GIRES aims to ensure that legislation and practice meet the needs of gender diverse people, focusing particularly on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, Equality Act (2010), Gender Recognition Act (2004), Human Rights Act (1998), Data Protection Act (!998) and Freedom of Information Act (2000). It brings these people to the table in policy discussions.
GIRES has been deeply involved with the new marriage legislation, which still does not fully meet the needs of gender diverse people and GIRES will continue to press for this and other legislation to be improved. The major benefits of GIRES belonging to the National LGB&T Partnership include working in unity with its other members and sharing the burden of responding to the many government consultation papers on proposed policy changes.
However, the level of transgender policy work across government has declined because the politicians and civil servants now believe that recent legislation has greatly improved the entitlements of gender diverse people and a wish to postpone new initiatives until after the general election. Most of the policy work that GIRES now undertakes is for individual organisations that wish to bring themselves in line with new legislation, especially the Equality Act 2010.