#non-binary recognition

[nekojamas]

I just read the most gutwrenching news that the Court of the Appeal has denied Ryan Castellucci their legal gender in the UK.

To say that I am sick to the absolute bottom of my stomach is an understatement.

As a fellow non-binary person this is an utter slap to the faces of anyone living under the assumption that the United Kingdom had even a scrap resembling justice or fairness left in the dregs of it's government.

The Lord Justice Ravinder Singh and the Gender Recognition Panel should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

Full Appeal Document Available Here

With the direction the UK government is moving in, and the extreme swing to the right we're experiencing right now, it's difficult not to give up hope. But the absolute grit and determination that Ryan displayed in the face of the full brunt of government disregard and callousness is commendable.

Their GoFundMe to cover their legal costs is still active and can be donated to here

[isbergillustration]

Been doing my every other year-ly replay of the Dishonored games, and they are so beautiful, and I particularly love the shots we get of the Dreadful Wale in The Death of the Outsider, so I tried to recreate that.

[mxactivist]

UK petition: Legally recognise Non-Binary as a gender

[ Click here to sign ]

Many non-binary people in the UK currently feel invisible and ignored. Therefore, we think this government should seek to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004 so that it extends legal recognition to a third, non-binary gender. Currently non-binary people are not recognised in UK law. This means that we have no choice but to choose either male or female gender markers on government IDs and in many other institutional settings. This can lead to constant misgendering. Therefore, we think the government should legally recognise non-binary people to allow us to be seen as our true gender by society and to help us feel more respected in everyday life. We think that this would be in line with fundamental British values.

Deadline: 29 May 2025

Signatures needed: 100,000

Who can sign?

Anyone living in the UK;

Anyone living overseas who is a UK citizen.

Click here to see a graph of signatures over time.

Click here to sign.

[main-character-moment]

I FINALLY HAVE A PLATFORM TO TALK WITH MY GOVERNMENT ABOUT GENDER EQUALITY AND TRANS RIGHTS IN MY COUNTRY HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK EVERYBODY CALM DOWN

[beanghostprincess]

Pudding and Usopp should be friends me thinks. Usopp hears about everything that happened to Sanji on WCI and is fully prepared to hate her guts no matter what anyone says and then it’s slightly mad at himself when he actually likes her. I have a very specific image of Sanamipu bff dynamic in my head I can’t really describe but I’m having it. The type of people who think of themself as some of the more sane people in the group and sure, they get the idiot ball just a tiny bit less often when they are all together and snarking, but when they get it they slam dunk it so hard the entire court shatters.

I AGREE COMPLETELY!!!!!!!!! This would be so funny, too 😭 (Making this Sanusona as I always do) Usopp finds out about what happened back on WCI and he hates Pudding. Sanji keeps telling him to see it from a different angle. That it wasn't really Pudding's fault and she was being manipulated by her mom. That she actually helped them in the end. But Usopp doesn't like her- Not only because she did what she did, but also because he can't stand the way Sanji talks about her. Ngl, I think Usopp isn't a jealous person, but he is very insecure and Sanji being fond of the girl he almost ends up marrying makes him a bit sick. But, yeah. Final saga, they rescue Pudding, and she meets the Strawhats. Usopp is fully prepared to be her worst enemy no matter what! But- But she's actually really nice? And cute? And really, really funny? And he can't hate her. He tries to be angry at her but she's cooking sweets for everyone and even though she has this weird on-and-off personality when it comes to Sanji... She has a good heart. But Usopp keeps pretending that he hates her because he's a proud idiot and he won't admit he was wrong about her. Sanji just tells him to get his shit together already and enjoy their time together because otherwise, he'll regret it (funny that he's the one saying that as if he wasn't equally as stubborn. That frustrated Usopp more). I think Pudding would actually make amends with them, you know, since I doubt Nami and Luffy could forgive her that easily. But they end up getting along with her when she apologizes (when Sanji isn't around because if he is in front of her she'll end up yelling without wanting to). Usopp doesn't buy it. I mean- He does buy it. He just doesn't want to. So Pudding talks to him in private and explains her situation and apologizes and says she understands if he doesn't want to forgive her. She almost marries his boyfriend, after all. And she has hurt him in multiple ways. And she has broken his heart. It's understandable if Usopp wants to hate her so bad. But the guy is soft against that and Usopp believes people can change. Besides, he knows what being insecure about your appearance and status is, especially if it has to do with a parent. So they end up getting along. The same thing happens with Nami, actually. Imagine trying to forget what Pudding did to their cook. Nami is going feral cat mode against her. If looks could kill, y'know... But! But she saw with her own eyes how Pudding helped them out and she knows what it feels like. To act like somebody you're not. And yeah, okay, the girl might be a little bit insane but it could be worse. And when she's acting like a normal person, she's a sweetheart. So Usopp ends up befriending her quickly, while Nami accepts her and embraces her friendship, but not without the typical "But I swear, if you do anything remotely bad to him again I am not hesitating to electrocute you and throw you overboard. Understood? Understood. Glad we had this chat, bestie". So, uh, yeah- At least they're friends now.

And let me tell you-- It's chaotic. Sanji thought he would be devastated if they didn't get along, but now that they do... Sanji is losing his mind. They're all crazy. He's living his dream, you know. His dear Pudding is friends with his partners. Great. Yeah. Uh. Pudding is teaching Usopp how to use a revolver, which makes sense since he is a sniper and he's curious about guns. That makes sense. But she's also telling Nami manipulation tactics and the navigator couldn't be happier. And you might think that's it, but then you have Usopp showing off his abilities and Nami giving tangerines to Pudding so she can make sweets with them. Which is adorable and cute and Sanji loves every second of it, but it's like they planned this to make him go insane. His poor heart can't handle this. He's going to die. They're a menace to society. Honestly? An unstoppable trio. They manipulate, gaslight, and Sanji malewifes. If they don't like you and you have something they want they probably will steal that from you using either manipulation, burglar tactics or, you know, a gun. Perfect trio. They're also Sanji's protection squad. And also they're the ones who scold him when he doesn't behave. He's a bit scared of them but like, in a good way? And they also look after him a lot so it's alright. And besides, Sanji is kind of like their knight in shining armor too because he gets extra violent if something happens to any of them.

Isn't it just,,, Such a cute picture to imagine Sanji and Pudding cooking while Usopp and Nami work on their own things at the dining table while they keep them company? I find it cute,, They're all a bit crazy but it's fine.

[your-queer-dad]

How do you genderswap a genderqueer person?

You don't. They just keep spinning in circles.

[feckcops]

Labour has shown great courage in the past on LGBTQ+ rights. Why won’t it do the same for trans people now?

“Dodds describes the Scottish government’s attempt to introduce self-ID – which was blocked by Westminster – as ‘cavalier’. This is both disingenuous and inaccurate. The gender recognition reform bill in Scotland was supported by the Scottish Labour Party and a majority of Scottish MSPs, after a six-year process involving two public consultation exercises.

“Labour promises to change the demeaning, intrusive process that the current Gender Recognition Act (GRA) requires, but Dodds ... [says] that retaining medical involvement ‘upholds legitimacy of applications and confidence in the system’. Why, trans people will ask, can they still not be trusted when they say who they are? And why do non-binary people not get a mention?

“Discussion of the need to ‘protect women and girls from predators’ is reminiscent of the kind of things written about gay people in the dark days of Section 28 in the 1980s. In failing to make clear (as I hope she means) that she is referring to predatory men, not trans people, Dodds feeds those scaremongering tropes. There is no mention of the fact that possessing a gender-recognition certificate is not a key to access single-sex spaces. When were you last asked for a birth certificate at a toilet or changing-room door?

“The fence-sitting is clearest when in one breath Dodds talks about ‘biological women’ and ‘providing legal clarity for the providers of single-sex services’ (both battle cries of those who seek to exclude trans people), followed in the next breath by the claim that trans people will be ‘accepted, without exception’ (a Stonewall slogan). Advances in equality don’t come by splitting the difference between those who seek to advance rights and those who want them reduced. That just leads to stagnation.”

[wingwaver]

OM Asmodeus uses he/she. To me.

[suck-mein-pokeballs]

Had to go get my social security number and when I saw the female marker I felt like throwing up

I didn't expect that, I guess I really should see about doing the whole legal aspect of The Gender™ at some point

[danatron1]

Help trans people in the UK!

TERF island sucks, however thousands of innocent people are harmed by their tyranny. Have sympathy for brits like me who would rather be born anywhere else.

An unprecedented attack on trans rights took place last Wednesday, with the UK Supreme Court writing trans people out of the Equality Act by redefining "woman" to only mean assigned female at birth.

Protests erupted across the country, with thousands taking to the streets to fight for trans rights. With our current government, our suffering falls on deaf ears.

It won't be enough to just fight in the streets, but we need to fight in the courts. The UK Supreme Court is the highest court in the country, with no chance of appeal. However, there is hope.

The European Court of Human Rights can step in if we can get them to recognise this blatant violation of human rights. Leaving the EU doesn't get you out of it! This legal case will be time consuming and expensive, so please donate all that you can to help us win this fight. We're fighting JK Rowling money, but together we can make a difference!

If you can't donate, please share instead!

If you need to know how bad this situation really is, keep reading.

The Supreme Court's ruling, where 3 men decided what "woman" means, puts all women at risk. Male police officers in the UK now have the power to strip search any women they believe to be trans.

It is an offence to enter a single sex bathroom and changing room different from your birth sex, but also to enter one where your presence is "likely to cause offence". This leaves trans men and women with nowhere to go, as well as gender-non conforming cis people.

Non-binary people naturally have zero legal recognition whatsoever, the existence of trans men has been ignored again, and intersex people have been written out of existence.

Trans people are always sent to male prisons regardless of sex. If you don't know the horiffic ramifications of this, Google v-coding.

Gender Recognition Certificates, which were supposed to update your legal sex for all purposes, have been rendered functionally worthless. Trans people are being forced into their assigned sex at birth.

Trans women are banned from rape crisis shelters, domestic abuse protection, and discrimination claims such as equal pay. Trans women have also unsurprisingly been banned from Women's sports.

Trans women are banned from all lesbian groups and organisations, and not just that, cis women are too if they're dating a trans woman. The court ruled that "lesbian" means "AFAB attracted to AFAB", making cis women dating trans women legally straight. The definition also means bi women aren't a thing in UK law now - just a sidenote!

Trans people sent to hospital wards are now always housed according to their assigned sex at birth, regardless of their comfort.

If you're a trans minor, your life is even harder. Puberty blockers and HRT, despite being completely safe and legal for cis people, are banned nation wide for trans youth. The only "help" offered is conversion therapy, which the government calls "exploratory therapy".

And if you're thinking "well, people won't comply" or "My workplace is friendly," then I regret to inform you that this isn't allowed. The UK expects all organisations to update their policies to be trans exclusionary by this summer, and the so-called "Equality and Human Rights Commission" has announced they will persue any organisation which doesn't immediately comply.

By the way, earlier this year the EHRC made the trans panic defense legal. Even kissing someone without disclosing that you're trans is enough to get you convicted with sexual assault. Trans people must always out themselves before any relationship forms or be charged with a sex crime.

Any organisation with bathrooms, changing rooms, rape crisis centres, etc. will be for Ed to exclude trans people. If an organisation lets a trans woman (who in UK law is now legally a man) into a women-only space, they lose the right to operate the single sex space, and can be successfully sued for not letting cis men into it.

The EHRC's recommendation? Trans people use their "powers of advocacy" to request "third spaces" with regards to toilets. THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

We CAN put a stop to this. We CAN defeat transphobia. Bigotry has fallen before and it can fall again. Be the side history remembers fondly.

We'll let you mock our accent if you stop innocent people from suffering first.

DONATE

[this-is-exorsexism]

In 2024, the Supreme Court of the UK denied enben the right of existence saying that is recognised gender as a "binary concept" and that no gender recognition certificate should be passed to a non-binary claimant. Where was the outrage for this? We were told that we should not have any legal recognition which means no civil rights. Where was the outrage for this?? Is it because we are not binary? That we do not deserve outrage? It didn't even make the news.

this is exorsexism.

[elsinore-and-inverness]

Copy pasting this as I haven’t seen this on here yet:

URGENT: Join Us in Parliament Square This Saturday 1pm– Stand for Trans Rights

Dear Friends,

We need your support now more than ever.

This Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in Parliament Square, there will be a critical protest in support of trans rights, following the recent Supreme Court decision that threatens the recognition and dignity of trans people across the UK.

Meeting Point: Boadicea and Her Daughters Statue - https://g.co/kgs/pkDwGp3

Trans women are women

Trans men are men

Non-binary people exist and deserve rights too

UNISON branches are supporting this protest, and we are calling on every member, friend, and ally to join us in solidarity. We need a huge turnout to show that we will not stand by while rights are taken from our family.

Please reach out to everyone you know- colleagues, friends, family, union members – and ask them to come along. Bring signs, bring energy, and most importantly, bring your voice.

This is very last minute, so we need everyone to shout about this protest as loudly and widely as possible. Share it with your networks, post it online, tell your friends. let’s make sure no one misses it!!!

SHARE SHARE SHARE!!!

I'll share some social media graphics soon for you to post. By 6pm

Let’s show up and show out for trans lives. See you in Parliament Square this Saturday.

In solidarity, Marshall

[sick-sad-world-revolution-now]

Well despite her identifying as non-binary she is still grounded in reality when it comes to the existence of sexism and how that can play out with the erasure of sexed categories in award ceremonies. Bella Ramsey seems to be the target of strong online sexist mockery these past few years so of course this shapes her experience as well.

[terraswallows]

Diary of an Awkward trans-girl : Page 2

Dear Diary,

She came to my work today.

She actually came. And not just alone—she brought a whole constellation of friends with her. All of them shining in their own ways, like stars stitched from the same patchwork sky. And gods, they were so beautiful. Not just in the way they looked, but in how they were. Loud. Quiet. Bright. Subtle. Trans. Queer. Non-binary. The full bloom of queerness right there in front of me, existing unapologetically.

I felt… out of place.

But not because they made me feel that way—no, if anything, they radiated a kind of acceptance I’ve only ever dreamed of. It was me. It was my own skin, still stitched too tight, like I haven’t grown into it yet. I felt like I was watching through glass. I was part of the world they belonged to… and yet, I wasn’t there. Not really. I’m still in hiding. Still whispering truths into my pillow at night.

I’ve only been on HRT for a little while, and I haven’t told anyone here. Every day feels like I’m walking a tightrope with my heart clenched between my teeth.

But some of her friends… I think they knew.

There were a few glances that lingered too long, soft smiles that carried more meaning than words. One of them came up to me, complimented me—called me pretty, even. Another told me I had a great energy. I wanted to cry right then and there. It felt like they saw me, the real me, not the version I’ve been forced to present.

And I never wanted it to end.

But gods, I was shaking inside. My heart was hammering like it was trying to break out of my chest and run toward a version of me that wasn’t so scared. I hate that I felt this nervous. I hate that I’m still so scared to exist.

And then... she came over.

No words. No pretense. Just a hug.

Warm. Gentle. A little lingering.

Why would she do that? Did she know?

Did she feel what I was feeling, even just a little?

Who hugs a stranger like that unless they’re trying to say something without saying it? Was it pity? No—it didn’t feel like pity. It felt like kindness. It felt like... recognition.

My head is spinning. I can barely hold back the tears and I don’t even know why I’m crying. Maybe it’s because, for the first time, I wasn’t invisible. Maybe it’s because, for one brief moment, I was held not just in arms—but in understanding.

I wish I could just be me. Openly. Fearlessly.

But instead, I’m still peeking out from behind the curtain, whispering my name like it’s a secret spell.

Still... that hug lingers on my skin like magic.

With a trembling heart,

[ayeforscotland]

First five things you’d do as First Minister with a huge majority?

Massive housing reform - Rent Controls, increased taxation on 2nd properties, massive regulation brought against AirBnB landlords, and increase the number of social housing.

Universal Basic Income/Government Job Guarantee Program - Job guarantee program would create a true national living wage

Massive Digital Transformation overhaul for the Public Sector - Get everyone speaking the same language, focus on regional economic development

Adopt immigration policy that encourages more people to come to Scotland

Abolish Conversion Therapy, pass Gender Recognition Reform and officially recognise non-binary genders.

Answering this as if I was FM of 1st Indy Scottish Government.

[sspookyspoonss]

Hello I am a non-binary person from terf island. I’ve seen a few misconceptions about how the decision concerning the Equality Act came about. I think it’s important in the wake of this devastating decision to point our activism in a useful direction and make sure people are aware of the protections they still have. So I’ve written this.

How the decision came about:

The UK Supreme Court (UKSC) does not work like the Supreme Court of other nations like America. It cannot overrule a direct act of Parliament. Instead, it interprets the meaning of legislation to resolve legal issues. This is under the logic that judges arent elected, MP’s are, so are better placed to make policy decisions. They are also democratically accountable, unlike judges, so they can be voted out if they do something the public doesn’t like (this comes up later.)

To make a long story short, the decision is a result of this interpretive role. The Equality Act does not define sex or gender. Therefore the court had to decide a definition for what Parliament intended to be the outcome for cases like this using the legislation. They found (due to things like the use of ‘sex’ in the section granting protection on pregnancy status, makes more sense in the judgement) that the Equality Act could not be read as certified sex, instead it could only be read coherently by using biological sex.

Why does this matter? Well, it means that the decision is limited to the meaning of who is protected under ‘discrimination based on sex’ in the Equality Act for protection against things like sexism. Don’t get me wrong, still dire, but it is not removing the recognition of trans peoples genders entirely.

It is stated in the judgment that ‘gender reassignment’ is not limited to those with a gender recognition certificate. In this way, while still awful, the decision is not as bad as first seems. Trans people still have protection via the category of ‘sexual reassignment.’ This is important to reiterate. You are not completely without protection, if you face transphobic discrimination, you still have some legal protection. This needs to be said so people continue to bring action for transphobia they face and so transphobes don’t think they can get away with transphobia. Not knowing what protections remain helps bigots because they will go without consequence.*

*(Keep in mind that obviously bigoted people still get away with their actions when legal action is brought. However, the point of deterrence and the ability to bring a case under public scrutiny by bringing it, regardless of outcome, is important)

HOWEVER:

Process of the court:

First of all we cannot remove the court of all blame. Yes, they were interpreting legislation however the process of doing that was REALLY flawed. They refused to take evidence from trans people. This should have been considered because of the UKSC’s power to make a Declaration of Incompatibility. Basically, this says ‘Parliament this Act violates ECHR, fix it.’ Because of the impact this decision is going to have on trans people when it comes to things like sex segregated spaces (see below), I think making one should have been considered at the very least. Really, I think here one should have been made.

The Act itself

The court also stated that the Act recognised a conflict between the interests of different protected characteristics. This reveals that the Act is written in a manner that pits the interests of trans people and interests of cis people against each other. This is an issue. Trans people and cis people (particularly cis women because that’s what this case arose about) are not enemies. Blaming trans people is obviously scapegoating to protect other forces that harm both groups. Really, having sex and ‘gender reassignment’ as two categories rather than ‘identified gender’ in an Equality Act was bound to cause this conflict. We need a better Equality Act that doesn’t pit trans people and ‘women’s interests’ against each other.

This judgement just highlights how poor the Equality Act is in terms of protecting trans people. Although only being from 2010, the Equality Act has bases in the Sex Discrimination Act from 1975. This means there are far older perceptions of trans people at play here. These flaws have been revealed by this case.

There are provisions in it relating to sex segregated spaces with no consideration about how this would impact the ‘gender reassignment’ category, despite sex also being used in defining eligibility under that categories�� protection. We’ve been acting on an unstable presumption that trans people were included. This has collapsed in this case because of how rules of interpretation function. This shows we need a new Equality Act, one that doesn’t leave space for interpretation that trans people are any less of a man or a woman and thus don’t deserve equal protection.

The impact

This has been ceased upon by transphobes to be a ‘victory for women’ and authorising same sex spaces. People can explain far better than me why the former isn’t true. However, sadly, the latter is true. We can only wonder what the UKSC will decide when a case gets brought concerning the ‘gender reassignment’ categories and these spaces. I can only hope a declaration would have to be made then, or ECtHR would rule against the UK. However, these future events do not impact the harrowing impact this is going to have before any case like that is brought. This court case, despite the above, is still undeniably tragic.

Why does this matter?

There is a point to make that the process doesn’t matter, the outcome is still the same. However, it is important to remember that democratic accountability element. My fear is that the way this has been reported is allowing politicians to hide behind the court for their own failures. Failing to not consider how trans people are protected by the Equality Act. Failing to pass further trans rights legislation like self recognition. Increasing restrictions on gender affirming care. They can point their fingers at the courts and say ‘look they‘ve okayed this!’ In reality, all the court has done is highlighted Parliaments sloppy work in protecting trans people because of the way they had to interpret the legislation.

It is important to point out the flaws are within the Equality Act. Minority groups rely on this legislation, including trans people. This case has highlighted it does not represent trans people or suit our needs. We need an Equality Act that is capable of protecting us. Not one as flawed as the current one so we are able of relying on it, without the semantics of ‘oh what does sex mean.’

Obviously, the court is not blameless. I’ve mentioned why. However, we cannot do anything about who’s on the court. We CAN do things about what legislation Parliament makes. We cannot let them hide behind the UKSC. Doing so means they avoid the democratic accountability that is the whole reason why the court has to follow the meaning of Parliament.

We need to channel our anger to places where we can make an impact. Write to your MP demanding a better, comprehensive Equality Act that protects trans people. Legislation that doesn’t view a persons biological sex as determining whether they are a man or woman. Legislation that doesn’t pit cis women and trans people against each other.

Sign petitions. Look up and attend local protests. When the time comes, even at council elections, vote for trans friendly candidates. Call out transphobia. Donate to charities which have platforms to give better resources so they can try and petition legislators.

This situation is dire. Trans people need a hell of a lot of comfort after this. But we need to know what protection we still have so we can use them. We also need to know where the problem lies so we can work for change as effectively as we can.

Know that you are valid. And that you can fight.