Scottish Trans
@ScottishTrans
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This account is no longer in use. Working for gender identity and gender reassignment equality and rights in Scotland.
Joined February 2011
Equality Network and Scottish Trans will no longer be posting on X. This will be our last post on X. Read more here:.
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A lot of reports in the media that the UK Govt is threatening to block the Gender Recognition Reform Bill from getting royal assent. They say they would use section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to do that. Section 35 has never been used before, so this would be unprecedented. 1/4.
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One thing you can do this #NonBinaryPeoplesDay is think about when you might accidentally use language that makes some people feel excluded. Often the solution is very simple! Check out our guidance at for more easy tips #NonBinaryDay
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The case of Isla Bryson has been in the news this week. As far as we can tell, the Scottish Prison Service’s policy has generated the result it should, and that we would have expected. As we understand it, Isla Bryson was held in segregation while a risk assessment was done.
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We do not believe that the GRR Bill makes modifications of the law applying to reserved matters. The Scottish Govt have been clear that it does not. So if the UK Govt attempts this, we fully expect the Scottish Govt to challenge them in court to overturn the block. 3/4.
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If the UK Govt does attempt to use section 35, they must do it within four weeks of the bill passing, that is, by 19th January. Otherwise the bill will proceed as usual to royal assent. 4/4.
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Under section 35, the UK Govt can only block royal assent if a bill’s provisions “make modifications of the law as it applies to reserved matters” AND the same provisions would have an adverse effect on the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters. 2/4.
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We are very disappointed that the Scottish Government has lost its court case against the UK Government’s use of a Section 35 order to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from reaching royal assent. (1/15).
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BREAKING: A judge at the Court of Session has ruled guidance that tells trans men and trans women that they can respond with the answer that corresponds with how .they live their lives, is lawful. @ScottishTrans were given permission to intervene in the case.
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In today's #PfG @NicolaSturgeon confirms "in this first year of the parliament, we will introduce the Gender Recognition Reform Bill." She said:
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We’re bitterly disappointed to hear that the Scottish Government have decided not to appeal the recent court ruling that the UK Government’s blocking of the GRR Bill was lawful. (1/6).
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We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to challenge the UK Government’s veto of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. You can read the Scottish Government's statement in full here:
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The EHRC have today published new guidance on single-sex services. The guidance is overwhelmingly focused on how single-sex services might or could exclude trans people from using them. (1/16).
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We’re outside the @ScotParl this morning sending a positive and colourful message to MSPs in support of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill which gets debated today and voted on tomorrow #TransRightsAreHumanRights
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The @TransPrideScot march had a big impact on Paisley, so much support from the locals and businesses 🏳️⚧️ #transpridescotland
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On #NonBinaryAwarenessWeek have you thought about how the words you chose can help people feel included?. One simple thing you can do is think about when you might use language that excludes non-binary people without meaning to! Some tiny tweaks can make a big difference 💛🤍💜🖤
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Great turnout for the Glasgow rally against the blocking of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill!
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It's non-binary awareness week! Shout out to all of our non-binary followers and friends 💛🤍💜🖤 . We know not everyone knows loads about non-binary people, what our lives are like, and what steps services and employers can take to better include us. #NonbinaryAwarenessWeek
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Thanks to everyone who stood with us outside Scottish Parliament today and to the MSPs who came to show their support ahead of the start of Stage Three of the GRR Bill 🏳️⚧️🏴
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We’ve heard that we’ve been granted permission to intervene in the Scottish Government’s case challenging the UK Government’s block of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. (1/4)
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The final vote on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill is due today - here's what to expect ⏳
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Today, @ScotGovFairer published their 5 year non-binary equality action plan 💛🤍💜🖤. We *think* this is the first time any government in the world has set out commitments specifically focused on improving the lives of non-binary people. (1/6)
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. on this, and no effect on where trans people in custody are housed. In a community of any size, there will be some people who commit appalling crimes – that does not and should not reflect on the majority of that community.
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We have just issued the following press release:. The Equality Network @LGBTIScotland, a national LGBTI organisation in Scotland, and its project Scottish Trans, have responded to a letter sent today by the GB Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) (1/6).
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This is really disappointing, and doesn’t reflect our experience of working with single-sex service providers for many years across Scotland – they overwhelmingly want to know how to include trans people in their services, not how to exclude us. (2/16).
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The Scottish Parliament has just published the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill: to simplify the process that lets trans men and trans women in Scotland change the sex on their birth certificate. #ReformTheGRA (1/4)
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A blanket rule about where trans people in custody are accommodated would be wrong. The assessment of where a trans person in custody is held does not depend on whether or not they have a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
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If you can make it to Edinburgh this Thursday, please come along to this rally against the blocking of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill by the UK Government. 1:30pm outside Queen Elizabeth House, just a short walk from Edinburgh Waverly train station #RallyForTranseEquality
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Happy Trans Day of Visibility from everyone here at Scottish Trans! Whatever visibility means to you - we hope today is a chance to reflect on the ways that living true to yourself has made things better ❤️🏳️⚧️#TDOV
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For example, a trans woman transitioned for 20 years, who is in prison for a non-violent offence like financial fraud, might pose no risk to other women in custody, but be at significant risk herself if accommodated on the male estate.
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We asked trans people and our allies "What do you wish the general public knew about trans people?". "We genuinely just want to be happy. Safe. Be who we are, rather than what society sees us as". Watch the whole video at: #TransAwarenessWeek
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Feeling the love for trans people today at #SNP19 Thank you @MhairiBlack.#TransRightsAreHumanRights #EqualRecognition
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We share everyone’s concerns about the court decision that came out on Friday about the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act, which For Women Scotland won on appeal against the Scottish Government. (1/5).
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Our Manager Vic addresses the huge crowd outside the UK Gov Hub for trans equality and against Section 35. “I was worried the UK Gov had considered, but seeing their reasons show its clear they have no grounds to block this bill”
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We are delighted to read this open letter from the #LGBT community in support of trans equality signed by over 70 groups and organisations. 💙💖🤍💖💙 #equalrecognition
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Following risk assessments, 9 of them were held in the estate matching their gender assigned at birth, and 6 in the estate matching their transitioned gender. It is right that this should be decided on an individualised risk assessment basis.
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We welcome today's Court of Session Decision . "We are delighted that Lady Wise has held that the Scottish Government were able to include trans women in this legislation aimed at increasing women’s representation on Scottish Public Boards.". Read more:
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The law on how trans people can be treated in single-sex services is the same today as it was yesterday. It is set out in the Equality Act 2010, and so in fact is the same today as it has been for more than a decade. (3/16).
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The final stage of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill's progress through Parliament starts tomorrow!. You can find out more about what to expect from tomorrow's session on our website here:
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It is our view that anyone who has committed sexually violent crimes, and who poses a risk to women, should not be housed with women on the female estate. In September 2022, there were 15 trans people in custody in Scotland (0.2% of the prison population).
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That risk assessment decided, not surprisingly, that she should not be held in the women’s estate. That is what we would expect for a person convicted of rape.
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The risk assessment policy applies to all trans people in custody, with or without GRCs. That means that the changes to the process for applying for a GRC, overwhelmingly agreed by the Scottish Parliament in December, would have no effect on the Scottish Prison Service’s policy. .
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💛🤍💜🖤We welcome the Private Members Bill introduced to Westminster today by @cajardineMP for gender neutral 'X' markers to be available on UK passports. #InternationalNonbinaryDay #NonBinaryPeoplesDay 💛🤍💜🖤.
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Hey everyone we need to make a powerful statement that non-binary people are real, that we’re not going away and that we will continue to fight for our recognition and rights until we get them!! Join us tomorrow at Pride and march with our 10m NB flag and make lots of noise!!!!
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Today the Sandyford Young People’s Gender Service has announced that they will no longer be referring under 18s for endocrine treatments. Read our full response:
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We join trans communities around the world today to mark Trans Day of Remembrance. We pause today to remember, and to mourn, the lives of those trans people lost this year to violence. #TransDayOfRemembrance #TDoR
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🚨It's the last day for responding to the Scottish Parliament's Equalities, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee's Call for Views on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which would reform the Gender Recognition Act - you have until 23:59!🚨
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If there were ever to be a case taken to court about a trans person facing discrimination in a single-sex service, it would be the SCoP that the court would consider, and not the new guidance. (5/16).
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The new guidance issued by the EHRC also does not override its own existing Statutory Code of Practice (SCoP), which can be found here: (pages 197-199) (4/16).
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As always, we’ll keep working as hard as we can to make sure that trans people are able to live our lives not only free from discrimination, harassment, and abuse, but also that we can thrive and flourish. Love and solidarity from all at Scottish Trans ❤️ (16/16).
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Most importantly because the Bill would have introduced a fair and simple process for trans men and women to update the sex recorded on their birth certificate – the kind of process that’s in place in more than 30 places all across the world. (2/6).
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Yesterday in the Court of Session, For Women Scotland lost a case they had taken against the Scottish Government about guidance they had produced about the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act. (1/8).
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Today, the Scottish Government has published their three year strategic action framework for transforming gender identity services Some of the main things the framework commits to do are: (1/6)
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The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill has been talked about a lot in the press and in Holyrood recently, but unfortunately a lot of this discussion has been about things that the Bill doesn’t do. So what does it do any why does it need to change? 🧵
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We’ll be taking legal advice on whether the new guidance issued by the EHRC may lead to single-sex services unlawfully discriminating against trans people. (11/16).
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It is important to remember two things. Firstly, the court did not rule that there was anything wrong with the GRR Bill itself, only that the UK Government has the power to choose to block it. (4/6).
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Despite coverage in the press yesterday, we have received confirmation that the Sandyford Young Persons Gender Service will continue to see new patients and accept referrals to their waiting list. Read our full statement on our website here:.
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As you will have seen by now, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill passed its first vote in Scottish Parliament yesterday 88 to 33. While this bill’s journey is not over yet we’re really pleased with this result, with close to three times as many votes in favour as against.
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Loving Glasgow today! Come find us in the union, we are on the 4th floor!
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In the meantime, we’ll keep relying on the Statutory Code of Practice, and on the Equality Act 2010 itself, to describe how the law currently works – as they are the things that have legal effect, not this new guidance. (13/16).
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The Scottish Government are making a statement in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, starting shortly after 3pm – we expect that statement to explain their decision in more detail. You’ll hear more from us then, but for now we hope that everyone is hanging in there ❤️ (6/6).
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We invite all groups & individuals who wish to positively show their solidarity with trans people on #TDoR to join together for a compassionate & peaceful candlelight vigil at 6pm next Wednesday 20/11 on International Trans Day of Remembrance.Full details:
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At 9am tomorrow the Scottish Parliament's Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice (EHRCJ) Committee will meet to begin voting on amendments suggested by MSPs to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. You can watch it live on Parliament TV here:
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The SCoP is much more narrow around how and when it would be lawful to treat trans people less favourably in, or exclude them from, single-sex services. That SCoP was challenged in Court last year by an organisation that said it was wrong. (6/16).
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We’re very glad to say that yesterday MSPs unanimously approved the Census Order, which sets out what the census questions cover. We have moved 1 step closer to ensuring that trans people are not forced to answer the Scottish Census with the sex recorded on our birth certificate.
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that they were an ‘obvious absurdity’, ‘unarguable’ and ‘clearly incompatible with the tenor of the [Equality] Act’. You can read the judgement here: (10/16).
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It was the EHRC, having written the SCoP, who were taken to Court by that organisation. The EHRC defended it, and the positions laid out in it, from this legal challenge. A Judge dismissed the other organisation’s challenge – it was not given permission to be heard. (8/16).
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For now, we’re stuck with the intrusive, distressing and difficult process that so many of us have worked so hard over so many years to improve, and that our parliament voted for by a large majority at the end of last year. (3/6).
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Secondly, the bill is not dead – it will remain stalled for now, but can be reactivated later when the political situation changes. (5/6).
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If it would, that would potentially mean that this new guidance would be in breach of the law also, and would need to be withdrawn. (12/16).
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We hope that everyone is doing as ok as they can, and if you need someone to talk to, you can call @MindlineTrans tonight from 8pm – midnight, and @lgbt_helpline tomorrow from 12 - 9pm. (15/16).
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English can be very gendered, and this can mean that we sometimes use language that can make non-binary people feel excluded or unwelcome, even when we don’t mean to. Below are some examples of easy ways that you can use language that includes everyone. #NonBinaryAwarenessWeek
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They claimed that the Equality Act 2010 should be read as saying that trans people should be barred from single-sex services that reflect who we are and how we live our lives, pretty much in every single circumstance. (7/16).
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We know that the last week has been really challenging – with the UK Government’s plans to drop trans people from the conversion therapy ban in England & Wales also going public at the end of last week. (14/16).
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All parties in the case agreed that it was not about the merits of the bill itself, and they agreed that the bill was within devolved powers. The court judgment is also not about whether or not the UK Government made the right decision in blocking the bill. (2/15).
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The Gender Recognition Reform Bill passed its first vote last Thursday by a wide majority - but what happens next?. 🧵Thread on "Stage Two" of the Scottish Parliament bill process and what to expect:
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We've reached 10,000 followers! Thank you so much to everyone who supports trans equality in Scotland 🏳️⚧️
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MASSIVE thank you to everyone who braved the rain to join us in calling for trans rights at @ScotParl today! Our trans community was loud, visible and proud, and our allies were right there with us! Big thanks to our speakers as well! #eqaulrecognition #TransRightsAreHumanRights
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We hope that the Scottish Government will appeal as if left unchallenged, trans people will continue to have to use the intrusive, unfair and expensive process for being legally recognised as who we truly are that a majority of MSPs voted to significantly improve last year (6/15).
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Great to see £2 million funding for gender identity services included in today's #Budget2022 - trans healthcare is in crisis, with thousands waiting for years just for a first appointment. But long waits aren't the only problem. (1/4).
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The claims in this tweet are false. Our intervention in the section 35 court case is funded entirely by donations from individual LGBTI people and supporters. Thank you so much to everyone who donates to support our campaign and litigation work for trans and LGBTI+ equality!.
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The Stage One vote on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill is tomorrow, so please come and join us at our event outside Holyrood at 12:30 tomorrow to show MSPs that the Bill has wide public support. Full info on our website here:
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Some of the things the Judge said about the organisation’s claims about the SCoP, and that the Equality Act should be understood as meaning trans people should almost always be excluded from single-sex services, were: (9/16).
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Not got a #trans flag? It's time to get one! We need you to cover Scotland in trans flags on Tuesday, 3/9 to send a message on the first day back of the Scottish Parliament that we need to #defendtransrights! We're excited to see all your 📸📸📸
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Brilliant news: @scotathletics are introducing a #nonbinary category for all of it's championship events starting April this year! Get your running shoes on folks!
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So excited for the first ever #trans pride in #Scotland tomorrow, can't wait to see all our trans including #nonbinary pals & to march through the streets of #Edinburgh with our giant flag calling for trans rights! Hope to see you there :D #TDOV #TDOV2018.
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Our manager James writes in The Guardian about the truth of how gender recognition self-declaration works and why claiming to be a woman just on Wednesdays doesn't make you eligible.
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Today we sent all MSPs a copy of our new booklet: Five Reasons to Support Reforming the Gender Recognition Act. Read it on our website now: . The booklet sets out what's wrong with the current system, and why MSPs should back the Bill that can fix it 🧵
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It is simply about whether they have the power to do so, under section 35 of the Scotland Act. The court concluded that they do. (3/15).
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We premiered our new 10 metre long non-binary flag at #TransPrideScot2019. Hundreds of people joined in a friendly, positive march for trans visibility and equality.
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We’ll continue to work as hard as we can, whenever we can, to make sure that trans people’s voices are heard in legal decisions that affect us. (5/5).
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"In other words, it will make life that bit easier for one of the most stigmatised minorities in our society. I think that is something any parliament should feel a responsibility to do. But what it will not do, is remove any of the legal protections that women currently have.".
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We made a written intervention in the case, to explain what a GRC does and does not do, and so that the court heard the voices of trans people before deciding on our rights. You can read that here: (4/15).
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Today on #TransDayOfVisibility, we’re launching a new survey to find out more about the lives and experiences of trans and non-binary people in Scotland. If you're a trans or non-binary person aged 16 or over, you can fill it in here:
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It's International #nonbinary people's day! Did you know that there are already 13 jurisdictions around the world, with combined populations of over 65 million people, where non-binary people can get legal recognition of who we are? #equalrecognition #ThisIsWhatNonBinaryLooksLike.
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We know news that the UK Government might block the Bill will be on people’s minds – it is certainly on ours! But for just a moment, we’d like to be able to enjoy yesterday’s result. .
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Have you seen our myth-busting factsheet on what reforms to the Gender Recognition Act will and won't affect? Find it at: #TransRightsAreHumanRights #equalrecognition
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