United Kingdom
Scotland lawmakers pass transgender rights bill
Tories in London have threatened to block measure

The Gender Recognition Reform bill introduced by the Scottish government last spring was passed in the country’s Parliament in a final 86-39 vote Thursday. The sweeping reform bill modifies the Gender Recognition Act, signed into law in 2004, by allowing transgender Scots to gain legal recognition without the need for a medical diagnosis.
The measure further stipulates that age limit for legal recognition is lowered to 16.
Colin MacFarlane, director for Stonewall Scotland and Northern Ireland at the U.K.’s largest LGBTQ advocacy and rights organization, in a statement released after the vote called the bill’s passage āa tremendous step forward for trans rights and for LGBTQ people in Scotland.ā
āIt brings Scotland into line with international best practice and once again establishes itself as a world leader on human rights, by making a small change which brings dignity to trans people who deserve to be legally recognised for who they are,ā MacFarlane said.
āThe U.K. government must now follow and introduce legislation to ensure that trans people U.K.-wide have access to the same standards of human rights,ā he added.
Passage of the measure on which Holyrood (the Scottish Parliament) commenced debate earlier this week, was acrimonious and at times heated PinkNewsUK reported, as Tories opposed to the measure forced a vote on the timetable late Tuesday into the early morning hours of Wednesday for considering the amendments to the legislation and raised further motions as well as points of order before the debate on the more than 150 amendments to the bill began.
The measure in Scotland was introduced after years of delay in Westminster by the U.K. government and its Parliament. PinkNewsUK journalist Maggie Baska noted:
“At present, trans people in the U.K. must apply to a gender recognition panel and present a diagnosis of gender dysphoria ā a laborious process that can take years due to the incredibly long wait times at NHS gender clinics. People can only apply to be legally recognized as male or female ā nonbinary genders are not legally recognized in the U.K.
Applicants must provide two medical reports, and at least one needs to include details of any gender-affirming treatments or healthcare the individual plans to have. It also needs to confirm a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
The individual must also prove theyāve lived in their ‘acquired’ gender for at least two years, and they must swear they intend to do so for the rest of their lives. This can include evidence showing theyāve used a different name in official documents or changed their gender on their driving license or passport.
Additionally, the period in which applicants need to have lived in their acquired gender will be cut to three months or six months for people aged 16 and 17. There is also a new requirement of a ‘waiting period’ of three months after applying when an individual must reconfirm their wish to receive the GRC.
It will no longer be a requirement to submit detailed evidence of the individual living as the other gender.
Trans people wanting to change their legal gender will still need to swear an oath about remaining as their authentic gender for life, and it will continue to be a criminal offence to knowingly make a false application for a GRC.”
Proponents of the GRA Reform Bill put forth in Holyrood argued that the current process is too invasive and causes distress to trans people, who already face marginalization and stigmatization.
With today’s vote, Tories are vowing to block its signature into law by King Charles III, known as Royal Assent, by use of a Section 35 order. In the U.K. system of government, a Section 35 order is intended to prevent laws passed by the Scottish Parliament having “an adverse effect on the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters.”
The Tory Government is considering trying to block Holyroodās gender recognition bill from receiving Royal Assent pic.twitter.com/F8hu0Nuvxc
ā Paul Hutcheon (@paulhutcheon) December 22, 2022
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has defended her government’s action on the GRA Reform legislation and speaking before the vote said that [she] āwill never apologize for trying to spread equality.ā
āRemoving the need for medical diagnosis for a trans person who wants to legally change their gender is one of the purposes of this legislation because that is one of the most traumatic and dehumanising parts of the current system,ā Sturgeon said.
Addressing the opposition and Tory arguments that the GRA Reform bill harms women and girls the first minister said:
āAs a woman, I know what itās like to live with the fear at times of potential violence from men.
āIām a feminist and I will do everything that I can to protect womenās rights for as long as live, but I also think itās an important part of my responsibility to make life a little bit easier for stigmatised minorities in our country, to make their lives a bit better and remove some of the trauma they live with on a day-to-day basis and I think it is important to do that for the tiny minority of trans people in our society and I will never apologise for trying to spread equality, not reduce it, in our country.ā
In London, U.K. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch has made it clear she is against reforms. Badenoch suggested the Scottish bill could have a detrimental impact on the rest of the U.K. because it would not be possible for the legislation to be āfully containedā within Scotland.
She addressed those concerns in a letter she sent to Sturgeon that was leaked to the Times earlier this month.
According to the Guardian newspaper, Alister Jack, the U.K. government’s Scottish secretary, has hinted that Whitehall might block the gender recognition reform. In a statement released after the vote Jack said:
“We share the concerns that many people have regarding certain aspects of this bill, and in particular the safety issues for women and children.
We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other U.K. wide legislation, in the coming weeks ā up to and including a section 35 order stopping the bill going for royal assent if necessary.”
United Kingdom
UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of woman limited to ‘biological women’
Advocacy groups say decision is serious setback for transgender rights

The British Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled the legal definition of a woman is limited to “biological women” and does not include transgender women.
The Equality Act that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity took effect in 2010.
Scottish MPs in 2018 passed a bill that sought to increase the number of women on government boards. The Supreme Court ruling notes For Women Scotland ā a “feminist voluntary organization which campaigns to strengthen women’s rights and children’s rights in Scotland” ā challenged the Scottish government’s decision to include trans women with a Gender Recognition Certificate in its definition of women when it implemented the quota.
Stonewall U.K., a British advocacy group, notes a Gender Recognition Certificate is “a document that allows some trans men and trans women to have the right gender on their birth certificate.”
“We conclude that the guidance issued by the Scottish government is incorrect,” reads the Supreme Court ruling. “A person with a GRC (Gender Recognition Certificate) in the female gender does not come within the definition of ‘woman’ for the purposes of sex discrimination in section 11 of the EA (Equality Act) 2010. That in turn means that the definition of ‘woman’ in section 2 of the 2018 Act, which Scottish ministers accept must bear the same meaning as the term ‘woman’ in section 11 and section 212 of the EA 2010, is limited to biological women and does not include trans women with a GRC.”
The 88-page ruling says trans people “are protected by the indirect discrimination provisions” of the Equality Act, regardless of whether they have a Gender Recognition Certificate.
“Transgender people are also protected from indirect discrimination where they are put at a particular disadvantage which they share with members of their biological sex,” it adds.
Susan Smith, co-founder of For Women Scotland, praised the decision.
“Today the judges have said what we always believed to be the case, that women are protected by their biological sex,” she said, according to the BBC. “Sex is real and women can now feel safe that services and spaces designated for women are for women and we are enormously grateful to the Supreme Court for this ruling.”
Author J.K. Rowling on X said it “took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court.”
“In winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK,” she added.
It took three extraordinary, tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them to get this case heard by the Supreme Court and, in winning, theyāve protected the rights of women and girls across the UK. @ForWomenScot, Iām so proud to know you š“ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó “ó æšš“ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó “ó æšš“ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó “ó 暤š“ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó “ó æ https://t.co/JEvcScVVGS
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025
Advocacy groups in Scotland and across the U.K. said the ruling is a serious setback for trans rights.
“We are really shocked by today’s Supreme Court decision ā which reverses 20 years of understanding on how the law recognizes trans men and women with Gender Recognition Certificates,” said Scottish Trans and the Equality Network in a statement posted to Instagram. “The judgment seems to have totally missed what matters to trans people ā that we are able to live our lives, and be recognized, in line with who we truly are.”
Consortium, a network of more than 700 LGBTQ and intersex rights groups from across the U.K., in their own statement said it is “deeply concerned at the widespread, harmful implications of today’s Supreme Court ruling.”
“As LGBT+ organizations across the country, we stand in solidarity with trans, intersex and nonbinary folk as we navigate from here,” said Consortium.
The Supreme Court said its decision can be appealed.
United Kingdom
Current, former PinkNews staffers accuse publisher, husband of sexual harassment
CEO Anthony James suspended from NHS job after allegations became public

Thirty-three current and former employees of an LGBTQ news website in the U.K. have accused its publisher and husband of sexual harassment and misconduct.
The BBC on Tuesday reported āseveralā former PinkNews staffers saw Chief Operating Officer Anthony James ākissing and touching a junior colleague who they saw appeared too drunk to consentā outside of a London pub after a company event.
Jamesās husband, Benjamin Cohen, founded PinkNews in 2005.
The BBC reported the current and former staffers with whom it spoke said āa culture of heavy drinking led to instances whenā Cohen and James ābehaved inappropriately towards younger male employees.ā
Stephan Kyriacou, who worked at PinkNews from 2019-2021, told the BBC that Cohen slapped him on his butt at a Christmas party.
“I just shut down for a minute. I didnāt know what to say. I was in shock,ā Kyriacou told the BBC. āI remember turning to my friends and saying, ‘What the hell just happened?'”
The BBC spoke with PinkNews staffers who said āthey were shouted at and belittled by Mr. Cohen, and that there was a ātoxicā culture at the company. Others said they saw āmisogynisticā behavior.
Neither Cohen, nor James spoke with the BBC. The Washington Blade has reached out to PinkNews for comment.
Media reports indicate Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS (National Health Service) Foundation suspended James, who is a doctor, from his job after the allegations against him and Cohen became public.
United Kingdom
Anti-LGBTQ UK Cabinet minister fired
Advocacy groups frequently criticized Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman, the controversial British Home Secretary who was fired by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a phone call Monday, fired back publicly Tuesday releasing a scathing three page resignation letter accusing Sunak of “not having a plan” and failing to deliver promises made to the British people on among other items, hot button immigration and crime prevention issues.
Braverman took office in October 2022 as home secretary while Sunak formed a new government after former British Prime Minister Liz Truss stepped down on her 50th day in office amid a government crisis, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.
The former home secretary was known for her far-right conservative views and in the past year had made a series of public comments in speeches and in the press that derided LGBTQ people, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. Her remarks disparaging transgender British females oft times echoes similar sentiments stated publicly by the prime minister.
This past June at a Conservative Party conference, the prime minster was caught on a video clearly mocking trans females.
The prime minster makes reference to an opposition leader, although that person is not clearly identified. Sunak then took aim at Edward Jonathan Davey, a British politician who has served as leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020.
āOver the same period of time, you might have noticed Ed Davey has been very busy,ā Sunak says. āLike me, you can probably see that he was trying to convince everybody that women clearly had penises. Youāll all know that Iām a big fan of everybody studying maths to 18, but it turns out that we need to focus on biology.ā
A recent YouGov UK international online research data and analytics technology group poll conducted earlier this month found that 49 percent of British voters wanted Braverman sacked.
PinkNewsUK reported calls for Sunak to fire Braverman have gotten louder over the course of last week, after she hit out at peaceful pro-Palestine protesters labeling their marches in London as “hate marches” and she also accused the Metropolitan Police of bias, which officers have said sparked far-right attacks on members of the force.
On issues over LGBTQ Britons, the former home secretary in October said that trans women should not be treated in female hospital wards. In an interview with Sky News, she said: āTrans women have no place in womenās wards or, indeed, any safe space relating to biological women.”
āThe health secretaryās [Steve Barclay] absolutely right to clarify and make it clear that biological men should not have treatment in the same wards and in the same safe spaces as biological women,” she said. “This is about protecting womenās dignity, safety and privacy and thatās why Iām incredibly supportive.ā
In September, in her speech to the American Enterprise Institute, a right wing think-tank in D.C., Braverman on the subject of political asylum remarked: āWhere individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary. But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if, in effect, simply being gay or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin, is sufficient to qualify for protection.ā
In an interview with PinkNewsUK after her speech in D.C., Sebastian Rocca, the founder and chief executive of LGBTQ asylum charity Micro Rainbow, believes Braverman is trying to scapegoat migrants.
āThe comments made by the home secretary are deeply disturbing,ā he said. āLGBTQI people often face death, imprisonment and violence. When they come to the UK to seek safety, they have to go through an asylum system that is re-traumatizing and dehumanizing. In addition, the standard of proof is very high.ā
āThe system, as it is, is incredibly difficult. These comments seek to scapegoats migrants and LGBTQI people for political gain once again,ā he added.
A new dynamic in attitude towards the UK’s LGBTQ community?
In addition to sacking Braverman, the prime minster radically overhauled his team in the Cabinet reshuffle including adding former Prime Minister David Cameron as the new British foreign secretary.
James Cleverly, whose job Cameron took over, was named as home secretary. His positions on most LGBTQ issues is in line with the Tory Party generally, howeverĀ PinkNewsUK notedĀ that while Cleverly has never voted on same-sex marriage, he expressed his support for equality in a blog post first published in 2005 titledĀ āI like marriage.ā
āGay āmarriageā takes nothing away from heterosexual marriage and while there will be some civil partnerships which are done for the wrong reasons the same can be said of straight marriage. Best of luck I say,ā he wrote.
He has also expressed support for LGBTQ inclusive education and for LGBTQ people in the military, but he did face some criticism when he said gay football fans would have to be ārespectfulā when traveling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Overall the British LGBTQ publication reported, is that the new home secretary is āan obvious step up from Braverman.ā
Cameronās record on LGBTQ rights, especially while serving as prime minister, PinkNewsUK reported has been favorable. He voted in favor of civil partnerships in 2004 and in favor of the Equality Act in 2007, and later voted in favor of same-sex marriage.
Former Health Secretary Steve Barclayās departure is a relief for some LGBTQ Brits, especially in light of his recent campaign against trans people in the British healthcare system.
In a speech at the Conservative Party conference in October, Barclay spoke out about his plans to introduce āsex-specificā language throughout the health service when referring to treatments and advice for menopause and some types of cancer. In the same speech, he announced plans to ban trans people from single-sex wards.
However Barclayās replacement has had a troubling record on transgender healthcare issues. In 2018, Atkins, who was then minister for women, wasĀ criticizedĀ when she called for ācautionā before treating young trans people in an interview with the Telegraph.
āThe treatments are so serious and life-changing. Iām a little cautious of the use of those treatments because of the potential for the rest of their lives,ā she said.
The prime minster is also facing renewed calls and anger over the omission of announcing a ban on conversion therapy in the Kingās Speech. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has been urging Sunak to uphold a pledge to enact a ban on the discredited practice.
The BBC reported that earlier this year the EHRC wrote to the government to urge them to include the legislation in the speech, which sets out the governmentās priorities for the coming years.
A spokesperson for EHRC told the BBC: āWe have long supported proposals to end these practices. Conversion practices, aimed at changing someoneās sexual orientation or personal understanding of their own gender, can be incredibly harmful to people with the protected characteristics of sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
We will continue to stand ready to provide expert advice and hope the government will uphold its commitment to ban harmful conversion practices.ā
Its lack of inclusion in the Kingās Speech is thought to be over disagreements within the Conservative Party the BBC noted regarding what form a ban should take, and concerns over how it could impact freedom of expression around issues such as gender identity, as well as any potential impact on religious freedoms.
Robbie de Santos, director of external affairs at Stonewall UK, told the BBC: ā[The government] has given the green light for the abuse against LGBTQ+ people to continue unchecked. Rather than getting mired in a cynical cultural war, it should be making decisions based on what the evidence and expertise said.ā
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