TUV mount ferocious attack on transgender law change dubbing Scottish act 'homophobic and immoral'

The very strongly worded statement from the party came after a raft of politicians – particularly from the Alliance Party, SDLP and Greens – praised the new law.

In short, the law makes it significantly easier to change your legal gender from male to female, or vice-versa (click here for exact details).

Feminist activists have been among the most vocal opponents of the law, voicing concern that it will erode the very meaning of terms like “woman” by letting many more biologically-male people legally re-classify themselves as females.

They point to real-life examples like a male sex offender who re-designated as female to gain entry to a women’s prison, and of cases where mediocre male athletes have re-designated as female and gone on to dominate women’s sporting events.

Gay campaigners too have said that many youngsters who are now being encouraged to believe they are transgender are in fact homosexual.

ALLIANCE, SDLP, AND GREENS VOCALLY BACK LAW:

Alliance deputy Dr Stephen Farry was among the first to hail the new law, saying via Twitter: “Well done Scotland. Now rest of UK, including Northern Ireland needs to follow.”

Fellow Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw wrote: “The Scottish Parliament leading the way on social justice. It is important that we get up to pace with them ASAP to ensure that gender recognition is applicable across the UK.”

SDLP councillor Seamas de Faoite said: "It’s deeply unfair that lives in NI are always left to the very end of change on these islands and Western Europe. We won’t forget about you.”

And Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn said: “Congratulations Scotland! Meanwhile in NI, Trans people are forced to wait years and made to overcome horrendous barriers to get legal recognition... Greens are behind you.”

At time of writing, Sinn Fein’s dedicated LGBTQ section had not tweeted anything on the issue.

TUV BRAND IT ‘IMMORAL’:

A TUV statement was released in response in the name of Lorna Smyth, a former member of the military and oil-and-gas industry manager, who was an MLA candidate for Lagan Valley.

"We really are through the looking glass,” she said.

"[This law] 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 homophobic, sexist, misogynistic and regressive law… This bill is immoral. It is definitely not something to be celebrated and it sets back women’s rights, that were so hard fought for, by decades.”

She highlighted the fact that the SNP – by far the biggest party in the Scottish Parliament – had voted down an amendment aiming to bar men who were facing rape charges from re-designating as female (amendment 39 from Michelle Thomson, SNP).

Another amendment (amendment 50 from Russell Findlay, Tories) had aimed to ensure registered sex offenders would have their applications to change gender assessed by a sheriff, a type of Scottish judge.

It too was voted down by the SNP.

Explaining why, Nicola Sturgeon had said: “Having carefully considered the amendments, we found that they would not have been compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which all our legislation has to be."

Ms Smyth said: “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: "It’s always been the way of Alliance to jump on the latest bandwagon.

"However, this is one step too far, even for Alliance.

"Shame on them, shame on the Scottish government and shame on all those who voted for this bill."

More from this reporter:

> WATCH: Differing opinions on ‘transphobia’ are ‘problematic’ within NI Human Rights Commission says chief Alyson Kilpatrick

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