Hello, I am Ariane, I am also on CrossDresser Heaven and discovered this site from there. I identify as trans. I knew I was different from an early age but only in the past couple of years have I accepted who I really am. Ideally I would undergo surgery and become legally female, but for now I am socially transitioning and presenting as Ariane in increasing areas of my life.
My dress sense is quite old-fashioned, mostly black, with heels and pearls. I am much more confident going out dressed than I used to be. It seems completely natural now.
@arianedurand Hi Ariane. Ya know, you mentioned the 'legally female' thing. While I have a bunch of resources on all that entails in the US, what I have for the UK is non-existent. I'd love to hear what you find out about what that process is there. Hugs, Michelle
@michellelarsen1 Hi Michelle. The relevant UK law is the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This makes it possible for anyone with a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate which means they are regarded as legally having their acquired gender.
As you probably know, it's a controversial issue in the UK whether a trans woman should have equality with a cis woman in all respects. There are some exceptions in policy and practice relating to accessing women's services, taking part in female-only sport etc.
The relationship between this legislation and the Equality Act 2010 has proved problematic. The 2010 Act prohibits discrimination on the ground of sex and gender (among other things) but doesn't define "man" or "woman" at all, or distinguish between biological sex and legal sex.
This hit the news a couple of days ago with a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that came down on the side of biological rather than legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act.
A good introduction to the issues is the briefing paper by the House of Commons Library called "Gender recognition and the Equality Act 2010" which was published on 26 November 2024. This is available online.
@arianedurand Thank you Ariana. I found a link to the site where you can start the process in the UK. I added it to our TGH Site Resource Listing ( https://transgenderheaven.com/community/community-chat/tgh-site-resource-listing/ ). Hugs
Nice to meet you!
Hi! As another Brit girl of a certain age: welcome! I've made some great friends on this site, and just knowing there is a community of like minded, non judgemental, potential friends here has been a great reassurance for me. Have a look at my profile and if there is anything I can help with (or if you just feel like a chat!) please feel free to message me!
With best wishes, Thea x
Hi Ariane.
Welcome to TGH. It is really nice to meet you here too.
A big hug
Gisela
Hello Ariane ,
Welcome to TGH , glad to have you here . It is a great place to make friends and grow as an individual and share among the community.
Alexis