Transgenderism: Alliance Party lead the way in attacking Tories for blocking Scottish gender-switching law

The Prime Minister's decision was revealed today, three and a half weeks after the Scottish Parliament voted the bill through.

The Conservatives' Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he will now make an order under Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to stop the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from going forward for royal assent.

The reason is because he fears the bill could have “chilling effects” for women who want to use their own changing rooms, showers, toilets, and so on, by letting any man legally designate themselves as a woman.

There would also be "significant complications” from having rules on switching gender in different parts of the UK, he said.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the move is “a full-frontal attack” on the Scottish Parliament and “its ability to make its own decisions on devolved matters”.

Only one party in Northern Ireland – the TUV – has so far issued a statement to the media about it, in which it praised the move to halt the law.

But a number of politicians have gone on to Twitter to voice their views on Rishi Sunak's decision to block it.

Stephen Farry (@StephenFarryMP, 18.9k followers) said the move was "disgraceful both for devolution and frustrating delivery of equality".

The party's Upper Bann MLA Eóin Tennyson (@EoinTennyson, 17.7k followers) said: "Trans and non-binary people are among the most marginalised in society. They should not be treated as pawns in the Tories’ petulant political games.

"The blockage of Gender Recognition Act reform is an affront to democracy and decency. England, Wales and NI should follow where Scotland has led."

Bangor West Alliance councillor Hannah Irwin (@h_irwin98, 1.5k followers) said - in a message retweeted by party whip Andrew Muir: "Absolutely disgusted that the Tories have decided to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

"Not only does this run roughshod over the devolution settlement, it targets a minority who already face unacceptable levels of discrimination and abuse.

"Trans rights now."

Séamas de Faoite, a Belfast councillor who is outspoken on transgender issues (@SeamasBelfast, 9k followers) wrote: "Having trashed the UK economy, failed to make any success of Brexit and collapsed devolution in NI, the Tories are going to undermine devolution in Scotland too just so that they can have a culture war over rights for a tiny oppressed minority.

"#TransRightsAreHumanRights"

– TUV PRAISE TORY MOVE –

Meanwhile a TUV press statement, in the name of Lagan Valley representative Lorna Smyth, said: "What Stephen Farry and Eóin Tennyson fail to mention is that this is a bill that will allow sex offenders to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate allowing them along with others to gain legal recognition without the need for a medical diagnosis. Legal recognition will now also be recognised from the age of 16.

“It risks safe spaces for women and girls, opens single-sex spaces up to abuse by predatory males, and gives sex offenders the right to change gender based on self-ID.

"This is a sexist, misogynistic and regressive legislation, that should never be implemented. It is clearly open to abuse by those with nefarious intentions.

"Essentially this bill means that a man standing trial for rape can claim they're a woman and force a victim to call them 'she'."

She added that Alliance "had no issue" in forcing Westminster to step in an impose new abortion laws and Irish language legislation on Northern Ireland, circumventing the NI Assembly.

"The hypocrisy of this party is sickening," she said.

– THE LEGAL BACKGROUND –

Transgender activists have been pushing for years for the existing system for legally altering your gender to be replaced by one called "self-ID".

In short, this would remove any and all tests for changing gender. Instead, anyone who declared themselves to be a woman (or a "non-binary" person) would be legally regarded as such.

The law change in Scotland gives these activists much of what they want, in that:

• The age for applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate will be cut from 18 to 16;

• The period applicants are required to live in their acquired gender is cut from two years to three months (or six months for 16 and 17-year-olds), though there will be a three month "reflection period" before a certificate is issued;

• And – most important of all – the requirement for a gender dysphoria diagnosis has gone. This is the medical condition which makes people feel they have been "born in the wrong body".

Activists have complained that "medicalising" transgender claimants is "stigmatising" and must be stopped.

Further details of how the existing law currently works can be found here: Politicians praise new Scottish gender-switch law and call for Northern Ireland to mimic it

– More from this reporter –

• Alliance leader Naomi Long speaks up in defence of drag performers reading transgender-themed books to children

• Mermaids: Transgender group for children now facing inquiry by Charity Commission

• Penny Mordaunt claims she’s been ‘smeared’ over her transgender stance and insists she never backed ‘self-ID’ – so what did she ACTUALLY say?