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Gender Recognition Act, 2004 (c.7)

Main Region

First Region

United Kingdom
Equality of opportunity and treatment
2004-07-01
National
Law, Act

Second Region

Provides transexual people with legal recognition of their acquired gender upon reception of a gender recognition certificate from a Gender Recognition Panel. They are to be treated as their acquired sex with respect to pensions and survivors benefits. Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, discrimination based on reassignement of gender was unlawful subject to exceptions based on 'genuine occupational qualifications'. If, for example, the nature of the job required a woman, it was permitted to refuse to hire a transexual person if the employer could show that it was reasonable to treat a male to female transsexual person as being unsuitable for that job. The Gender Recognition Act amends this section by making the exception unavailable once the person has obtained a gender recognition certificate. The exceptions in section 19 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Article 21 of the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, which exempt discrimination in relation to employment, authorisation or qualification for the purposes of an organised religion where that employment, authorisation or qualification is limited to persons who are not undergoing and have not undergone gender reassignment, are not affected.

Amended Text region

Electronic region