Scottish women - speak up now while you still can.

We get what we deserve. So long as women in Scotland continue to vote for parties promoting these policies that's what we'll get.
Females ( on the basis of their sex/ biology) are by far the largest group targeted and suffering prejudice on the basis of a shared characteristic and remain unprotected. It's staggering that the current administration has the neck to do this.

That said, there shouldn't be any difficulty at all in identifying into another group that is protected since it goes on one's say so only.

This is terrifying

Hate crime champions.

wtaf

are they going to be watching and seeing what every person is saying

North Korea here we are. Now in Scotland

Shits sake. How can public money be spent on something that is not even the law.. by law enforcement bodies?
Seriously- isn’t this one for the National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee, someone?!

Jeez unbelievable shite from my parliament

they give no fucks about the increase in rape and child sexual abuse in Scotland

yet we have police forces investigating people saying stuff or looking at someone in a funny way

do we all have to be quiet now and say nothing ever in case the polis come knocking.

thanks arabella for this. Showing us this

Thanks @ArabeIIaScott

I remain amazed, amazed I tell you, that Sunak and his useless Tory govt haven't latched onto this and broadcast it at top volume, that a Labour govt is likely to bring this shit in UK-wide, certainly to England.

And that the only hope for a sane outcome of not going down this foxhole is to keep the Tories in.

The Conservative Party used to be so adept at finding the stress points in the left and working them to their electoral advantage. Not anymore it seems.

What does 'variations in sex characteristics' mean, legally? I've never heard of it before.

The only positive to take from all this is that thanks to the Isla Bryson incident (which toppled Sturgeon), we know that most Scots, including SNP supporters do not agree with the gender identity bollox. The SNP are foolish to pursue policies which do not command majority support. It is bad enough that they don't respect the 2014 Result.

To be honest I have been wary of what I say in my own home, at my dinner table ever since the original hate crime bill went through in Scotland. One way is to avoid inviting people whose politics you do not align with. In large groups of say neighbours you have to keep stum as anyone who feels offended could report you.

Arabella I am already a free speech union member.
https://freespeechunion.org/
Toby Young has been doing sterling work from what I can see.

People are going to have to prioritise 'free speech' with their votes which in the current climate means Scottish Conservative. Scottish Labour agree with the SNP on everything except Independence and are just as bad on gender and women's rights.

Me too. Tony Blair's biggest mistake among many and I used to be a Labour Party member. He should have gone for PR for the UK instead although I am not sure I like that as much as I thought I did.

Mad. Absolutely mad.

How much is being spent on this vanity project? And what needs are going unmet in order to fund it?

And when will Kim Jong Un be turning up for a visit, as gosh suddenly Scotland and North Korea have quite a lot in common. I wonder where they're going to stick the POW camps for all the women? They will after all be political prisoners. You could get the women all doing laundry to keep them occupied and bring in a bit of extra cash while they're locked up for heresy and sin. I think Ireland has the blueprint.

Well the next Holyrood Election is not until May 2026 so we are stuck with the SNP until then whatever we think about their awful policies.

Claiming a non binary identity may be worth doing. It will provide a modicum of protection and requires no action.
Channel the inner Pip Bunce(?) and be both, depending on what day it is. I doubt he did anything administrative wise to prove who he was so why should any targeted women. Most women wear trousers, flat shoes and no makeup once in a while. Good for the goose...

I voted for Independence in 2014.

Would I now?

Would I fuck.

I even wrote to Alastair Jack requesting him to invoke Section 35.

The fact that there are reserved issues which the criminals and misogynists running this country cannot influence and there are checks stopping them doing even more damage is the only thing stopping from dropping me into despair.

And I can't believe I'm saying that. 10 years ago I would have absolutely laughed in your face to think I'd ever say that.

But here we are.

I used to be fully pro-independence. Brexit, and seeing what happened in NI, moved my position - I want to be back in the EU, but having separate trade regulations from England could be very damaging.

But it was the GRR bill that totally wiped it out for me.

This is exactly the sort of thing that drives contempt of the law and of government. Since we currently have a democracy, perhaps it's all a cunning plan to persuade us to welcome a dictatorship as a better option.

It’s horrifying, it really is.

All I can think of, if a T/MRA targets you and the police get involved can you not claim it's hate directed against you because you are a transman or non-binary? I wonder how the police would cope with masses of women claiming that. Might be the only way to shut down this stupid, ill thought out legislation.

This is absolute nonsense. I’m so annoyed my tax money is being spent this way. I’ve written to my MSP before about gender stuff and felt utterly dismissed. Is there anything we can do? Any groups protesting this I can join/donate to?

The wording is beyond sinister. I work in a related area and police response times to issues of violence and property damage are not great, why would they spend their time policing non-crimes.