Stonewall Stories

As part of the Rainbow Laces campaign , Stonewall has spoken to people who have come out for LGBT people in sport and made amazing progress for inclusion in their communities.

I came out as trans three years ago, but I haven’t applied for a Gender Recognition Certificate. The application fee is £140. That’s three months’ council tax for me. As a GRC application can be rejected without the right of appeal, I can’t risk losing that amount of money. Nobody should have to...

The current Gender Recognition Act doesn’t work at all for me. I’m 17, so I’m too young to apply (you have to be 18). I think It should be easier for younger trans people to get a Gender Recognition Certificate. We should be trusted to make the decisions only we can make, especially as there’s...

It took me a long time - and a lot of self-denial - before I could accept that I was female.

Coming out was difficult. I lost a few friends and my job. I never imagined that would be an issue and yet it was, and still is. My family really struggled with me coming out. They always knew...

I thought that applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate would help me change my bank details - after my application to do so was repeatedly refused without ID with my new name and gender.

I can’t put my life on hold for two years so that other people can decide if my gender is...

I’m Kate, and I’m a trans woman. I’m a doctor – I’ve worked in the NHS since 1999 and I’m really passionate about seeing good healthcare for trans people happen everywhere. We have such a long way to go to achieve that. Professionals tell me that there is very little, if any, education...