Transgender and non-binary categories have been added to official documents for reporting the death of a child.
The Department of Health and Social Care this month updated the forms to be submitted following the tragic loss of a young person.
The paperwork asks, “What gender did the child identify at the time of death?”
It includes the categories ‘man (including trans man)’, ‘woman (including trans woman)’ and ‘non-binary’.
As recently as July, the form simply listed “male,” “female,” “other” and “unknown” under the “gender” category.
The Department of Health and Social Care has added transgender and non-binary categories to official documents for reporting the death of a child
Labor MP Charlotte Nichols called for changes to the Gender Recognition Act ‘so that deceased transgender people can be legally remembered by the gender they lived as’
Labor MP Charlotte Nichols called for changes to the Gender Recognition Act following the murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey last year, “so that deceased transgender people can be legally remembered by the gender they lived as.”
But while the change will be welcomed by some, it has also been criticized.
Tory spokesperson for women and equalities Mims Davies said: ‘It is a deep insensitivity for families to then be asked… whether their deceased child was trans or non-binary to tick the boxes for NHS diversity officers. ‘
Helen Joyce from the charity Sex Matters said: ‘This ill-conceived, agenda-driven question must be dropped immediately.’
The Department of Health and NHS England were contacted for comment.
There were calls for changes to the Gender Recognition Act following the murder of 16-year-old transgender girl Brianna Ghey last year