What action will the SNP to improve trans and intersex equality?

We remain firmly committed to improving the lives of trans and non-binary people. Trans people continue to experience stigma and prejudice and suffer poorer health outcomes relative to the wider population. This needs to change.

We are committed to tackling transphobia head on through inclusive education and action to tackle prejudice and hate crime.

In the next parliament we will work with trans people, women, equality groups, legal and human rights experts to identify the best and most effective way to improve and simplify the process by which a trans person can obtain legal recognition, so that the trauma associated with that process is reduced. We remain committed to making necessary changes to the Gender Recognition Act that arise from this work at the earliest opportunity.

We will ensure that these changes do not affect the rights or protections that women currently have under the Equality Act.

It is important that concerns about reforms to gender recognition law are addressed through informed and respectful discussion. However we must not allow them to be a cover for transphobia or disinformation.

At Westminster, SNP MPs will also press the UK government to match the Scottish Government’s commitment to legislation within this parliament. In addition to reforming gender recognition law, SNP MPs will push the UK government to allow non-binary people to record their gender as “X” on passports and all other UK-wide records and identity documents.

SNP MPs at Westminster are also calling on the UK government to amend the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that all trans and non-binary people are covered by discrimination protections. We will also press for intersex people and organisations to be fully consulted by the UK government on changes to the law and policy to introduce effective protections for intersex people’s human rights.