The Scottish Government is consulting on changes to the Gender Recognition Act to make it easier for people to legally ‘change sex’.
Ministers want to ‘simplify’ the legal process by which people are recognised in an “acquired gender”.
Similar plans have been mooted at Westminster but the Government is yet to consult.
Proposals
Today, the Scottish Government said it wants to “adopt a self-declaration system for legal gender recognition”.
The current requirements for medical diagnosis and for a person to live as the opposite sex for two years would be scrapped.
The Government also wants to reduce the age at which a certificate can be obtained to 16.
In addition, ministers are considering legal recognition for ‘non-binary people’ – who don’t identify as male or female.
Harmful
Simon Calvert, Deputy Director for Public Affairs at The Christian Institute warned that the plans put young, vulnerable people at risk:
“Politicians must stop and ask themselves if jumping on this bandwagon is really helping children.
“The more trans politics grips our culture, the more young people are being rushed into damaging hormone therapy and mutilating surgery by people motivated more by political posturing than the best interests of children.
“We are seeing more and more cases of young people experiencing profound regret at the damage done to their bodies and mental health by being placed on a conveyor belt to trans-identity simply for questioning their gender.”
Under-16s
The consultation will also consider what happens in the case of a person under the age of 16.
Several options are suggested, including a court process which could bypass the authority of parents.
Mr Calvert added: “If this proposal by the Scottish Government means freezing out parents from one of the most life-changing and controversial decisions of their children’s lives then there will be outrage.”
Westminster plans
At Westminster, Equalities Minister Justine Greening has said that the Gender Recognition Act will be reviewed.
Greening wants ‘intrusive’ medical checks to be removed and for the Government to “streamline and de-medicalise the process for changing gender”.
Commenting on the plans last month, Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson said: “It’s clear that spineless politicians, pathetically eager to be on-trend, are being manipulated by lobby groups”.