You asked, we answered…

Why does this matter?

This is in some ways the hardest question to answer. For so many of us it matters. But really it may matter as much to our (supportive) friends and family. Often a jibe thrown at trans individuals is about who we’ll be recognised as when we die. This is another way we can ensure that is in a way we’re comfortable with. By having a process whereby we can ensure a death certificate that represents us as we were is issued following an expedited GRC, we also avoid those coping in the aftermath of a loss having to argue and correct the pronouns used about their loved one, and potential conflict over the wording on any memorial erected (particularly where this is governed by Church regulations).

The simplest answer to this is: because we want to be recorded in death for who we were in life. Full stop.

What does the law currently say?

it’s more or less silent on the topic, leaving a great deal of ambiguity. Some NHS resources from Scotland, as well as this article from the Trans Safety Network, suggest the recording of sex/gender on a trans individual with a GRC’s death certificate may be down to the discretion of the individual registrar and something that can be fought for. That isn’t good enough. It should be a right to be recognised properly in death. It’s also the case that getting marriage and birth certificates re-issued for a lost trans person may be something that can also help bring a family some closure, knowing they have done all they can to honour their loved one.

It should also be noted that when browsing through local council resources on the topic (as this is where death registration and certification is done), most seem to refer to recording a person’s “legal sex” on the death certificate and have a long list of documents to that effect.

If you’re going through this at the moment, we refer you again to the above article from the Trans Safety Network. You can also get legal advice from a solicitor, and we would recommend anyone struggling with legal issues such as these do so. We unfortunately cannot provide you with legal advice, and neither can TSN.

Is this about Brianna Ghey? Why aren’t you using her name/photo more prominently?

We refer you to the statement from her family. We are not her family, we do not have the right to intrude on their grief by continually using her name and image. We hope everyone will continue to respect the privacy of her family at this difficult time. We absolutely do acknowledge that her tragic loss has inspired us to fight harder for change to an obvious hole in the law. We are also publicising IRL campaign materials that have been created by another member of the community - these do feature Brianna’s picture. We are happy to cease doing so if a request is received.

Could this allow unsupportive families to “reverse” an individual’s granted GRC by statutory declaration?

This is absolutely not our intent. Given the mechanism we are proposing is by statutory declaration, we think this would also constitute perjury on the part of any family who tried to do so, which is an offence punishable under UK law. That being said, there is always risk when it comes to unsupportive families. The change we are proposing would be workable in the same way standard arrangements in death are, which is where the next of kin or executor of a will would be empowered to do so. If you’re concerned about who may handle your arrangements after death, you can make a Will to control this. More information on making a will can be found on the gov.uk website.

Who are you? How do I get in contact with you?

The creator of this petition, and the website, is Torran Turner, a random trans guy in the UK, but I am in no way the only person who has put work into this, and it’s not about me. You can find me at @miscreancy on Twitter if you need to get in touch. Also working on this campaign is Mimi, who you can find at @BigotsBiteMe (her handle is much cooler than mine). An email address will be coming up soon. I am not disclosing anyone else working on this at present without their explicit consent, but you know who you are - I’m happy to name you if you are.

As always, the focus shouldn’t be on us, and the contact details above are for organising purposes only. Please keep your focus on the campaign.

Why aren’t you campaigning for full self ID/against hate crimes/another topic?

When this petition was first chucked up, it was fuelled by grief, rage, and a cold certainty that this was a fight that might actually be achievable. It’s a baby step that could have a tangible effect. We also want self ID, we want hate crimes to stop, for gender markers to be removed from things where they are utterly pointless, and so on. But this is the fight we’ve chosen, because we think we can win it. If you’re campaigning on those other issues, you have our support and thanks - get in touch if you want more support and we will do what we can.

I’d like to donate some money. How do I do so?

We are not seeking or accepting donations. The cost of this site is negligible, and it’s covered for the next year. This particular fight doesn’t need money right now - it needs time, social media traction, and attention. You can help us by providing some of that, by signing the petition, sharing it and being as relentless with it as we are.

There are tonnes of great charities out there supporting trans people, as well as a bunch of individual fundraisers for memorials for those in our community we’ve lost, and many fundraisers for healthcare and other costs for trans people, all over the place. You can find many of them on social media. If you have money to give, we recommend you do some research and find a charity or person who is/are fundraising to give it to. We won’t be recommending anyone as there isn’t enough space on this site to list every worthwhile cause, and we don’t want to be the arbiter of who/what people give their money to.