Scot Govt trans reform unleashes ‘gender free-for-all’

The Scottish Government has come under fire from gay activists for its controversial proposals to enable people to ‘change sex’ by self-identification.

LGB Alliance Scotland called for the withdrawal of the Government’s draft Bill, saying it would unleash a “gender free-for-all”.

The Roman Catholic Church has also said that the proposal to reduce the minimum age from 18 to 16 is a “troubling development”.

Danger

The Bill would allow self-declaration of gender, requiring an individual to live as if the opposite sex for just three months before applying for legal recognition of their assumed gender.

There would then be a three-month “reflection period” after which applicants are given a Gender Recognition Certificate and a new birth certificate.

…gender cannot be reduced to a mere construct of society that is fluid and changeable

Roman Catholic Church

LGB Alliance Scotland said “there would be nothing to stop” a man legally changing sex and gaining access to female-only changing rooms and hospital wards.

Pressure

The group launched its Scottish branch with a campaign to stop the Bill, including plans for a petition and marches.

The nightclub which hosted the launch subsequently apologised following intense pressure from transgender activists.

The same night, a woman wearing an LGB Alliance T-shirt was removed from an LGBT bar for being “anti-transgender”.

Co-founder of the group, Bev Jackson, said: “LGB Alliance is shocked by the behaviour of a gay club throwing a young woman out for merely wearing a T-shirt with our logo”.

Free speech

Addressing the Scottish Government’s proposals the Roman Catholic Church stated that it is “steadfast in its conviction that gender cannot be reduced to a mere construct of society that is fluid and changeable”.

A spokesperson added that the right to disagree with the self-identification of gender must be respected.

“It is imperative that government encourages and society allows for an open, honest and informed debate”, they added.

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