Sociologist slams Scot Govt for ‘dragging feet’ over Sandyford clinic

Sociologist and criminologist Dr Stuart Waiton has slammed the Scottish Government for “dragging its feet” about whether to close the country’s gender clinic for children.

Writing in The Herald, the academic joined calls for action over the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Sandyford clinic, following the announced closure of NHS England’s own Gender Identity Development Service next spring.

The Scottish Government has ordered the NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland to report on the Sandyford clinic by the end of next year, and Dr Waiton criticised the Government for allowing the clinic to develop an approach driven by transgender ideology.

‘Transgender craze’

He said: “Modern ‘progressive’ politicians appear to ignore the arguments that a key reason for this demand by more and more young people to transition is to do with cultural and political trends and because of the online activities of transgender activists.

a form of state sponsored child abuse that the Scottish Government believes is liberation

“Indeed, increasingly, when the Scottish Government talks about ‘consulting stakeholders and communities’, they do not mean communities of ordinary people or the public, they mean activist and identity groups who can be found on myriad committees in Holyrood.”

The academic added that the “transgender craze” has resulted in the “rejection of biological facts”, and “a form of state sponsored child abuse that the Scottish Government believes is liberation”.

‘Significant risk’

Last month, campaigners and politicians demanded Sandyford’s immediate closure.

In a joint letter, Robin Harper OBE and Joanna Cherry QC MP said the current clinical model being followed at Sandyford puts children and young people “at significant risk”.

Detransitioner and former Sandyford patient Sinead Watson cautiously welcomed the investigation into the clinic, but said: “This should have happened years ago.”