Non-binary people deserve to have their identities legally recognised – but the government is standing in the way

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. After seeing the amazing Gina Martin campaign tirelessly to make upskirting illegal, I knew that I couldn’t just sit there and allow this to continue as it affects more people than just myself. I launched a petition to allow people to identify outside of “male” and “female” on legal documentation at a time when the results of the government’s much discussed consultation of the Gender Recognition Act should be released, and both the petition and the consultation should allow the government to think about how they can make the lives of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people better in the UK. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It doesn’t feel like a huge ask to allow our identities to be legally recognised, so that we can freely and easily use the institutions within our society without fear of persecution, detainment or arrest. Two in five trans people have experienced a hate crime due to their gender identity, and four in five LGBT+ people have experienced a hate crime but haven’t reported it.