SNP urged to let Scottish children change gender at 12

A LEADING charity for young people has called on the SNP to allow Scottish children as young as 12 to change gender without their parents’ consent.

Children in Scotland, which receives more than £1 million per year in public money, said allowing pre-teens to obtain gender recognition certificates could prove “extremely beneficial” and would help “normalise trans identities”.

The claims were criticised by opponents of a highly controversial overhaul of gender recognition laws in Scotland, who claimed children should not be empowered to make “irreversible” decisions which could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Under current Scottish Government plans, the legal age at which someone can change gender is to be reduced from 18 to 16.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “In developing the draft Bill and impact assessments, ministers confirmed that they do not intend to allow people under the age of 16 to apply for legal gender recognition.”