Sturgeon wins LGBT award as she claims: ‘Gender self-ID does not diminish women’s rights’

Scotland’s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has claimed that women’s rights are not endangered by allowing men to self-identify as female.

After receiving a pro-LGBT award for instigating the Scottish Government’s ‘sex-swap’ Bill, Sturgeon claimed: “My rights as a woman are not diminished in any way by the enhancement of the rights of trans men and women. Never, never, never, let anyone tell you otherwise.”

In January, the UK Government blocked the Bill on constitutional grounds, given its impact on wider equalities legislation. But the Scottish Government intends to challenge the veto in court.

‘Predatory’

Responding to Sturgeon, Joanna Cherry KC and SNP MP tweeted: “What is of concern is the proposal to allow any man to Self ID as a woman with minimal safeguards. There is plenty of evidence that this will impact on the rights of women. Let’s address the issue.”

Only hours after Sturgeon aired her claims, a 53-year-old man admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl while dressed as a woman. Andrew Miller, who has been using the name Amy George for six years, has been placed in a men’s prison until sentencing.

When Sturgeon’s successor Humza Yousaf was asked if Miller would remain in the men’s prison, the First Minister would not comment but said he was “very confident” in any risk assessment by the Scottish Prison Service.

Deputy First Minister Shona Robison, who originally tabled the draft Gender Recognition Reform Bill at Holyrood, acknowledged that Miller is a “predatory man” but claimed such cases should not prevent the gender self-ID Bill from being implemented.

Blocked

But Scottish Conservative shadow equalities spokeswoman Rachael Hamilton said: “It is a vile example of how predatory men are able to and will abuse the system to prey on vulnerable women and girls.”

She explained: “The SNP’s self-ID legislation would allow this predator to access women’s spaces had the UK Government not intervened. Ministers must give an absolute guarantee that if a custodial sentence is handed down, that he will never be housed in a women’s prison.”

The SNP’s self-ID legislation would allow this predator to access women’s spaces had the UK Government not intervened.

Last month, the Scottish Government announced that it will challenge Westminster’s decision to block its ‘sex-swap’ Bill in court. If it became law, the Bill would allow 16-year-olds to change their legal sex by self-declaration without a medical diagnosis.