Today, the Scottish Government has published its analysis of responses to the consultation on the draft Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which ran from October 2019 – March 2020. (1/7)
This consultation asked individuals and organisations to let the Scottish Government know what they thought about their specific proposals for a bill which would make the process by which trans people can change the sex recorded on our birth certificates easier. (2/7)
What did it tell us?
Some (very quick) headlines…
✅A bit more than half of organisations supported making the process simpler
✅A bit more than half of organisations supported allowing 16 and 17 year olds to apply for legal gender recognition (currently its 18+) (3/7)
View of individuals tended to be split one of two ways.
Either they:
-thought the proposals were good, but didn’t go far enough, or;
-opposed the proposals altogether
(4/7)
What next?
Whilst it was understandable that reforms were paused last year due to the coronavirus crisis, we welcome that the analysis has now been published, as it is an important step towards finally reforming the Gender Recognition Act in Scotland. (5/7)
With more than three quarters of MSPs in Holyrood, from four of the five political parties, elected on manifesto commitments to reform this law, we hope and expect that changes can be brought forward as soon as possible. (6/7)
Further details on the plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act can be found in the Scottish Government document "A fairer, greener Scotland" gov.scot/publications/f… (on page 50) #PFG#PfG
"While the COVID 19 pandemic delayed our work to establish a more straightforward system for obtaining legal gender recognition, trans people should not have to go through a degrading, traumatic and intrusive process to be legally recognised in their gender."
"Within the next year we will bring forward the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, removing the current medical requirements and reducing the time that applicants for gender recognition need to have lived in their acquired gender from two years to three months."
In today's #PfG@NicolaSturgeon confirms "in this first year of the parliament, we will introduce the Gender Recognition Reform Bill." She said:
"Presiding Officer, I understand that some have sincerely held concerns about this legislation. It is therefore worth stressing I think what it will do, but also what it will not do. It will make the existing process of gender recognition less degrading, intrusive and traumatic."
"In other words, it will make life that bit easier for one of the most stigmatised minorities in our society. I think that is something any parliament should feel a responsibility to do. But what it will not do, is remove any of the legal protections that women currently have."