Politics

Trans ‘Gender Recognition’ Bill Throws Country Into Chaos As Critics Fear For Women’s Safety In Jails, Bathrooms

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Laurel Duggan Social Issues and Culture Reporter
Font Size:

The U.K. government is blocking a draft law in Scotland that would make it easier for people to legally change their gender on government documents, citing concerns that the bill could undermine legislation protecting women, according to The New York Times.

Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform bill would have removed requirements that transgender-identified people need evidence of a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, allowing people to legally change their gender by declaring that they’ve lived as the opposite sex for at least three months. The bill has the potential to create confusion throughout the U.K. regarding sex-specific laws, which U.K. politicians have cited to justify using their authority to overrule Scotland’s Parliament for the first time, according to the NYT.

The measure would allow people to legally change their gender at 16 rather than 18 and would replace the typical procedure of providing two medical reports demonstrating gender dysphoria with a simple declaration of gender identity. It carries the threat of two years in prison and an unlimited fine for anyone whose application is found to be “fraudulent.” (RELATED: ‘Transmaxxing’: Meet The Online Community Encouraging Gender Transitions For Sexually Frustrated Men)

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 02: Trans activists hold a counter demonstration next to a woman’s rights demo organised by Women Wont Wheesht on September 02, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 02: Trans activists hold a counter demonstration next to a woman’s rights demo organised by Women Wont Wheesht on September 02, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Girls’ schools throughout Britain would be forced to allow biological males who identify as transgender under Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform, as would changing rooms, hospital wards, bathrooms, prisons and women’s social clubs, according to Policy Exchange, a U.K.-based think tank; England, Wales and Northern Ireland would be forced to recognize Scottish identification documents. Scotland already had 16 transgender-identified inmates in its prisons as of October, half of whom adopted transgender identities after their convictions, according to The Sunday Times.

The bill could also run up against the U.K.’s Equality Act, a broad piece of anti-discrimination legislation which includes protections for specific groups, including women, against harassment as well as victimization on the basis of complaining about harassment or discrimination.

“This is a full-frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish Parliament and it’s ability to make it’s own decisions on devolved matters,” Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, wrote Monday in response to news that the U.K. would block the legislation.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.