CI: ‘Scot Govt’s ‘concessions’ to radical gender self-ID Bill not nearly enough’

So-called concessions to the gender self-ID Bill reportedly being considered by the Scottish Government “barely scratch the surface” of its problems, The Christian Institute has warned.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison, who first tabled the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in Holyrood, has proposed an amendment, which would enable sheriffs to block “fraudulent” applications to change legal sex by potential sex offenders.

The Government is also reportedly “sympathetic” to SNP MSP Christine Grahame’s amendment, to extend the waiting period for 16 and 17-year-olds before applying to change legal sex from three months to six. They would have to sign a statutory declaration confirming they had done so.

‘Tragic’

Under the current law only adults are able to change legal sex. The Bill extends ‘sex swaps’ to 16-year-olds, whilst also removing the need for medical evidence and reducing the two-year waiting period to three months.

The Institute’s Ciarán Kelly said: “What’s being proposed would barely scratch the surface of the deep-rooted problems with this terrible Bill. It further entrenches the false belief that it is possible to change sex and will cause even greater misery and confusion for children and their families.

“Children need protecting from radical gender ideology and the obvious and best thing to do is to remove 16 and 17-year-olds from the legislation completely. Detransitioners are bravely exposing how gender ideologues are exploiting social pressures and mental health problems, pushing people to identify as transgender.

“Dangerously speeding up the ‘sex swap’ process and replacing medical diagnosis with self-declaration will tragically push even more gender-confused young people onto the transition conveyor belt. These Government-backed amendments are being portrayed as ‘concessions’ but in fact are little more than window dressing.”

‘Shut down debate’

The Scottish Conservatives’ Rachael Hamilton has accused Holyrood of trying to silence debate over the Bill. The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee is planning to give just two sessions to the Bill despite MSPs tabling more than 150 amendments to it.

She said there “is far too little time” and “looks like an attempt to limit or even shut down debate on a very complex and contentious bill”.

According to The Times, sources have reported that SNP MSPs were not allowed a conscience vote during the Bill’s first stage in Holyrood because of the party’s coalition with the Scottish Greens.

One source stated: “Normally it is the group who get to decide among themselves, however the debate was shut down before it even got started”.

Voters

Last month, new polling found that of 1,018 voters in Scotland surveyed by Panelbase, 62 per cent opposed decreasing the minimum age to 16, with only 19 per cent in favour. Only a quarter supported the reduced waiting period.

Writing in The Sunday Times, columnist Gillian Bowditch said: “If Sturgeon won’t listen to the protesters, she should at least listen to her own voters. That this bill should be considered a Holyrood priority when people’s lives and livelihoods are under threat is baffling.

“There is enough concern among disparate groups to warrant a stay of execution on the bill.”