Scottish trans bill worries
![Nicola Laver](/media/images/Nicola_Laver.2e16d0ba.fill-32x32.format-webp.webp)
Nicola Laver
Efforts by the Scottish government to rush through laws allowing individuals aged 16 or over to change gender through self-identification have been strongly criticised.
Reform of the Gender Recognition Act is planned within the next year under a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. But according to campaign group For Women Scotland, the proposals ignore women’s views. It said the general public are increasingly opposed to the change and questioning why it was necessary.
Sex & gender not the same
en staff
The Scottish government has voted to amend the word gender to sex in legislation on the collection of forensic evidence, ensuring that a woman can request a natal female to examine her after a rape.
Initial readings of the amendment went unopposed. Recently the intersectional rights of trans women were suggested as a reason to vote against the amendment, alongside there being a lack of females working in forensics. Refuting the belief that sex and gender are interchangeable terms, Johann Lamont MSP said: ‘If [they are] interchangeable, why resist an amendment which uses a term defined in law? If it doesn’t matter, why fear clarity?’ Lamont said that MSPs, including Humza Yousaf (see page 5), note the 2010 Equality Act defines sex and so the terms don’t share a definition.
Evangelicals in C of E face landmark sexuality fight
The Church of England has published a new set of resources called Living in Love & Faith (LLF) looking at marriage, sexuality and transgender issues.
Andrew Goddard reports:
Women's Olympic boxing: 'It's not fair!' Or is it?
This long, hot, sporty summer rolls on. Schools have been broken up for weeks, and children are everywhere - including all over my home! My three sons scrap over just about everything in the summer heat. Cries of ‘It’s not fair!’ seem to constantly ring out from one or the other; but how do I discern whose rights matter more when push comes to (literal) shove between the children?
Over in Paris, the Olympic women’s boxing has also been dominated by cries of ‘It’s not fair!’ Just 46 seconds into her bout against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, Italian Angela Carini was punched so hard in the face that she fell to the floor weeping, ended the fight, saying to those in her corner 'Non è giusto' ('It’s not fair'). Later, she said she had feared for her life.