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Blog — Press Statements

Mermaids Press

X Passport case dismissed by the UK’s Supreme Court

Today (15 December 2021) the UK’s Supreme Court has dismissed Christie Elan-Cane’s application to have a gender neutral option on passports.  The Court said that there is no consistent approach from the European Court of Human Rights on whether there is an obligation on European Convention on Human Rights member states, which the UK is one of, to provide a gender neutral passport. The member states have a wide margin to decide whether this is something they want to do.  The UK government has said they do not want to open up recognition of gender beyond male or female categories…

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IOC guidelines: Mermaids statement on the new framework for trans athletes

Mermaids broadly welcomes the new framework on inclusion for transgender athletes from the International Olympic Committee, published on Tuesday 16 November 2021. This framework stresses that no athlete should be excluded from competition on the assumption of an advantage due to their gender. The new guidance follows a two-year consultation process with more than 250 athletes and concerned stakeholders. The new framework focuses on 10 principles: inclusion, prevention of harm, non-discrimination, fairness, no presumption of advantage, evidence-based approach, primacy of health and bodily autonomy, stakeholder-centred approach, right to privacy and periodic reviews. This framework stresses that no athlete should be excluded from competition on…

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Mermaids Press

THE BAN CONVERSION THERAPY CONSULTATION IS NOW LIVE

CW: conversion practice, conversion therapy, homophobia, transphobia  So-called, “conversion therapy” is an abhorrent practice which seeks to change, “cure” or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, which is currently still legal.  The Government has today launched a long-awaited public consultation on how that ban should work.  Upon its launch, Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss MP, said: “As we build back better from the pandemic, I want everyone to be able to love who they want and be themselves. Today’s announcement sets out how we will ban an archaic practice that has no place in modern life.” The…

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An update on Mermaids’ appeal against LGB Alliance being granted charity status

An appeal by Mermaids, supported by Good Law Project and LGBT+ Consortium, along with other leading UK LGBTQIA+ charities, against the decision to award charity status to the LGB Alliance, has had its timetable to trial set out. The directions order from the Tribunal sets out the next steps for the case to trial. The key points in the order are that: LGB Alliance is now a respondent to the appeal, along with the Charity Commission. The hearing is to take place between March and May 2022 (date to be confirmed). The decision earlier this year by the Charity Commission…

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Mermaids reaction to the Sports Council Equality Group Review into Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport in the UK

Today (Thursday 30 September 2021) the Sports Council Equality Group have published their “Review into Transgender Inclusion in Domestic Sport in the UK.” We are disappointed to read this review, which rather than focussing on bettering its existing guidance for trans people in sport, yet again ignores the lived experiences of trans people, and misinterprets the Equality Act and academic literature. This report will have ramifications for trans people in the sporting community, and only seeks to cause unnecessary hostility, exclusion and confusion for those wishing to participate in sport. It is important to remember that the SCEG report only…

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Mermaids statement on the Bell v Tavistock appeal

The Court of Appeal has today told the High Court that it got Bell v Tavistock wrong. Its judgment today overturns a judgment that the High Court made in December 2020. This is wonderful news following almost 10 months of huge difficulty. Mermaids and most importantly the trans young people and their families that we represent are relieved that the Court of Appeal has today (Friday 17 September 2021) overturned the High Court’s decision from December 2020 that effectively barred trans young people from accessing life-saving medical treatment on the NHS unless they had a court order.  The decision today…

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Press Statement on the Bell v Tavistock Appeal

22.06.2021 Trans young people should have the same rights to bodily autonomy as any other young people  We have seen the distress and further delay to accessing treatment that the High Court’s decision in Bell v Tavistock has created for our service users. The decision has put a further strain on the already marginalised transgender and non-binary community and their families in this country. We believe strongly that trans and non-binary children should have the same rights over their healthcare decisions as anyone else, in line with their evolving understanding. This is in line with the UN Convention on the…

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Mermaids Appeals LGB Alliance Charity Status

Mermaids, leading UK LGBTQ+ charities and Good Law Project appeal the LGB Alliance’s charity status The Charity Commission’s decision to give the controversial LGB Alliance charitable status has been met with disbelief and sorrow by LGBTQ+ people across the UK. We have now lodged an appeal against that decision, supported by LGBT+ Consortium, Gendered Intelligence, LGBT Foundation and TransActual. The appeal is being crowdfunded by Good Law Project. To be registered as a charity, an organisation must be established exclusively for charitable purposes, as recognised in law, and it must pursue them in a way which gives rise to tangible…

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Dear NHS England, please comply with the law

This blog post is now out of date. Please see this link for the latest information. It is now two weeks since the High Court ruled that parents could consent on their child’s behalf to Puberty Blockers, but still NHSE hasn’t changed its guidance to reflect the law. It is an extraordinary state of affairs for NHS England to be out of kilter with a High Court ruling for such a period of time, especially when we’re dealing with young people already suffering the impact of previous harmful decisions. Decisions which were, if you recall, enacted with blistering rapidity. On…

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High Court ruling means most won’t need to go to court to access puberty blockers

This blog post is now out of date. Please see this link for the latest information. We welcome today’s High Court Family Division ruling that parents can consent to their children being prescribed puberty blockers without needing to go to court, and that puberty blockers are not a special category of treatment which has to be authorised by a court order. This is welcome news for those fearing the Keira Bell ruling would prevent them from accessing ‘puberty blockers’. “We feel a huge amount of relief having heard this news. My youngest is 12 and we were told just before…

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