Scotland • Page 2

SNP’s Gender Reform Bill part of a ‘disturbing trend’ and UK Government must step in

Maya Forstater for the Scottish Daily Express

Maya Forstater of sex-based rights campaigners Sex Matters shared her views on the transgender trend for the Scottish Daily Express.

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Risks in the final rush to legislate self-ID in Scotland

The Scottish government’s plans to allow anyone from age 16 upwards who is ordinarily resident in Scotland to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) without any medical assessment are due to be voted on by the Scottish Parliament tomorrow, 21st December. The vote comes barely a week after the...

20th December 2022
UN expert calls for an “act of compliance”

On Friday 16th December Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, sent an extraordinary letter to the Scottish Government claiming that “legal recognition of gender identity” via self-identification is an “international human rights imperative”. He has now...

18th December 2022
Labour should call for a pause before voting on the gender recognition bill in Scotland

Sex Matters has sent an urgent open letter to Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and Jackie Baillie MSP, calling on Labour MSPs to demand more time to consider the implications of the Haldane opinion before voting on the Gender Recognition Reform bill (Scotland). The Labour Party,...

16th December 2022
Julia Hartley-Brewer furious as Cambridge Dictionary redefines ‘woman’

Live from the TalkRadio studio on Talk TV

The Cambridge Dictionary has changed its definition of woman to include men who identify as women.

Julia Hartley-Brewer reacts to the news with Maya Forstater.

5:48 on YouTube.

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Scottish court rules that sex is about paperwork, not biology

This is the first in our series of posts about the Haldane judgment. A judgment handed down on 13th December in the Scottish court of session highlights the importance of a Sex Matters campaign to persuade the UK government to clarify the meaning of sex in the Equality Act 2010. SIGN...

13th December 2022
Sex Matters writes to MSPs

Tomorrow 27th October is the Stage 1 debate on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill by the Scottish Parliament. Sex Matters has written to MSPs and sent them a copy of our “Sex and the Law” booklet. Equality law remains an area which is reserved for UK wide legislation, yet...

26th October 2022
Letter to MSPs

We wrote to MSPs in advance of the Stage 1 Debate on The Gender Recognition Reform Bill (Scotland) to raise legal and human rights issues.

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Helen Joyce: the truth about trans and why sex matters

Marshall Matters on SpectatorTV

Author and journalist Helen Joyce speaks to Winston Marshall about the most contentious issue of the age: the transgender debate. They discussed Mermaids, Tavistock, the Scottish Gender Bill and her new book; perhaps the most authoritative on the subject.

1:01:22 on YouTube.

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For Women Scotland

Grassroots group formed in 2018, working to ensure that women’s rights to safety, privacy and dignity are not thrown out in the rush for sex self-ID, which the Scottish government is determined to implement despite similar plans having been thrown out in Westminster. Landmark court ruling in 2021 that...

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Murray Blackburn Mackenzie

Collective formed in 2018 of three women with backgrounds in policy-making, research and communications: Dr Kath Murray, Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Lisa Mackenzie. Produces blogs, briefings and submissions to government consultations on issues pertaining to sex-based rights. Seeks to improve policy-making and lawmaking, at both the Scottish level...

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Safeguarding our Schools – Scotland

Grassroots volunteer organisation of parents, teachers, education professionals and others from a wide range of backgrounds, concerned that schools are being advised to use policies regarding gender identity that are based on misleading or inaccurate information. Informs decision-makers. Provides resources for parents and education professionals. Empowers parents, carers, teachers and...

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Scottish Feminist Network

A network of women’s groups based across Scotland working both together and with other women’s groups to promote the sex-based interests of women in life and in law. Has nearly a thousand members based in local areas, meeting regularly in real and sharing information widely. Works closely with other...

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ScotPAG

A forum on gender dysphoria and gender ideology from the perspective of professionals in healthcare, education, and social work. Founded in 2023 with the aim of establishing a clearer picture of how gender-related issues are handled in health, education and social work, challenging poor practice and offering a gender-critical alternative based...

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Sex self-ID in Scotland and transgender unemployment

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 was an extraordinary piece of legislation intended for an extraordinary group of people. It was passed to allow people who had transitioned under medical supervision to change the legal sex recorded on their birth certificate “for all purposes”. Now the Scottish Government is...

14th June 2022
Maya Forstater: Warning on ‘quickie’ gender recognition certificates in Scotland

Jason Allardyce for The Sunday Times.

Maya Forstater of Sex Matters is quoted.

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Is Scotland going to turn the UK into an identity-laundering haven?

As part of Sex Matters’ response to the Scottish Parliament consultation on GRA reform we raised security concerns. This has been reported in the Telegraph and the Times, and Maya Forstater had a Thunderer piece in the Times. Identity matters The involvement of the state with an individual’s identity...

18th May 2022
We’ve told the Scottish Parliament our views – have you?

We asked you to respond to the consultation on Scotland’s draft bill to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and introduce self-ID, whether you’re in Scotland or not (because if legal sex change just by self-declaration is allowed in Scotland, it will make it easier for it to be come...

16th May 2022
Response to Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

Sex Matters’ response to the government consultation, submitted on 9th May 2022. The rules for obtaining a GRC should not differ across the UK. There are serious implications to removing the medical diagnosis, reducing the qualifying period, and reducing the minimum age, and giving secrecy provisions.

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Self-ID: tell the Scottish Parliament your views!

When the Gender Recognition Act came into force in 2004, it was a single regime for the UK. The Scottish Executive at the time considered whether Scotland should have separate legislation, but rejected this approach due to “cross-border anomalies”. In 2019 the UK government stepped back from its plan...

3rd May 2022
Gender representation on public boards (Scotland) – opinion of the court, 18th February 2022

For Women Scotland sought judicial review of the Scottish Government’s decision to change the definition of “woman”, an appeal against the decision of the Lord Ordinary made on 23rd March 2021.

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The EHRC steps up

Sex Matters welcomes its statements on Gender Recognition Act reform and conversion therapy.

26th January 2022
Excluding female offenders in policy and practice: how the Scottish prison service overlooks the sex-based needs of women in prison

Women’s prisons in Scotland are now effectively mixed-sex facilities. Keep Prisons Single Sex look at the implications.

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Fighting for the principle of collecting data on biological sex

A guest post by MurrayBlackburnMackenzie. Scottish Parliament Public Petition: Call for signatures In early June MurrayBlackburnMackenzie (MBM) lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee. It calls on the Scottish government to require Police Scotland to accurately record the sex of people charged or convicted of rape...

27th June 2021