Editing Gender Recognition Act 2004 (section)

==Legislative progress==
The [[bill (proposed law)|bill]] was introduced in the House of Lords in late 2003. It was passed by the House of Lords on 10 February 2004, with 155 votes in favour and 57 against, and by the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 25 May with 355 votes in favour and 46 against. It received [[royal assent]] on 1 July 2004.

The bill faced criticism in the House of Lords, including a [[wrecking amendment]] from [[Norman Tebbit|Lord Tebbit]] (who has described sex reassignment surgery as "mutilation"), and from [[Detta O'Cathain|Baroness O'Cathain]], who introduced an amendment to allow religious groups to exclude transgender people. However, this amendment was narrowly defeated after opposition from [[Peter Selby]], [[Bishop of Worcester]], and [[Michael Scott-Joynt]], [[Bishop of Winchester]].

Support for the bill in the House of Commons was split broadly down party lines. At both the second and third readings (i.e. before and after amendments), all [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]], [[Plaid Cymru]] and [[Scottish National Party]] votes were in favour of the bill; all [[Ulster Unionist]] and [[Democratic Unionist Party]] votes were against.<ref name='Public Whip Second Reading'>{{Cite web |url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-02-23&number=55&showall=yes#voters |title=Gender Recognition Bill: House of Commons Second Reading |access-date=2 February 2010 |work=The Public Whip |publisher=My Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605135255/http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-02-23&number=55&showall=yes#voters |archive-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name='Public Whip Third Reading'>{{Cite web |url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-05-25&number=189&showall=yes#voters |title=Gender Recognition Bill |access-date=3 February 2010 |date=30 April 2005 |work=The Public Whip |publisher=My Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605135352/http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-05-25&number=189&showall=yes#voters |archive-date=5 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] MPs were split on the issue, and the party leadership did not issue a whip mandating MPs to take a particular stance on the bill, instead allowing its MPs a free vote.<ref name='Conservative Revolts'>{{Cite web|url=http://www.revolts.co.uk/Conservative%20splits.pdf |title=Mapping Conservative Divisions Under Michael Howard |access-date=3 February 2010 |last=Cowley |first=Philip |author2=Mark Stuart |date=19 November 2004 |publisher=Revolts.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606033124/http://www.revolts.co.uk/Conservative%20splits.pdf |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Twenty-five Conservative MPs voted in favour and 22 against the bill at its second reading, and 20 voted in favour and 39 voted against the bill at its third reading. Less than half of the Conservative Party's 166 MPs participated in either vote.<ref name='Conservative Revolts' /> Among those who voted against the bill were [[Ann Widdecombe]] (who opposed it on religious grounds), [[Dominic Grieve]], [[Peter Lilley]] and [[Andrew Robathan]]. Among Conservative MPs who supported the bill were [[Kenneth Clarke]], Constitutional Affairs spokesman [[Tim Boswell]], and future speaker [[John Bercow]].<ref name='PFC'>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/400 |title=Gender Recognition Bill: House of Commons Second Reading |access-date=2 February 2010 |publisher=[[Press For Change]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031203827/http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/400 |archive-date=31 October 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>