Scotland votes in favor of controversial gender law – London considers intervention Brexit trade deal should help UK businesses – but for many it’s useless

The Federal Council decided on Wednesday that Switzerland will not introduce a third gender. It should also not be possible to opt out of the gender input.

Gender legislation was also discussed in Scotland this week. Although there is no third gender there either, trans people should be able to change their gender input more easily. This was decided by the Scottish regional parliament Holyrood yesterday in Edinburgh. The British government is very skeptical about this decision.

Clear result despite the turmoil

The vote on the “Gender Recognition Reform Bill” was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but a plethora of amendments disrupted the schedule. Yesterday it finally happened. After a three-day debate on the bill, it is finally time to vote. But a disruption caused another delay: minutes before the vote, a group of women began protesting in the parliamentary gallery. They held up a sign that read “Privacy, Dignity, Security.” Then one of the women uncovered her genitals, which she had covered with artificial hair, and shouted:

The women see the law as an attack on the safety of women and children.

The group was escorted out of the building and the debate resumed. Shortly after the law was passed with a majority of 86 votes, 39 parliamentarians spoke against it.

The decision was met with cheers and standing ovations.

That should change

The new regulation eliminates the requirement for a medical report as a condition for changing the gender entry. This means that no diagnosis of so-called gender incongruity (gender dysphoria) needs to be made in advance. This describes the condition in which people do not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. Sex self-identification is sufficient when expert judgment is no longer available.

Persons suffering from a gender mismatch can now not only change their gender input more quickly, but also more easily. The minimum age for such an application will be lowered from 18 to 16 years. In addition, the transgender people no longer have to have lived in the new gender role for two years as before. Three months is enough.

The Scottish Government expects the number of people officially changing their gender will increase tenfold.

controversial bill

The project of Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party SNP caused fierce controversy. Critics such as Harry Potter author JK Rowling fear that men could take advantage of the simplified rules: they could simply pretend to be women to enter areas reserved for sexual motives, such as women’s changing rooms or toilets.

Their concern is shared by Scottish Tory MP Rachael Hamilton:

Shona Robison, Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Justice, disagrees:

The dispute did not spare Sturgeon’s own party either. Proponents and opponents of the bill demonstrated the week before and at the Scottish regional parliament Holyrood in Edinburgh.

London considers blocking law

Enthusiasm for the adopted law is also limited in London.

Conservative Scottish minister Alister Jack, who represents Scotland in British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet, has indicated that the British government could block the bill. Commenting on the vote, he said:

Under the Scotland Act, the UK government can block a devolved law for reasons of national security or other reasons. In this case, the UK government could argue that the Scottish law adversely affects equality legislation. Equality legislation is centrally regulated and falls under the responsibility of Westminster. The British government would have four weeks to intervene. However, it would be the first time that this power would be used.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government has already said he intends to challenge such a move:

If Rishi Sunak’s government actually decides to do so, it could be seen as a major provocation in Edinburgh. As radio and news network Leading Britain’s Conversation writes, Nicola Sturgeon could use such a blocking effort to push for a second independence referendum for Scottish voters.

Only in October did the Supreme Court rule that Scotland could not hold another independence referendum without England’s consent.

Mixed reactions

The passage of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill is causing quite a stir in Scotland. Feminist groups such as Standing for Women have condemned the law as an “insult to women across Scotland”. It’s “a dark day for women and children in Scotland”, Women’s rights activist Sharron Davies told British radio and television network GB News.

Trans people, on the other hand, celebrate the decision as a triumph. For example, Vic Valentine, the non-binary executive director of Scottish Trans, said these changes allow transgender people to ‘live with the dignity and recognition that everyone deserves’. Trans people across Scotland are happy and relieved that the law had been passed after many years of public debate.

However, it is up to the UK government to decide whether it will actually come into effect.