Scot Govt will ‘hand men key to women’s rights’ under gender self-ID Bill

Allowing people to choose their own legal sex will expose women to danger and discrimination, campaigners have warned.

Co-founders of the policy analysis group MurrayBlackburnMackenzie say the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill puts “women’s rights at risk”.

If passed, the Scottish Government Bill would allow Scots as young as 16 to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) – thereby changing legal sex – merely by self-declaration.

‘Waffle’

Writing in The Scotsman, Lucy Blackburn, Kath Murray and Lisa Mackenzie said: “Thinking of these certificates as a sort of ‘key’ helps to understand the arguments here.

“MSPs are being asked to agree to give out far more of these keys, to a larger and more diverse group of people, with scant protections and minimal regulation.”

They continued: “What this ‘key’ unlocks is the central question for MSPs.

“We and others have been seeking an answer on this from ministers for the last three and a half years and been met with waffle and contradiction.”

Open door

The group argued that the certificates would give open access to “women only spaces and services”.

GRC holders would also be able “unlock” measures designed to “prevent discrimination” in the workplace, such as legislation put in place to address the number of women on public boards.

They concluded: “Without adding explicit safeguards, MSPs will be putting women’s rights at risk.

“The Scottish Government and opposition MSPs who support the proposals in the Gender Recognition Reform Bill – and are content to open the door to anyone who asks – should come clean and admit that.”

Social havoc

Earlier this year, a call for views revealed that fewer than four in ten respondents supported the Government’s radical gender reform plans.

Of the 10,800 legitimate submissions to the Scottish Parliament’s equalities committee, 59 per cent opposed the Bill, with only 38 per cent in favour, while three per cent did not know.

The then Attorney General for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, previously warned that the legislation is unworkable, “whereby north of the border, you may be able to self-identify but a bit south of the border that might not be recognised”.

She said that turning the “basics of biology” upside down is causing social havoc.