Sturgeon: ‘Critics of our gender self-ID Bill are anti-women and racist’

Nicola Sturgeon has launched an astonishing verbal assault on those who uphold the reality of biological sex.

Speaking to Global Player’s The News Agents podcast, the First Minister claimed that critics of her ‘sex-swap’ Bill are “transphobic”, “deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well”.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which has been blocked by Westminster, would have allowed 16-year-olds to change their legal sex by self-declaration without a medical diagnosis.

‘Shameful’

Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “If you disagree with Nicola Sturgeon’s policy that risks the safety of women and girls she brands you homophobic, racist and transphobic. Utterly shameful language that shows just how far from public opinion she is.”

.@NicolaSturgeon says some are using the ‘cloak of caring about women’s rights’ to hide their ‘misogyny and racism’.

She talks to @lewis_goodall about the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, a controversial and divisive topic in Scottish politics.

Coming soon to @GlobalPlayer. pic.twitter.com/9RkV3dmWba

— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) January 27, 2023

The First Minister made the claims just before the Scottish Government announced that men who claim to be women would no longer automatically be moved to women’s prisons, pending the outcome of a review, and that convicted rapist Adam Graham would be transferred to a men’s jail.

She told Holyrood: “I don’t see how it’s possible to have a rapist within a women’s prison”, but later said she would be open to exceptions.

‘Betrayer’

Speaking to GB News, writer Julie Bindel said: “Sturgeon is anything but a feminist, she’s a betrayer of women”.

Former SNP Minister Ash Regan, who resigned over the party’s gender self-ID Bill, added: “We need a new system where no male prisoners are allocated to the women’s prison estate.”

When the Bill was debated in Holyrood, the majority of MSPs rejected an amendment that would have prevented sex offenders from changing their legal sex.

Public opinion

According to a survey of 2,004 adults by The Sunday Times, 63 per cent of respondents in Scotland oppose removing the requirement of a medical diagnosis for those wanting to change legal sex.

And 40 per cent of Scottish residents said the SNP’s plans to make it much easier to change legal sex are the “wrong thing to do, and the UK Government are right to block them”, with only 19 per cent stating the opposite.

Exercising powers under the Scotland Act 1998, Scotland Secretary Alister Jack made an order prohibiting Holyrood from submitting its gender self-ID Bill for Royal Assent.

Jack announced: “After thorough and careful consideration of all the relevant advice and the policy implications, I am concerned that this legislation would have an adverse impact on the operation of Great Britain-wide equalities legislation.”