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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Hamish Morrison

Tory MSP poses with pubic wig and Holyrood 'flasher' amid police probe into incident

A TORY MSP met with a gender-critical activist who “flashed” Holyrood while wearing a pubic wig before the passage of controversial gender law reforms.

Russell Findlay posed for a picture with a merkin – which can be used to cover a woman’s genitals – at a pub with a group of activists including For Women Scotland directors Marion Calder and Susan Smith, and Elaine Miller, who exposed herself while wearing the pubic wig during a Scottish Parliament debate last week.

The MSP for the West of Scotland region posted a picture of himself and a group of 10 women with a protest banner in the background of the shot with the words “Privacy, Dignity, Safety” – a slogan which was displayed by activists on the same day as the exposure stunt.

He said: “Police Scotland are investigating Elaine Miller’s parly protest against SNP’s gender self-ID law.

“Well, here’s me with [Miller], holding one of the pubic wigs that’s triggered this ludicrous fit of the vapours.

“Surely cops got better things to do than pursue fake pubes.”

Police Scotland confirmed on Monday they had received complaints about the incident, which took place on Thursday, December 22.

The force was approached for further comment on Tuesday.

Findlay is a fierce critic of the Government’s reforms, which make it easier for transgender people to change their gender on official documents.

He has repeatedly echoed the concerns of gender-critical activists who say the law poses a threat to the sanctity of same-sex spaces.

The Scottish Government has denied this, saying single-sex exemptions for facilities such as women’s refuges are protected under existing legislation.

Proponents of the new law, which has yet to be signed off by the King, have also pointed out that trans women currently have access to single-sex spaces, including toilets and changing rooms, and have dismissed concerns that predatory men could obtain gender recognition certificates to prey on women as fearmongering.

The UK Government has threatened to try to block the reforms and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the Scottish Government's bill will be reviewed in Westminster

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