READING PRIDE has released a statement following the blocking of the Gender Recognition Reform bill.
The statement follows an exchange which took place in the House of Commons on Monday, January 16, when the government’s Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack MP, told the Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, he would block the gender recognition reform.
Scottish ministers voted in December to pass the gender recognition bill, which lowers the age at which people can legally change their gender from 18 to 16 and removes the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
Mr Jack said during the exchange in the commons that he would invoke Section 35 of the Scotland Act, which would halt the implementation of the bill on the grounds that it contradicts UK-wide equality law.
Reading Pride has released the following statement with regards to the bill: “Reading Pride is dismayed that the UK Government has decided to block the implementation of the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
“This is a piece of legislation that simply seeks to make the process for legally recognising a trans man or trans women’s gender more respectful and straightforward.
“We stand in solidarity with the trans community who will be feeling very worried by the UK Government’s actions.”
It continues: “It is high time the UK’s Gender Recognition Act was updated to simplify the process and remove the need for a medical diagnosis.
“This would reflect leading international practice endorsed by the United Nations, and adopted by 30 countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
“Reading Pride will continue to fight for equality for trans people and for everyone in the LGBT+ community.”
On Thursday, January 19, first minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke at a Business for Scotland event, saying the UK’s decision to block the law was a “new and more dangerous phase” and constituted a “full-frontal assault.”
The Scottish government has not yet confirmed whether it will lodge a judicial challenge to the decision which could be referred to the UK’s Supreme Court.
The news also follows recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics regarding gender identity representation in the 2021 census.
Figures showed that of those who took part in the census, 1184 people in Reading identified as either being of a different gender identity to their sex at birth.
Of those, 247 identified as transgender men, and 226 identified as transgender women.
A further 140 people identified as non-binary.
