kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Understood. I had to reread a few times.
You have every right to be upset.
Am I right in understanding that the April decision has no (current) implication on your 2013 marriage?
Given the current state, that might be the smallest (albeit significant) of graces.
This is very much in politicians court to fix, and the lack of appetite (or the appetite to do the opposite) is heart breaking.
Randy Hughes-King
in reply to kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐ • • •@kianryan
hrw.org/news/2025/05/09/uk-couโฆ
UK: Court Ruling Threatens Trans People
Human Rights WatchCy reshared this.
kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐
in reply to Randy Hughes-King • • •Got it. Understood.
Thank you.
zbrown
in reply to kianryan โ๏ธ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐ • • •@kianryan a small minority backed by billionaires said โhey, what is we banned trans people from existenceโ, the Supreme Court said โsure I guessโ and essentially the entire UK establishment immediately got on board with near zero resistance.
The BTP were particularly excited to give themselves the right to SA people as they please.
Women, and some Men, cis or trans, have resultantly been facing increasing harassment and degrading treatment ever since.
zbrown
in reply to zbrown • • •@kianryan the official term for this is โClarityโ with โrulesโ having been โClarifiedโ.
โclarity on the transgender questionโ, not to be confused with โthe final solution to the jewish questionโ, though give them a few more months and we'll seeโฆ
ืคึผึฐืจึดื
in reply to zbrown • • •Backed by billionaires, christian nationalist money from the US, and allegedly feminist groups who partner with people who you would NEVER guess they would partner with, and are happy with women being molested and demeaned if it means less trans people.
Mel
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sylvhem
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Iโm so sorry.
What did happen for the State to no longer recognize your sex change? Did the law in the UK get modified?
Crissa Kentavr
in reply to Sylvhem • • •@Sylvhem
Yes. Overruled the existing law that gender certification had to be respected - only 'biology' (but they didn't define it) could be.
bbc.com/news/live/cvgq9ejql39t
UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex
BBC NewsSylvhem
in reply to Crissa Kentavr • • •@Crissa I knew about that but didnโt realize it meant you couldnโt change your sex in the UK. I thought it โonlyโ meant you couldnโt benefit from gender-based affimative action ๐ฉ.
This is utterly depressing.
@goatsarah
Crissa Kentavr
in reply to Sylvhem • • •@Sylvhem
It doesn't mean you can't, it just means they've decided to ignore it and create a completely nonsensical setting in which they allow it and then ignore their own rules.
It forces any trans, intersex, persons from any 'single sex' spaces, and forces them to endure cross-sex harassment at the hands of medical and police. While also advancing and legitimizing harassment of any gender-nonconforming people.
feritae ๐บ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Adam Jacobs ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Leigh Silvester
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I had no idea of the hurdles and constantly shifting goalposts.
To add insult there is no definition of biological sex in law for one very good reason.. There is no definition of sex that holds true in all circumstances in biology.
I'm sure that you have become very familiar with this. For those who would like to know more about biological ambiguity this is a useful overview with a fun quiz at the end.
daily-twerk.com/science/uk-supโฆ
UK Supreme Court judgement sex farce โ The Daily Twerk
daily-twerk.comWinter Trabex
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I live America (unfortunately). I decided pretty early on to ignore anything having to do with legal permission and make my own way on my own terms. What they can give, they can also take away. And they love taking things away.
I'm glad you've been in a happy marriage this whole time. ๐
Jessica Smith
in reply to Sarah Brown • •Really well said. We did everything they asked for, followed every single stupid gatekeeping step, all the teams of paperwork, the humiliating and offensive assessments by perverted psychiatrists.
And in April they pulled the rug from under us, making the GRC I put so much effort into obtaining more or less useless.
I met my obligations that they enforced on me, I did my part and followed all the rules. But no, they can now decide to go back on it and “for all purposes” now becomes “but not really tho, lol”.
I’m angry, I’m upset, I’m frustrated. I have so much fear over what the future holds - we have updated guidance being published any day now and will be law within the next 2 months.
We already have businesses and organisations complying in advance, and no chance of any legal resolution via the ECtHR for probably 5 years. The NHS is transphobic and putting us at risk with dog-whistle questions on NHS Direct and by using incorrect guidelines that ignore our actual biology. The judiciary is set up in such a way tha
... Show more...Really well said. We did everything they asked for, followed every single stupid gatekeeping step, all the teams of paperwork, the humiliating and offensive assessments by perverted psychiatrists.
And in April they pulled the rug from under us, making the GRC I put so much effort into obtaining more or less useless.
I met my obligations that they enforced on me, I did my part and followed all the rules. But no, they can now decide to go back on it and โfor all purposesโ now becomes โbut not really tho, lolโ.
Iโm angry, Iโm upset, Iโm frustrated. I have so much fear over what the future holds - we have updated guidance being published any day now and will be law within the next 2 months.
We already have businesses and organisations complying in advance, and no chance of any legal resolution via the ECtHR for probably 5 years. The NHS is transphobic and putting us at risk with dog-whistle questions on NHS Direct and by using incorrect guidelines that ignore our actual biology. The judiciary is set up in such a way that if we do ever complain legally about discrimination or get involved in tribunals then we will be outted and monstered in the press.
Trans healthcare is almost impossible to access now, thereโs another inquiry on the horizon that will decimate care for under 25s and maybe adult care. Healthcare for under 18s is literally banned now and the Government are consulting on banning legal prescriptions from other countries. In Northern Ireland it was revealed today that under 18s possessing puberty blockers (maybe from treatment in IE) are breaking the law and may be prosecuted.
What is the way out here? No one in Government is against this and theyโre actively pushing this hostile transphobic environment.
Iโm lucky, Iโm in a position of privilege in that if things get really bad I can get a visa and leave for another country, or move to Ireland under the CTA - but I shouldnโt have to; and what about those who arenโt in a position to do this?
Iโm angry. Iโm scared. Iโm concerned for friends and family. All I can do right now is be here for those I love and support them through everything. I think in the future weโre going to have to rely on more mutual support because itโs clear the establishment are set against us.
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Sarah Brown
in reply to Jessica Smith • • •Dec [{()}]
in reply to Jessica Smith • • •Ireland is not much better. The GRS (official health service here) has a 10 year waiting list and the worst kind of creepy gatekeeping. But there's hope that our government will be replacing it with something more fit for purpose.
Natasha ๐ช๐บ reshared this.
Natasha ๐ช๐บ
in reply to Dec [{()}] • • •@dec23k @mintopia
However in Ireland, trans rights are pretty much enshrined in the constitution and would hence be hard to unwind, unlike the UK. They are also subject to EU-wide law which has had some very pro-trans judgements in the last year or so.
The legal gender change is by self identification since 2015 and is not burdensome, although non-binary identifications are not recognized.
BUT YES the Irish NGS (National Gender Service) should be renamed either to the National Gatekeeping Service or Notional Gender Service as it's one of the worst in Europe by all accounts ...
Dec [{()}]
in reply to Natasha ๐ช๐บ • • •At the big Trans Pride march in Dublin this year (on the 12th of July), some people were shouting "Death death death, to the NGS".
Jerry Winnett
in reply to Dec [{()}] • • •ืคึผึฐืจึดื
in reply to Jessica Smith • • •@mintopia
Read this too.
And this is the exactly same type of Ecrement that the religious right/christian nationalists are pulling in the USA. Cruelty and hate!
evilstevie
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •2. big internet hugs from a random
3. that's one solid relationship, you both found your person
4. holy shit, still ๐
Sarah Brown likes this.
Cheshire (Alicja, Artemida and Mara)
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Hey - is it OK to quote your post in full outside of Mastodon? I will not mention you by name or otherwise identify you, if that's relevant.
And I will do that quoting only within a trusted Discord server.
MxFraud
in reply to Cheshire (Alicja, Artemida and Mara) • • •Sarah Brown
in reply to MxFraud • • •Sarah Brown
in reply to Cheshire (Alicja, Artemida and Mara) • • •Davey
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •fuuuuuckin hell
I have a new understanding of what a massive pile of bullshit this is.
Sorry you have to deal with it.
Sarah Brown likes this.
Stacey Cornelius ๐จ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sharp Leaves
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Thank you for sharing this story. It makes me sick, the willingness of some judges who have been trained all their lives to uphold the law, to kowtow to a loud and spoilt special interest group and turn the obnoxious gaze of the state against you. You and your wife deserve better.
The recent rulings are the shame of the Common Law. May they soon be reversed, and all the obnoxious goblins behind it return to anonymity and poverty where they belong.
Sarah Brown likes this.
kingmoth
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •David K2FI
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Aurora ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I send you hugs
Cass M ๐จ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sylvhem
Unknown parent • • •Grizzly
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Shye ๐ฌ๐ง
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Every single one of my female trans friends here in Britain is dealing with mental health issues. The constant battle and abuse just to exist. One of my friends once turned up, sat down next to me, and just cried her eyes out, saying "I'm just a gay man in a dress."
Why? Because two beer bellied football shirt wearing type blokes had just been screaming that at her in the street. So, I spent the next three months messaging her every week to remind her that she is a beautiful and super awesome woman.
I understand that it's a raindrop in a whole sea of shit. But this small thing, coming from a straight man, did make a difference. There is support from non-trans people, but it just isn't loud enough. Especially when a lot of it is out of sight for most people. They just don't know what you, and people like you, go through.
GunChleoc reshared this.
Jim Campbell
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Mina
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Politicians and judges are full of shit.
I still hope, you and Sylvia can still be happy despite everything you have to endure.
ืคึผึฐืจึดื
in reply to Mina • • •Politicians and diapers should be changed often and for the same reasons.
Sarah Brown likes this.
coldclimate
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kay
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •the situation in the UK stinks.
I'm in New Zealand where the anti trans movement has invaded our Parliament too. They're trying to push through a bathroom bill and are in the process of removing gender identity education from schools.
Fortunately when our more inclusive MPs managed to get civil union legislation upgraded to marriage equality, the legislation was carefully constructed to be nongendered. Any two adults (except close family) can marry each other. That marriage is still valid if one or both of them transition legal gender recognition.
You have my deepest sympathy for the idiocy and cruelty of your government. ๐ค
fedithom
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •This is pretty horrible. I hope it helps that you moved to Portugal.
Is boosting this post ok for you?
Sarah Brown
in reply to fedithom • • •RadishTM
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •รzgรผr
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Vatandaลฤฑ olduฤum รผlke (Tรผrkiye) dahil birรงok รผlkede Birleลik Krallฤฑk "geliลmiล" bir รผlke kabul ediliyor.
Bence hiรงbir "geliลmiล" รผlke, vatandaลlarฤฑnฤฑn penisleriyle, vajinalarฤฑyla, cinsel yรถnelimleriyle, hatta kendilerini tanฤฑmladฤฑklarฤฑ ve ลiddet iรงermeyen diฤer tรผm ลeylerle uฤraลmaz, vatandaลlarฤฑnฤฑ bu sebeplerle hฤฑrpalamaz, vatandaลlarฤฑnฤฑn bu hususlardaki isteklerini kolaylฤฑkla ve harfiyen yerine getirir, vatandaลla arasฤฑndaki iliลkiyi toxic bir hale getirmez.
Carl
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Johan Moir (Mastodon)
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown
Unknown parent • • •@Dodo I have left, but in order to get citizenship in my new country, the UK needs to cooperate in providing the relevant documents.
And it's not clear that it's going to do that.
Pax Ahimsa Gethen
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Prisma
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Cait the Proud Trans Woman
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •thegoatery.dyndns.org/display/…
Cis followers: please read this. It is important. I have no CW for cis people on this one.
CW trans folk: transphobia, enraging catch-22, massive anger surge
Great post by the OP, needs more people reading it. This is how they want their gentleman's genocide to go, literally. Make life legally impossible for trans people, and when despair hits hard enough, you get your goal achieved without any messy bullets, or gas, or any other method that looks like you did anything wrong, so you can become Sir Kid Starver CBE, and shake your coiffed hair to show your deep sadness about how your carefully designed policy arrived at this expected result.
Trans folk: existence is resistance. Live!
Cis folk: Wake the fuck up.
@ goatsarah@thegoatery.dyndns.org
thegoatery.dyndns.org/display/โฆ
Cis followers: please read this. It is important. I have no CW for cis people on this one.
CW trans folk: transphobia, enraging catch-22, massive anger surge
Great post by the OP, needs more people reading it. This is how they want their gentleman's genocide to go, literally. Make life legally impossible for trans people, and when despair hits hard enough, you get your goal achieved without any messy bullets, or gas, or any other method that looks like you did anything wrong, so you can become Sir Kid Starver CBE, and shake your coiffed hair to show your deep sadness about how your carefully designed policy arrived at this expected result.
Trans folk: existence is resistance. Live!
Cis folk: Wake the fuck up.
@ goatsarah@thegoatery.dyndns.org
Sarah Brown
2025-08-29 11:50:13
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leah & tigers & bears, oh my!
in reply to Cait the Proud Trans Woman • • •F4GRX Sรยฉbastien
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •mckenna91
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •crazyeddie
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •"The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest."
Their hate is forcing you into hermaphroditism, which is one of the ultimate achievements in the quest for spiritual enlightenment. Thus is the state of all angels.
I'm sorry you are going through this. They are horrid creatures.
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Andreas vom Zwenkauer See
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •titaniumbiscuit
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •EVHaste
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •this is a very clear explanation; it reminds me of the piece that Philosophy Tube published on the madness of trying to play by the the rules as a trans person.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Hibou Chachara
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Hiisikoloart
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Nazi's. They want to eradicate us all, just like last time.
I am so sorry this is happening in UK.
I hope it can be correcred soon and those responsible ejected from life.
We (in Finland) have similar people in power who would love to follow on these steps. They just attacked the social security, schooling, and immigration first instead.
Stay safe. โค
Raku.Anarchy
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •stealthradek
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Madness. Although I'd take that as an opportunity to be able to marry the person you love multiple times and relive the happiest day over and over ;)
Still maddening given how undecided and self-contradictory the gov is over the years. Stay strong and all the best!
๐๐๐พโ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐๐ธ๐ธ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ผ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •MusiqueNow โก๏ธ ๐ต๐ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Seriously everyone needs to read this!
At GoatSarah: I am sorry the state treated you and your wife this way!!
#TransRighraAreHumanRights๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ
Momo
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •That sounds like a minefield. Doesn't matter what you decide to do, sooner or later you step on one and boom, it blows up in your face.
I absolutely appreciate why you are upset. Everyone wold be.
And I want to point out what a wonderful wife and partner Sylvia is. Even without knowing her, she has to be, she is right at your side through all this journey. Right at your side there, in that minefield.
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Momo
in reply to Momo • • •Darlene Cypser
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Guildenstern
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Apicultor ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I'm so sorry this has happened to you.
Have you considered moving somewhere sane/healthy, such as to the Continent?
xinit โ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Khurram Wadee
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Dee Lux Fiat
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Epistatacadam
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Whatever happened to the legal principle that you could do anything except frighten the horses?
Admire your strength!
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
devoir
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •V
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Zillion
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •From "be gay, do crimes" to "being trans is a crime." Just awful! My sympathy, truly.
uxcn
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I have trouble trying to read something like this and trying to understand where the real problem is.
It is doubtful of some messiah somewhere though persistent disrespect of the female gender does not seem indefinitely tolerable.
I am currently confronting a place that seemed likely refuge from insanity losing much of its character and more specific places where real people live as best as recognized myself being actively threatened.
Can these conflicts withstand real scrutiny?
uxcn
in reply to uxcn • • •kรฆt
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •StuartB
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •If us cis-het folk had to jump through any of those hoops just to live our lives, the government would be forced out, but some people appear to think that trans folk are valid targets for this sort of abuse.
I wish we could just let people get on with their lives, let them love who they love, and live as their authentic selves.
And get rid of these red Tories!
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Sammi
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •As a trans woman now living in Sweden I can only sympathise with the plight of the trans community in the UK.
I wouldn't at all be surprised if the supreme court made that decision to keep in with Trump and get reduced Tariffs.
Fuck all those damn politicians....
sunflowerinrain
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Thank you for putting it clearly. It's a mindboggling horror, and I'm convinced that most people have no idea and no understanding of it. I can't even discuss the nonsense some people have been saying because I can't be polite about it (and I'm aware that shrieking at them won't help).
I can only hope that this dark storm, which has been circling for decades, breaks soon and is followed by clarity.
Courage!
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
fairydoctor
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •GunChleoc
Unknown parent • • •@Dodo_sipping For citizenship, it never is as easy as for a residence - it will be a long road.
I checked into the rules for Portugal, you'll need your passport, a birth certificate and a criminal record background check. The background check might be the problem. Everything else you should be able to get from the Portuguese authorities.
And, of course, learn to speak Portuguese. They only require A2, that's pretty basic (Germany requires B1, for example).
portugalcitizenship.org/documeโฆ
Documents Required to Apply for Portuguese Dual Citizenship | PDC
Portugal Citizenship & Portugal Golden VisaThat One Walnut
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Why the gender part? Like, why not a marriage between two people. Why specifically between a man and a woman or a woman and a woman or a man and a man?
Genuinely, if I were pm Iโd just scrap gender from the law entirely. Itโs unnecessary, a lot of unnecessary work, and just leads to discriminationโฆ
Just donโt use gender in legal documents ๐คท
Sex is for medical documents and gender is for social life.
reshared this
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
groff ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to That One Walnut • • •They did, eventually. Now any couple of age can be civil partners or married, by choice. The idiocy started with the introduction of same sex only civil partnerships, that was changed later. It was always a stupid restriction that was going to lead to problems.
That One Walnut
in reply to groff ๐บ๐ฆ • • •I am very happy I donโt live in the UK, but then again, the Netherlands is also an absolute mess. At least the UK โfixedโ it?
Dec [{()}]
in reply to groff ๐บ๐ฆ • • •@geoffl @thatonewalnut
When Ireland introduced same-sex civil partnerships, it was made clear that this was a temporary measure until marriage equality was possible in law (which needed a Constitutional amendment, which 62.07% of us voted for in 2015).
Existing civil partnerships could be replaced with marriage, or left as-is.
citizensinformation.ie/en/birtโฆ
groff ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Dec [{()}] • • •I'm in an opposite sex civil partnership. Why not have both options?
That One Walnut
in reply to groff ๐บ๐ฆ • • •@geoffl @dec23k
Do you mean having an option to have both an opposite sex and a same sex marriage?
If so, I think just having one type of marriage that transcends gender simplifies things a lot, as well as counters discrimination in the future.
If a future far (age) right leader decides to limit same sex marriages, he can do so with support from parliament. Not easily if thereโs only one marriage type.
Also, transitioning married people will have an easier time that way legally.
zbrown
in reply to That One Walnut • • •@thatonewalnut @geoffl @dec23k they are referring to that, following a court challenge, it's possible in the UK to choose between civil partnership and marriage, independent of gender.
i.e. Jim & Jill can form a civil partnership, just as Libby & Lucy can get married
It's still not all truly gender neutral, and transition can still interact badly, but both statues are available to all.
zbrown
in reply to groff ๐บ๐ฆ • • •@geoffl @thatonewalnut they actually didn't, you'd think the law would now be properly gender neutral, but it isn't.
On top of which the joke of a gender recognition process still initiates a divorce by default, allowing for what's known as the โspousal vetoโ on your gender.
groff ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to zbrown • • •That's why said "sort of". Transitioning doesn't effect a civil partnership but could be used as a justification to nullify a marriage.
zbrown
in reply to groff ๐บ๐ฆ • • •@geoffl @thatonewalnut sorta depends on your perspective, your spouse very much can veto your GRC. If you decide to push forward anyway, that does mandate a divorce, or dissolution.
Yes, civil partnerships as well.
Of course this only applies in GRC situations, but then that's what this thread is about.
(fyi at least on my instance you didn't say โsort ofโ, did a reply go missing or something?)
black mesa research catboy
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Felix
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sammi
Unknown parent • • •DerGinko
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Im sending a hug. Thank you for sharing your story
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Kate
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kate
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Tormod
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •๐ณ
I've always thought that legislation never was made retroactive? This is absolutely horrible. So sorry to hear you find yourself harrassed by the state after harming absolutely nobody.
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Kevin Karhan
in reply to Tormod • • •zbrown
in reply to Tormod • • •@airwhale that's the neat trick: there isn't any new legislation yet, what's happened is they've decided an act from 2004 must be read in a super specific non-literal way meaning an act from 2010 has to be read in a non-obvious way.
The law isn't being changed retroactively, no no, we are being told it was always this, it's just we all read it wrong. Clarity. It's all about the Clarity.
No matter that those who wrote and passed it have made clear this wasn't the intentโฆ
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Tormod
in reply to zbrown • • •@zbrown
Oh, OK. That makes total sense then. Totally clarified the issue.
That's some fine double speak with Orwellian qualities.
zbrown
in reply to Tormod • • •๐ฅ Eveline Sulman ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ช๐บ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •โข๏ธ๐ฒ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Deborah Preuss, pcc ๐จ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •SPโCED GOโT
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •What the ever loving fuck.
I really fucking wish we could just leave people the fuck alone and let people love their lives how they want.
It's so far beyond complete and utter nonsense, as you say, degrading and humiliating.
I'm sorry that you and every other LGBTQ+ person must deal with all of this insanity from small minded bigoted assholes that can't mind their own damn business.
cybervegan
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Georgiana Brummell
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Lenneke โฃ๏ธ #tegenfascisme
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Glyn Wolf
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
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Sammi
Unknown parent • • •Alan Miller ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •holy smokes and I thought the bathroom bills in some conservative states were bad.
(Thoughts on those: never owned a pistol but in those states (laws allowing) I'd open carry, use the bathroom the law demanded and challenge anyone to say anything about it. But that may just be white male privilege talking.)
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
ZiggyZapf
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Just wow. The cruelty trans people are forced to suffer never ceases to amaze me.
It's dystopian to have the state decide who you are and who you can love.
Kevin Karhan reshared this.
Ben Rosengart
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kevin Karhan
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •yes and at this point I question why all trans people on #TERFisland ain't either fleeing or starting a civil war...
#sarcasm #UKpol #TransRights #HumanRights #TransRightsAreHumanRights
Plsik (born in 320 ppm) ๐จ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฆ๐ต๐ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Samuelrod
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Mark Levison
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •D. G. Marshall
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Paul Rebmann
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Genius Sat-oshiba
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •shironeko
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Tara
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence ๐ช๐บ๐ท๐ผ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Stupeflo
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •josch
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Bjรถrn Gohla
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Jake
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Simon
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Rebecca Wallace
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
Julio ๐ณ๏ธโ๐ ๐จ๐บ ๐ช๐ธ ๐บ๐ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Chris [list of emoji]
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข
(I have no words, so here are some solidarity turtles.)
Coach Pฤแนini ยฎ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •reshared this
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Jackie ๐๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธโญ
in reply to Coach Pฤแนini ยฎ • • •I sure fuckin hope so
Olivier
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •the UK has gone completely mental lately. First Brexit, then the trans rights retrogradation and the whole Palestine-go-to-prison thing... What. The. Fuck! ๐
I wish you the best of luck getting your papers from these assholes so you never have to see them again ๐
Sarah Brown likes this.
Aknoralsโโถ ๐ด
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •reshared this
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Kay
in reply to Aknoralsโโถ ๐ด • • •Aknoralsโโถ ๐ด
in reply to Kay • • •@Kay There were several attempts in the past few centuries for governments to work for the masses and weak instead of the rich or themselves. It didn't work out like that.
Instead of praying for our masters to not abuse us, ask "What can I do to abolish our masters?"
Lacci
Unknown parent • • •@mintopia
follerflausen
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Corinna (versiffte Gรถre)
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Cairo Braga
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown
in reply to Cairo Braga • • •iita
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Lappenjammer
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Maya Dawn
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I lived in the UK for six years, made lifelong friends, found a career I'm passionate about, but I moved home to Canada to transition because I was fortunate enough to have that option. COVID proved I could work remotely.
But now I have no idea if I can ever go back and visit. All my IDs say female, Canada has no equivalent of GRC, the only legal acknowledgment of my previous identity is in my private medical files. I have no idea what (if any) connection the UK has between my previous and current identities. I have not seen any confirmation either way whether the supreme court ruling supercedes the government's respect for allies' sovereignty.
If the ruling doesn't supercede, then that is just a slap in the face to trans Britons and just encourages "transgender tourism" amongst the wealthier classes. If it does supercede, then does that mean I risk a literal international incident if I come back to visit and use a bathroom somebody doesn't like? Does it mean that every time I need a loo I need to swing by Trefalgar Square?
The ruling seems to be actively designe
... Show more...I lived in the UK for six years, made lifelong friends, found a career I'm passionate about, but I moved home to Canada to transition because I was fortunate enough to have that option. COVID proved I could work remotely.
But now I have no idea if I can ever go back and visit. All my IDs say female, Canada has no equivalent of GRC, the only legal acknowledgment of my previous identity is in my private medical files. I have no idea what (if any) connection the UK has between my previous and current identities. I have not seen any confirmation either way whether the supreme court ruling supercedes the government's respect for allies' sovereignty.
If the ruling doesn't supercede, then that is just a slap in the face to trans Britons and just encourages "transgender tourism" amongst the wealthier classes. If it does supercede, then does that mean I risk a literal international incident if I come back to visit and use a bathroom somebody doesn't like? Does it mean that every time I need a loo I need to swing by Trefalgar Square?
The ruling seems to be actively designed to have so many holes, so many ambiguities in order to intentionally manufacture uncertainty so trans and gender non-conforming people have no choice but to hide ourselves away so society can pretend we don't even exist.
Sarah Brown likes this.
Oliver D. Reithmaier
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •zbrown
Unknown parent • • •@ryanroberts @Sylvhem depends how you define transition really
From a medical perspective the NHS at large de facto stopped providing trans healthcare several years ago, though private options exist, for social stuff you can still change your name and so on, and in theory an employer still can't fire you for transitioning (or being trans) โฆbut they can for โusing the wrong toiletโ and so on.
Legal recognition is nominally still possible, but worthless, and creates new problems.
zbrown
Unknown parent • • •@breathOfLife amazingly you actually can change your passport without this, and since 2013 whilst in some instances you might get incorrectly recorded as Wife/Husband instead of Husband/Wife you can marry whoever non-relative you like.
GRCs essentially came with two benefits: Your death certificate would be accurate, and your tax gender would be updated meaning you don't have to out yourself at work.
You are now mandated to out yourself at work, regardless.
Lett Osprey ๐
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I understand why trans people where I am, are upset, and that is not close to what you describe.
What I do not understand is why more people are not upset at this.
Trans people are not asking for a lot, you ask to be yourself, and while many people may stuggle to understand why that means what it does, it does not really matter why.
I don't get it, but why should it matter what I get?
I have seen how peoples lives are transformed. The impact it has on peoples lives, THAT is what matters.
To deny people this, is one of the most cruel thing we can do.
People need to start asking why trans people are under attack. What are the people attacking you so afraid of?
One thing seems very clear, if trans people are safe, then I am safe.
So it is in everyones best interest to support you, and we should be upset at what is going on.
Octavia Con Amore Succubard's Library
in reply to Lett Osprey ๐ • • •Sensitive content
@lettosprey There are a few overlapping reasons, but one of the major ones is that trans people, by their mere existence, threaten rigid world-views.
For example, "women are inferior". As trans women, we fight with our very lubes on the line to be recognised and treated as women. Included in that treatment is being talked over, treated as dumb, and literally disbelieved in crucial medical settings, yet we prefer that over pretending rhat we are anything but women. If one thinks women are inferior, someone fighting tooth and nail to be included in that "inferior" group makes no sense
What's more, since this often comes with viewing the world as a rigid heirarchy with a caste structure, people being able to move between the various castes becomes a threat to that structure.
Of course, most politicians also see trans people as an easy punching bag, where attacking them gives them benefits with basically no drawbacks. Other groups have historically served this purpose, but in the modern day, it's much harder to, for instance, call me a Jap and get away with it without some backlash. However, you can, for instance, prevent me and otber trans people from using public bathrooms with no real political price
That's just what I can think up at 0200 and type up on a phone. There are a few other major reasons.
leah & tigers & bears, oh my!
Unknown parent • • •Lacci
Unknown parent • • •Either way the risk is huge. There's a real chance that kids are going to be taken away from their families and/or forcibly detransitioned for whatever they do, both in the UK and parts of the US. Maybe even for just things like social transition. Parents and kids could be sent to jail over it. It's really horrible.
@mintopia
Lacci
in reply to Lacci • • •So like yeah, we should get meds into the hands of trans youth, but it's not entirely clear puberty blockers are going to be the most appropriate thing. I mean if they have a supportive social structure they may not be taking more of a risk by just fully transitioning and trying to go stealth, which used to be done sometimes when youth transition was illegal.
@mintopia
Lacci
Unknown parent • • •I mean their parents look like they might start getting sent to jail in parts of the US and the kids incarcerated or sent to foster care. So in some cases getting families somewhere safer may be a priority. But also there needs to be a strong grey/black market for care for both trans kids and trans adults sake. And we need to do stuff to discredit and take down the psychos doing all this.
@mintopia
For I am CJ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •For those who haven't read (any?) of history... this is basically the same playbook that "colonizers" have used against indigenous peoples for thousands of years
and for those who think "well that only applies to some 'othered' group of 'them'... history has also proven over and over that, when this goes unchallenged by 'the people'... those on power keep applying it to new 'groups' of people who are designated as "no longer being part of the 'US' / 'in' group...
I.E. if you allow this shit to happen to people that you choose to view as 'others'... 'they (the 'powers that be') will eventually come for you' too.
Lord HeeHaw II
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I hope you don't mind.
SearingTruth
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •SearingTruth
NKT
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •You can't expect much from the UK government. They only just let a guy back into the UK after leaving him trapped in Poland for 26 years! Banal evil.
mirror.co.uk/news/politics/winโฆ
I hope it doesn't take even 2 years to overturn this.
'I went to Poland and was trapped for 26 years, it took until now to get home'
Ros Wynne Jones (Daily Mirror)Jayne ๐ช๐บ๐ณ๏ธ๐ reshared this.
nflux back in exile
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Momo
in reply to nflux back in exile • • •When I read it, I was thinking about you, too.
@goatsarah
ChookMother ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Cy reshared this.
Cy
in reply to ChookMother ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ • • •There aren't that many transsexuals... that's one reason why the fascists try to trick you into hating a minority... because as a minority what are they going to do? They're outnumbered! Any problem with trans people, no matter how vile the accusation, is a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny itty bitty slight not really a problem, since there are that few of them! But that small number makes it hard for them to make themselves heard.
(Oh but somehow they have the mystical ability to mind control normal people into not hating them. Clearly a terrible threat!)
CC: @goatsarah@thegoatery.dyndns.org
axebos reshared this.
Sarah Brown
in reply to ChookMother ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ • • •@ChookMother ๐ฆ๐บ๐ฆ There are cases already petitioning the European Court of Human Rights over some of this stuff.
But it will be years, if ever, before any of them are heard.
And even if they are heard, and they go unequivocally against the British state, the government will just ignore it.
axebos reshared this.
Jackie ๐๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธโญ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •@anne_twain
There is a strong case for overthrowing the British government
Musing Mouse
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •"The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest"
Almost like that might be the point. Cruelty for the sake of being cruel
ืคึผึฐืจึดื
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Kevin Karhan
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •#NotLegalAdvice but isn't forced divorce by the state a case of #PoliticalProsecution?
Would be an interesting question to ask...
Cc: @marcel
axebos reshared this.
GinevraCat
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •LillyLyle/Count Melancholia
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •@davidallengreen Our laws are a mess. A complete mess.
@goatsarah
Yawni ๐ณ๏ธโ๐โฒ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •axebos reshared this.
craignicol
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •for your sake and all the others in your situation, I hope the appeal against the supreme court ruling is upheld.
Pandering to the whims of Reform and the Daily Mail is never going to take the law anywhere good ๐คฌ
axebos reshared this.
Sarah Brown
in reply to craignicol • • •craignicol
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.
craignicol
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Scottish Government Response to Consultation Analysis: ending conversion practices in Scotland
The Scottish GovernmentIvan Sagalaev
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •axebos reshared this.
Raul Portales
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Paul Jacobson
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •axebos reshared this.
random thoughts
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •The way you have been treated should be criminal. You've got all the right to be upset and angry.
I hope we will reverse this trend, and make life better for all of us.
axebos reshared this.
SeanBurlington ๐ ๐๏ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •I understand why you are upset
I don't understand why some cis-gendered folks have a problem with stuff that is nothing to do with them.
I try to see where they are coming from - but I just don't get it.
axebos reshared this.
Bernd Paysan R.I.P Natenom ๐ฏ๏ธ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Nazis doing Nazis things. The trouble is that you'd expect Reform UK to do Nazi things, and the Tories to copy them. And not that Labor has been transformed into a pile of far-right shit, as well.
I'm sending a hug to you.
MJ Muse
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •H. Entity
in reply to MJ Muse • • •Maier Amsden
in reply to MJ Muse • • •thedoh ๐จ๐ฆ
in reply to Sarah Brown • • •Sarah Brown likes this.