Official forms in Brighton and Hove will include the title “Mx” to cater for the city’s trans community.
The move is among a raft of changes being introduced by Brighton and Hove City Council following a review of services for trans people.
The council’s policy and resources committee yesterday (May 2) approved a series of measures, including plans for GP surgeries to remove sexes from their logs.
The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), made up of GPs across Brighton and Hove, said it would implement the changes.
Meanwhile gender neutral toilets could be introduced across the city and special trans swimming sessions could be held at a Brighton swimming pool.
More support must be provided for “trans children”, the council said.
The council released 37 recommendations to improve the lives of trans people ahead of a policy and resource meeting on Thursday.
Ruth Rose, 79, of Newhaven, was born male and has advised the council on the policies.
She said: “It can be difficult in GP surgeries – I am not recognised.
“If I put in female I am not found, if I put in male – which I am not – I am not found.
“You have to decide between one sex or the other sex depending on what stage of your transition you are at.
“And in some situations, for example when you are getting your bins collected, does it matter if you are male or female?
“Women who have changed sex have, in the past, been bullied going into the ladies’ toilets. This happened some years ago in Peacehaven.”
Improved awareness
Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chairman of the council’s trans-equality scrutiny panel which produced the recommendation, said: “Our transgender community is one of the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups in Brighton and Hove.
“There has been inadequate awareness of the lives of trans people for too long.
“The recommendations of our cross-party panel will make the city a fairer place for trans people who live, work, study or visit here.”
A CCG spokesman said: “We support the recommendations.”
Recommendations
The GP electronic check-in should be changed to remove the need to identify as “Male” or “Female” on arrival at the surgery, using alternatively surname and date of birth.
Given the concerns of the trans community over the lack of local gender identity services, a feasibility exercise should be conducted nationally to commission a “Gender Identity Clinic” to provide a satellite service to operate from Brighton and Hove on a regular basis.
Signage on new or refurbished changing rooms and toilets is being reviewed to ensure the most appropriate wording and symbols for this signage.
In the longer term the needs of the transgender community will be considered as part of any specification for new-build facilities – for example the redevelopment of the King Alfred Leisure Centre which is a current live project.
Online forms are being reviewed as part of the council’s Web Improvement Project as more forms are automated. Mx will be accepted as an option along with an option of leaving the honorific blank.
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