Trans women attack SNP gender plan ‘that puts females at risk’
NICOLA Sturgeon has been warned by a group of transgender women that moves to let people self-declare their gender are ‘naive’ and could ‘weaken’ women’s rights.
The First Minister has received a number of letters from the public, including SNP members, raising serious concerns over the plans to allow people to ‘self-identify’ without a medical diagnosis or having undergone any treatment.
Politicians and campaigners have said the plans could see men being able to access single-sex spaces such as refuges, changing rooms and public toilets.
Now transgender women have written to Miss Sturgeon expressing fears over the move.
Proposals allowing people to self-declare their gender are part of the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Act (GRA) which had been due to be put before parliament last month.
However, Equalities Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced the move had been delayed as ministers sought further consultation.
This sparked fury among the LGBT community but was welcomed by feminist groups and individuals concerned about the policy. It has caused splits within the SNP, with government ministers and senior politicians speaking out against the proposals.
Miss Sturgeon has said she does not feel the fears of women concerned about letting transgender women access safe spaces. But a letter to the SNP leader from a number of transgender women reveals they have concerns and are worried by the backlash faced by those raising issues.
The letter states: ‘We are deeply concerned about naive proposals to weaken safeguarding protections in a misguided attempt to support a simplistic notion of inclusion… As transsexual people we are horrified by the impact on women, their right to organise as a biological sex and their ability to protect their own boundaries.
‘When women do protest they are accused of bigotry and transphobia, and dehumanised as Terfs [transexclusionary radical feminists].’ It
‘We are horrified by the impact’
continues: ‘We are writing to you to express our solidarity with women who have aired reasonable concerns and been attacked for doing so.’
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that Miss Sturgeon has received a number of other letters. In one, a parent of two daughters said they were concerned by the alleged ‘censorship’ of the issue, with women unable to express their views without attracting abuse.’
A letter submitted on behalf of feminist group forwomen.scot said there was a ‘great deal of evidence to suggest there are significant human rights issues for women and girls and that self-ID policies represent a substantial roll-back of our rights’. An SNP supporter also wrote to say they were ‘confused’ by Miss Sturgeon’s support for the reforms, while an SNP member wrote that they were ‘shocked and saddened’ by the GRA and party support for the Act.
However, there were letters to Miss Sturgeon backing the GRA.
In one, a transgender person wrote that they were ‘horribly’ worried about the stigma around trans people – and called on Miss Sturgeon to push on with the reforms.
Nationalist MP Mhairi Black sparked fury this week after posting a video dismissing women’s fears. But ministers Kate Forbes, Ash Denham and Ivan McKee signed an open letter with 12 other MSPs, MPs and councillors, warning Miss Sturgeon not to rush ahead with plans.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Ministers have received a wide range of representations on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. As the Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People said in her parliamentary statement in June, the Scottish Government intends to consult later this year on a draft Bill.’ I won’t be silenced by trans
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