Organisers of a Sheffield vigil for a transgender girl found dead in Cheshire have said the government must honour her chosen name and gender in her death certificate.
The city’s trans community came together at a vigil in Peace Gardens on the evening of 16 February 2023 to pay their respects to Brianna Ghey.
Avery, an organiser and speaker at the event who would like to remain anonymous, said: “Currently, she’s going to be sent to the grave with her deadname and her biological sex on the records.
“That’s one of my worst nightmares and I can imagine it was one of hers.”
The 16-year-old girl’s body was found in a park in Warrington on 8 February 2023.
Only those over the age of 18 can legally change their gender in the UK, so Brianna’s death certification will register her as male.
It will also refer to her by her ‘deadname’ – the name she used to use before identifying as a woman.
A petition was launched on 15 February demanding the government amend the Gender Recognition Act (2004) to allow families of dead transgender people to apply for a posthumous Gender Recognition Certificate.
The petition now stands at over 12,000 signatures, meaning that the government will respond.
Avery said transgender people across the UK need more support from the government.
“I want access to trans healthcare,” they said.
“I want it to be easier to change your gender in the UK – it’s currently a five to seven year process and that’s discounting the fact you have to go through a full medical transition or a gender dysphoria diagnosis.”
Two fifteen-year-olds have been charged with Brianna’s murder and have appeared in court. Police have said there is no evidence to suggest the incident was a hate crime.
