The SNP wants 2017 to be a ‘year of progress’ for trans rights
By Will Stroude
The SNP’s equalities spokeswman has called for 2017 to bring about significant strides for transgender rights, according to STV.
Angela Crawley MP will today lead a debate on trans equality in parliament, where she will urge the government to amend the 2010 Equalities Act to ensure trans people are “fully able to access their human right to legal gender recognition across the UK.”
The UK currently requires trans people to have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and to “prove” their gender “living in your acquired gender” for at least two years. This can cause problems for trans people, particularly in terms of accessing healthcare and for trans people in the prison system.
Crawley said: “While Scotland has made huge progress towards achieving LGBTI equality in recent years, and is now rated the best country in Europe for LGBTI rights, we still have further to go – particularly when it comes to tackling the prejudice and discrimination that trans and non-binary people continue to face.
“The Scottish Government is already committed to reforming gender recognition law in Scotland to meet international best practice and the UK government should match this commitment so all trans and non-binary people in the UK are fully able to access their human right to legal gender recognition.
“I also urge the UK government to listen to LGBTI equality organisations and reform the Equality Act 2010 so that all trans, non-binary and intersex people are fully protected by anti-discrimination provisions.”
James Morton, the manager of the Scottish Transgender Alliance, welcomed the party’s pledge. He said: “We are very pleased to see the SNP pledge to reform gender recognition law for all trans people, in line with international best practice.
“That would mean enabling people to change the gender on their birth certificate without intrusive medical diagnosis, recognising trans people as the experts on their own identities. It would allow young people to legally change their gender, with parents’ support if under 16. It would also mean the law recognising that some people have a non-binary gender, that is, they are neither men nor women.”
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