TRANSGENDER people should not have to live in their acquired gender for two years before they can obtain legal recognition as it “entrenches outdated gender stereotypes,” MPs said today.

A new report from the women and equalities committee calls for the process to “move closer to a system of self-declaration,” which involves strong legal safeguards but not medical scrutiny.

Trans people should no longer be required to have a gender dysphoria diagnosis in order to have their gender legally recognised by a Gender Recognition Certificate, it says.

But they should still be required to make a formal statutory declaration — a safeguard which ensures “genuine intent” — and “robust guidance” is needed on how this would work in practice.

The committee is calling for the Government Equalities Office and Equality and Human Rights Commission to urgently produce guidance, including practical examples, on how to apply single-sex exceptions under the Equality Act.

The report also calls for the removal of the requirement for spousal consent and support for young people seeking to transition — especially mental health support.

Labour’s shadow women and equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds said there has been a “total absence of any action” by the government to address the issues raised in the report, and accused the Conservatives of having “failed LGBT+ people.”

A Government Equality Hub spokesman said they believe that the current provisions in the Gender Recognition Act are effective.

The LGB Alliance charity, which seeks to separate advocacy for lesbian, gay and bisexual rights from that for trans rights, said it was disappointed that the committee had “ignored” its evidence.

Charity trustee Malcolm Clark said: “Self-ID poses a huge threat to LGB rights since it would undermine the importance in law of biological sex.”