The final vote on contested gender legislation in Scotland, originally scheduled for Wednesday evening, has been postponed until Thursday.
The Scottish Parliament was originally slated to vote on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill on Wednesday evening, but due to the lengthy amendment debate, the vote was postponed.
The bill would make it easier for transgender individuals to receive a gender recognition certificate, and it is expected to pass in the final vote.
Throughout the proceedings, the Scottish Tories have attempted to make discussion of amendments as lengthy as possible by repeatedly raising points of order and bringing every change to a vote, even if the proposer did not wish to do so.
While Joanna Cherry has stated that other SNP politicians in Westminster and Holyrood are “afraid to speak out” for gender reform.
MP Joanna Cherry remarked that other SNP politicians in Westminster and Holyrood are “afraid to speak out” on gender reform for fear of being labeled transphobic.
Today was supposed to be the day that MSPs voted on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, but extended debate has pushed the vote until tomorrow (protesters outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh).
The bill, which would make it easier for transgender people to receive a gender recognition certificate, is set to pass the final vote.
The Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West has been an outspoken opponent of the Scottish Government’s legislation that will make it simpler to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) based on self-declaration and eliminate the necessity for a gender dysphoria diagnosis.
Ms. Cherry stated that she was fired from her post as justice and home affairs spokesman at Westminster due to her opposition to the measures currently in the third stage of consideration in the Scottish Parliament.
Outside the Scottish Parliament, at a For Women Scotland protest against self-ID, she stated that she was aware of colleagues who had “strong misgivings” about the policy.
Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Holyrood to voice their opposition to the Bill.
Ms. Cherry, former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, and Alba MP Neale Hanvey were among the speakers.
Ms. Cherry received death and sexual assault threats after expressing her opinions.
She stated, “I know for a fact that there are members of both the Westminster and Holyrood groups who have grave qualms about this legislation but have been unable to voice their opposition.”
I believe that some individuals are afraid to speak out in this issue because, when they do, they are often falsely branded as transphobes or bigots.
“In my situation, I was removed from the SNP front bench for advocating for women’s or lesbian’s rights.”
‘Also, I’ve received rape and death threats, and as a matter of public record, I’ve received no public support from my political party while receiving rape and death threats, so I believe that many lawmakers are attempting to avoid participating in this debate out of fear of speaking out.’
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) and Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison are determined to implement gender self identity.
MSPs rejected a number of suggested amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
She added: ‘Many women, including myself, who have attempted to contribute to this conversation have been yelled down, attacked, and subjected to workplace bullying – and I know personally that I have faced workplace bullying as a result of my views, and some women have lost their jobs.
Ms. Cherry also voiced her disappointment that an amendment prohibiting people convicted of sexual offenses such as rape from receiving a GRC was rejected by MSPs by a single vote.
She stated that the existing ideas lacked “adequate safeguards” and that her requests to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison to convene a citizens’ assembly on the matter “fell on deaf ears.”
She continued, “In my opinion, it would be really easy to include more safeguards in this bill without harming transgender people who genuinely desire a gender recognition certificate.
“By expressing this opinion, I am not going against the party line. The Scottish National Party’s convention has never voted for self-identification as a policy, and it was not included in our manifesto.
It promised to simplify the process of gender recognition for transgender people, which I support. What I do not support is making it available to anyone with little precautions.
As part of Nicola Sturgeon’s gender changes, MSPs voted last night to allow rapists and violent sex predators to self-identify as women, prompting chants of “shame on you” in the Scottish Parliament.
During last night’s decisive vote, an attempt to stop one of the most contentious sections of the Bill by inserting a clause prohibiting persons on the sex offenders’ register from obtaining a gender recognition certificate (GRC) nearly failed.
After the outcome was announced, there were tense scenes in the public gallery as protesters heckled MSPs with cries of “there is no democracy here!” before being escorted out of the premises.
The majority of SNP and Green MSPs voted against a move to reject plans to decrease the legal age for applying for a GRC from 18 to 16; nonetheless, it provoked conflict within Nationalist MSPs.
Last night, there were tense scenes in the Scottish Parliament following a vote on the gender reforms proposed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill will eliminate the current requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria in order to obtain a GRC.
Neil Murray, the husband of novelist and women’s rights activist J.K. Rowling, participated in a demonstration in front of the Scottish Parliament Building in Holyrood.
She referred to the result as a “stain” on the Scottish Parliament and added, “I sincerely wanted to be with you tonight, but family obligations prevented me.”
‘However, if you see a man in the throng who closely resembles my husband, it will be because he is my husband. Neil volunteered to attend in my absence; I didn’t even have to ask him.
“We are all aware of why women across Scotland are currently taking a stance, often at great personal risk. We have united to oppose the most significant rollback of women’s rights in our lifetimes.
Foreign and domestic experts have warned the government and its allies that this ill-considered legislation may pose grave hazards to women, but the Prime Minister and her friends have failed to listen.
I believe that this law, which public opinion polls indicate is strongly opposed, will be viewed as a stain on the Scottish parliament and on the resumes of every MSP who voted for it.
Using the Scottish word ‘wheesht,’ which means to remain silent, she said, ‘Whether or not this bill succeeds, the struggle is not finished, and I am with you every step of the way. We are the women who never weep.
The vote on Russell Findlay’s proposal proposing an exemption for sex offenders prompted the “shame on you all” demonstration in the public gallery.
As a result, the Presiding Officer halted proceedings until the public gallery was removed.
Rachael Hamilton, the equality spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, stated, “These improvements should have been uncontroversial.” However, the SNP has opted to allow dangerous predators to self-identify as women and gain access to single-sex settings.
This is completely unjustifiable to women, girls, and the vast majority of the Scottish populace.
Eight SNP MSPs voted against the Scottish Government on the issue of excluding sex offenders: former community safety minister Ash Regan, former energy secretary Fergus Ewing, and backbenchers Jim Fairlie, Stephanie Callaghan, Kenneth Gibson, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, and Michelle Thomson.
The same eight SNP MSPs as well as Annabelle Ewing supported the amendment opposing lowering the age to 16.
Ministers were also accused of attempting to “shut down scrutiny” and “suppress” their own backbenchers after mailing letters pushing MSPs to withdraw amendments that, according to them, would render their legislation unconstitutional if passed.
During yesterday’s debate, Mr. Findlay stated, “Anyone can simply proclaim that they have changed sex, and the state will help their transition.”
“My amendments aim to prohibit male criminals who have already misled and deceived from committing major misconduct; their victims are nearly invariably women and girls.”
Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison stated that her proposed amendments were “proportionate, legal, and compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)”; yet, the SNP minister declined to explain why she believed other measures to be illegal.
The Scottish Government confirmed its intention to support requiring registered sexual offenders to inform the police if they want to apply for a GRC.
During a candlelit vigil, protesters are seen demonstrating against what they perceive to be a loss of women’s rights in Scotland.
The chief constable of Police Scotland could then alert the Registrar General, who could conduct a risk assessment and potentially halt or reject the application.
Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party, stated, “Members of this parliament are correct to listen to the concerns of women who are concerned about the system being misused by those with ill intentions.”
These adjustments are a reasonable and proportional way to provide this confidence.
MSPs voted 87 to 37 against a Tory motion that would have lowered the GRC application age from 18 to 16.
SNP MSP Ash Regan, who quit her role as community safety minister to vote against the legislation, gave an impassioned speech during the marathon debate that lasted well into the night at Holyrood yesterday. She said, “I do not believe that 16 is an appropriate age for such a profound change, which I believe many people would consider to be a very profound change.”
She read aloud a letter she had received from a mother whose autistic, anxiety- and depression-stricken 15-year-old daughter self-diagnosed gender dysphoria three years ago and now identifies as male.
In the letter, the mother stated, ‘I believe she has been influenced by social media and contemporary societal norms. The adolescent years are a time of transition, so her current feelings may alter as she matures.
‘The school and the NHS have adopted a positive stance despite my worries as a parent, and I do not agree that the government should decrease the age at which young people can self-identify to 16 years old, as social transitioning is frequently the first step on the way to medicalisation and surgery.
“I was convinced and pressured into calling my daughter by her new name and pronouns, despite the fact that this was horrible advice and has put our family on a very difficult path.
I feel that an attentive, patient, and holistic approach that considers all aspects of a young person’s life is optimal.
Miss Regan stated, “The minimum age should be 18 and no lower, and we should use tremendous prudence in this area.”
However, the remarks prompted a furious response from one of her colleagues.
Emma Roddick, an SNP MSP, stated to Miss Robison, “I just wanted to acknowledge that a young man’s identification was recently questioned in the Scottish Parliament.
And I wonder whether she would concur that it is bad and provide him support for something that should never have occurred.
Fergus Ewing, the former SNP Energy Secretary, contested Miss Robison’s claim that the Bill’s principles were supported by a “large majority” of MSPs.
He stated, “While there may be one perspective here, and even a majority here, all the evidence of the views of the people of Scotland, as documented in poll after poll, demonstrates unequivocally that a considerable majority of people in Scotland – between 68% and 81% – oppose lowering the age to 16.”
Yesterday, concerns were also expressed over the encouragement of MSPs to withdraw critical amendments.
In a letter sent to Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, SNP backbencher Michelle Thomson, and Labour’s Jackie Baillie late on Monday evening, Miss Robison stated that incorporating some of their amendments into the Bill would pose a “serious risk of being outside the legislative competence of the Parliament” and that she would be compelled to postpone today’s final stage 3 debate.
She also asserted that the modifications might violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
By delaying today’s vote on stage 3, the Tories failed to ensure more time for review yesterday.
Alexander Burnett, chief whip of the Scottish Tories, asserted that a future Scottish Parliament will need to fix and remove the “hurried legislation passed during this disgraceful term in office” and stated MSPs should be “very humiliated.”
Meanwhile, today’s Christmas carols at Holyrood have been canceled due to the likelihood that parliamentarians would still be engaged in gender reform issues.
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