The SNP’s Gender Recognition Bill is a threat to women

The Scottish government published its Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill last week. This bill will make it easier for adults in Scotland to change their legal gender, even lowering the age – from 18 to 16 – at which they will be able to do so.

After listening to Scotland’s social-justice secretary, Shona Robison, introduce the bill on Thursday, an important question was left hanging in my head – is the minister just a bit dim or is she being disingenuous? On reflection, she may be both.

Robison explained that the bill ‘just simplifies a process that has been in existence for 18 years’, and reassured listeners that it would have no impact on other groups. She made no reference to the rising number of young de-transitioners – that is, those young people who believed themselves to be the opposite sex as teenagers, sometimes undergoing medical procedures, only to experience regret and often infertility as adults. And she dismissed as unfounded warnings from women’s groups about dangerous men exploiting the process to abuse women.

Robison even ignored a formal letter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which cautioned against a legal change without further consideration, and argued that the current system offers ‘the correct balanced legal framework that protects everyone’.

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