CARE for Scotland has urged MSPs to vote down a gender recognition reform bill after a Holyrood committee said it should proceed.

Yesterday, the Equalities Committee published its Stage 1 Report on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. Five out of seven committee members backed the bill's general principles.

Michael Veitch, Parliamentary Officer at CARE for Scotland, said a system of "self-declaration" outlined under the bill threatens child safety. And he noted public opposition to the policy in an official survey.

Mr Veitch commented:

“CARE for Scotland have serious concerns about the Bill before Holyrood. We do not accept the narrative of proponents that the Bill is essentially a tidying-up exercise aimed at reducing the bureaucracy of acquiring a Gender Recognition Certificate. On the contrary, by removing the requirement for gender dysphoria, and reducing the statutory time limit to a nominal three-month period, the Bill introduces a de-facto system of ‘self-identification’.

“If passed, the Bill would send a clear message to children and young people that their biological sex is not a fixed reality but entirely a matter of personal choice. ‘Self-identification’ would encourage them to make potentially life-altering changes to their bodies. MSPs should also note that the analysis of 10,800 individual responses to the Equality, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s own ‘short survey’ showed that a substantial majority of people are opposed to the Bill. We would strongly urge MSPs to vote against the Bill at Stage One.”

ENDS

Christian Action Research and Education (CARE) provides analysis of social policy from a Christian perspective. For more information or to request an interview, contact jamie.gillies@care.org.uk