TransActual’s report outlines the key recommendations needed to improve trans lives
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY GETTY IMAGES
New report by TransActual finds that 99% of trans+ people’s mental health or gender dysphoria has been impacted by transphobia in the media.
Surveying over 4,000 trans people, the research, titled Trans Lives 2025, also found that 84% of respondents had faced transphobia in the last year. A majority had been subject to transphobia online or from family members, while half had also experienced transphobia on public transport. 98% of respondents to TransActual’s research reported that the media had impacted how family members had treated them.
Chay Brown, Director of Operations and for Healthcare at TransActual, writes in the report: “Put simply, trans people in the UK have been failed by the very people and institutions that ought to have been protecting us. Change is needed. The situation is desperate.”
TransActual’s research found that just one in ten respondents held a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). Over half of respondents felt more unsafe because their ID does not reflect their gender identity, and only 13% of respondents had been able to successfully change the gender on their ID without issue. Other respondents faced barriers such as expenses connected to changing ID, not having the necessary medical documents and the lack of options to reflect one’s gender. In the UK, non-binary gender markers are not legally recognised.
In healthcare settings, half of respondents indicated they had experienced discrimination from at least one primary healthcare worker. Of these respondents, nearly all reported experiences of having GPs who lacked knowledge around trans+ issues and issues with GPs misgendering them. The research showed that trans+ people of colour were particularly likely to report issues accessing care, such as GPs refusing healthcare that was not related to medical transition. 77% of trans+ intersex respondents reported GPs attributing unrelated issues to their trans identity.
The report comments: “These findings paint a dire picture of healthcare for trans people in the UK. With it being so hard to access appropriate, timely care, it is not surprising that most trans people may subsequently be avoiding contact with healthcare services wherever possible. The impact of this cannot be overstated, as this presents a clear risk to people’s ongoing health and their ability to identify issues that may need urgent treatment. Our healthcare system can and needs to do better for trans people.”
As a result of transphobia and discrimination faced in the UK, over half of respondents reported that they are less hopeful. Speaking to DIVA, Tammy Hymas (she/her), policy lead at TransActual, says: “Trans people have been failed by successive governments – who have taken the side of the far right and anti-trans media outlets. This rise in hostility is having real-world impacts, with trans people experiencing more hate, more gatekeeping of healthcare and more challenges just going about their daily lives. Our findings must be a wake-up call for politicians: act now, or leave a legacy of neglect and discrimination for the rights of trans people.”
The report lays out key recommendations to the UK government to address these pressing issues facing the community. They are:
- The UK Government should reduce barriers for trans people looking to access ID, gender recognition or updating their records that enable them to navigate everyday life with safety and privacy
- The UK Government should take urgent action to address rising anti-trans hatred and transphobia including introducing a definition of transphobia, tougher regulation for press and social media companies and greater support for victims.
- The UK Government should proactively address healthcare inequalities facing trans people, including publishing an action plan, ensuring better training for healthcare professionals and simplifying access to gender affirming care.
You can read the full report here: transactual.org.uk/trans-lives-25/
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