The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
FM: Holyrood ‘not rushing’ gender action
Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed claims gender reforms are being “rushed through” Holyrood. The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill now working its way through parliament proposes to remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria as a condition of acquiring a gender recognition certificate and will also drop the minimum age of applicants from 18 to 16 while limiting the amount of time most applicants need to live in their acquired gender from two years to three months, with a further three-month reflection period.
In response to criticism of Reem Alsalem, the UN Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls, and ongoing court cases that could impact the legislation, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said the Bill should be paused.
He said: “It is far better that this parliament and this government makes good laws rather than quick laws.”
Responding, Ms Sturgeon said the legislation had been subject to two separate public consultations before its introduction earlier this year.
“Regardless of any individual’s view on this legislation, one thing that cannot be said with any credibility or basis in fact is that it is being rushed through this parliament,” she said.
“This process, through consultation, introduction of draft legislation, introduction of legislation, the formal parliamentary scrutiny, it’s been under way now for, I think, a period of six years.
“This has not been rushed – this has been done carefully, and rightly so.”
In a letter to the UK Government, Ms Alsalem said she shared the view that the change could “open the door” for violent men to abuse the system in order to attack women, adding it “presents
potential risks to the safety of women in all their diversity (including women born female, transwomen, and gender nonconforming women)”.
She did however welcome the spirit of the changes, which the letter said would bring current legislation “more in line with international standards”.
The first minister told MSPS that Social Justice
Secretary Shona Robison has responded in a 13-page letter to Ms Alsalem’s concerns and will meet the special rapporteur next week.
“It is because we respect that person and the role they hold that we are treating these concerns so seriously,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“There are other voices in this debate that also speak from a lot of
experience and expertise, and it’s not right to dismiss them either, because they are people who work with women who are subject to male violence every single day of the week.”
The first minister also reiterated her belief that it is predatory men who abuse women, and in tackling such behaviour, trans people must not be stigmatised.