A DATE has been set for the Scottish Parliament debate on reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
The stage 1 debate for the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill will take place at Holyrood on October 27.
It comes more than five years after the Scottish Government’s first consultation on the matter.
The Bill proposes to make it easier for transgender people to change the “legal sex” on their birth certificate after LGBT+ charities and activists stated the current process placed too much emphasis on psychiatric evaluation and medical transition.
The reform makes proposals to streamline the process, which include removing the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
It has been the subject of years of controversy with so-called gender critical activist groups complaining that the legislation, if passed, would infringe upon “sex-based rights” such as single-sex bathrooms.
However, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has committed to passing the reform and stated that it does not threaten any of the existing rights of women.
Beth Douglas, co-convener of Rainbow Greens - the LGBT wing of the Scottish Greens - told The National: "The announcement of the progression of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill shows that the Scottish Greens are serious about delivering the promise we made as part of the Bute House Agreement, that we will reform the Gender Recognition Act.
"Earlier this month over 200 people from both the Scottish Greens, the SNP, the Scottish Lib Dems and Scottish Labour marched together in support of the reforms but in also demanding that our MSPs do more to make this bill world-leading.
"With the cross-party support shown, I'm confident that through this process the Scottish Parliament can deliver on this."
