The UK Government has been accused of recycling arguments used against gay rights decades ago in a 'revolting' attempt to block Scotland's Gender Rights Bill.
Midlothian' s deputy provost, Councillor Connor McManus, has spoken out in support of trans rights following the announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that he will block the bill which was passed in the Scottish Parliament with a cross party majority.
Councillor McManus, who at the age of 23 is the council's equalities champion, said the decision to use an order in the devolution act to block the bill was a "full scale attack on Scottish Democracy".
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He said: "There is no veil, excuse or explanation other than the fact that this is the Tory Government playing political football with one of the most marginalised groups in Scotland.
"This is a disgrace. These are the recycled arguments from the debates on equality for gay people, and it is revolting.
"If Westminster wishes to take this approach, that there can be no divergence in the system, then this puts into question all the other divergent policy areas that exist to make the lives of people in Scotland better.
"The GRR (Gender Recognition Reform)bill was passed overwhelmingly in the Scottish Parliament by members from all parties."
Mr McManus, who was named Scotland's young councillor of the year at local government awards in October was praised for fighting for recognition and respect as he started his career as a councillor “partly because of his youth and partly because of his high profile in the LGBTQ+ community”.
The SNP councillor said the decision by the UK Government to use the Section 35 order to block the bill which he described as a the 'nuclear option' proved they did not have a legal basis to challenge it in the courts.
And he accused the Westminster Government of using trans rights as a political football.
He said: "If Westminster is to succeed in this anti-trans, entirely political endeavour, it will show that the Scottish Parliament was founded on the basis that it can legislate on devolved matters, only when Westminster agrees.
"If democracy in Scotland is respected, then the decision of the Parliament should be final."
He added: "The GRR offers no additional rights for trans people, it simply alters the current process that is already in place, so that trans people can obtain a GRC (Gender Recognition Certificate), which cannot be used as a form of ID.
"The Tory party and their army of Gender Critics are dominating the airwaves, with hateful and questionable language in relation to this Bill, that is designed to give trans people the opportunity to live, get married and die with dignity in the gender they feel comfortable in."
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