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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Scottish Elections - party manifestos on sex, gender, etc.

62 replies

MissGendering · 14/04/2026 20:07

Greens.

https://greens.scot/Manifesto/

https://greens.scot/Manifesto/WomensAndReproductiveHealth

Protecting women’s rights and bodily autonomy

Too often women’s health issues are either dismissed or downplayed.
We want to create an environment where women are believed when they say something is wrong.
Access to specialist treatments for women and those assigned female at birth is too often patchy, with long waiting times for gynaecology, inconsistent outcomes for cervical cancer, and increased risks for cardiovascular disease in women going missed. We need to invest in specialist services and programmes, so all women can access treatment when they need it.
High quality, accessible health care during and after pregnancy is central to achieving good outcomes for mothers and babies, and it starts with investing in the workforce. We want to see more people training as midwives, guarantee them safe working conditions, and ensure there are enough community midwives and health visitors to help new families in their homes in the first weeks and months of a child’s life.
No one should be penalised in their workplace for experiencing menopause symptoms. Yet this is still a daily occurrence for many women. We think that menopause should be added as a protected characteristic to the Equality Act 2010. Without the power to do this, however, we will work hard to improve menopause education and require all public sector employers to treat people experiencing menopause fairly.

The Scottish Greens believe access to abortion is a fundamental right. Abortion care is healthcare and should be treated like any other health procedure. That is why we want to end the antiquated “two doctor rule” and ensure that people do not have to give a reason for why they are seeking abortion care. Nobody should have to justify why they are seeking abortion care, and we believe this will help to remove the stigma around abortion.

  • Bring down gynecological waiting lists by investing in services and producing a fully costed workforce plan for gynecology.
  • Eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 by promoting uptake of the HPV vaccine and cervical screening, particularly in deprived areas and prisons.
  • Fund research into women’s health inequalities, including inequalities in maternal health outcomes for minority ethnic pregnant people.
  • Expand the midwife workforce by creating ‘earn-as-you-learn’ routes into midwifery and introduce minimum safe staffing levels on all maternity and labour wards.
  • Support Community Midwife Services, including guaranteeing minimum 30 minute appointments with new and expectant parents.
  • Invest in the Health Visitor programme, ensuring there is sufficient workforce so that all parents receive their regular check-ups on time.
  • Commit to reviewing the safety of maternity services in Scotland, including an urgent review of safe staffing levels and practices on maternity wards.
  • Introduce mandatory menopause education for public sector employers, and require that menopause symptoms qualify for leave from work.
  • Ensure menopause treatment and support is well-funded and access to medicines such as HRT is secured.
  • Develop enhanced support pathways for women with cardiovascular risk factors such as PCOS and pre-eclampsia, including through third-sector support.
  • Decriminalise abortion and remove the ‘two doctor rule’ by bringing forward legislation that ensures there are no offences for anyone ending their own pregnancy.
  • Expand abortion services in Scotland so patients are not required to travel to England, and retain the 12-week limit on telemedical abortion care, reducing the need for women to have to travel long distances in Scotland.

https://greens.scot/Manifesto/LGBT

A proud and inclusive Scotland for all

From equal marriage to making the school curriculum more inclusive.
The Scottish Greens have led the way in advancing the rights and treatment of LGBT+ people during the devolution era.
But despite significant improvements, the community are still more likely to experience poor mental health and delays in access to essential healthcare, and ongoing discrimination in day to day life.
Trans people are amongst the most discriminated against people in our society. With the hate campaign against them a major cause, there has been a shocking rise in hate crimes against trans people, whilst some are effectively denied access to healthcare with waiting lists of over 200 years for essential gender-affirming care.
In the next Parliament the Scottish Greens will continue to be the champions of LGBT+ people as we always have, delivering the much-delayed ban on so-called conversion therapy, ensuring access to gender-affirming healthcare, and taking action on transphobic, homophobic and biphobic hate crime and bullying.

  • Introduce a comprehensive ban on conversion therapy covering all settings, such as religious, informal, community, family-based and therapeutic, with clear protections for affirming healthcare, and inclusive of trans, non-binary, and asexual identities. This ban will be backed by appropriate criminal and civil penalties, and a statutory right of survivors to support and advocacy.
  • Ensure and expand inclusive education and anti-bullying programmes in Scotland’s schools and youth programmes; provide targeted support to promote LGBTQ+ young people staying in education and roll out a national programme to address transphobic, homophobic and biphobic hate crime across society.
  • Introduce statutory homelessness strategies for all groups facing particular barriers to housing, including LGBT+ people.
  • Address inequalities in LGBT+ healthcare, such as improving access to specialist mental healthcare; care for intersex people, and speeding-up the rollout of injectable anti-HIV medication.
  • Publish a gender-affirming care action plan within 6 months, to turbo-charge efforts to bring down shocking waiting times. Action we will consider includes funding more training places; providing funding to health boards that do not currently provide gender identity healthcare to start doing so urgently; supporting people to seek NHS-funded care in other countries, and bringing it into line with the 18 week guarantee that applies to many other areas of healthcare, including youth pathways aligned with international standards.
  • Work with NHS boards – including Public Health Scotland – and social care providers to address LGBTQ+ health and care inequalities. This will include providing training for frontline health and social care staff to understand the needs of LGBTQ+ people, and increasing the collection of data relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and health outcomes to inform better evidence-based policies.
  • Recognise the rights of LGBT+ families to access IVF and IUI on the NHS, and develop national guidance and a standard treatment pathway specifically for LGBT+ families accessing assisted conception.
  • Revisit all NHS policy changes made as a result of the Cass Review to ensure they are aligned with international evidence-based best practice. Where there are evidence gaps about treatment options, introduce robust, accessible research trials to ensure that these are filled. We will involve trans children and young people directly in decisions about their healthcare in age-appropriate ways in-line with their evolving capacity, and immediately ensure young trans people have access to mental health and other support.
  • Ensure trans people have the same access to Hormone Replacement Therapy as cisgender people.
  • Continue to call on the UK Government to remove its block on much-needed Gender Recognition legislation and update it with international best practice.
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fromorbit · 28/04/2026 09:14

Scottish Labour drop a women's manifesto with full policies for women. Full text:

https://scottishlabour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Women.pdf

The launch saw Sarwar apologise again:

Women's manifesto launch with gender reform rebel 'shows we accept we were wrong', says Anas Sarwar

The Scottish Labour leader launched the manifesto at an event with Carol Mochan - who broke the party whip by voting against gender reforms.
Launching the Labour women’s manifesto alongside a gender self-ID rebel shows “we have accepted where we got it wrong”, Anas Sarwar has said.

The Scottish Labour leader launched the manifesto at an event in Cumnock, Ayrshire with Carol Mochan.

Ms Mochan resigned from the Labour frontbench after breaking the party whip by voting against the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. She later returned a shadow health minister.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/womens-manifesto-launch-with-gender-reform-rebel-shows-we-accept-we-were-wrong-says-anas-sarwar-7807157

lifeinthelastlane · 24/04/2026 17:14

Best one I've seen so far was the Communist party one!

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MissGendering · 23/04/2026 13:02

Ah you're a star, thanks Edinburgh!

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FizzingAda · 22/04/2026 16:18

Comments: No pdfs, manifesto is headers with detail in pop up windows. Not hugely easy to use. What the fuck does 'addressing the shortcomings of the gender recognition process' mean?]
we will have a talking shop, and then just carry on as before.

MissGendering · 22/04/2026 13:16

I know you've all been on tenterhooks waiting for it.

Here it is!

Libdem Holyrood Manifesto:

Health

  • Facilities to help new mums and babies born addicted to drugs
  • Restoring consultant-led maternity services at Caithness General Hospital.
  • Using the recent eating disorder framework to improve access to treatment and support.
  • Transforming perinatal mental health support for those who are pregnant, new mothers and those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, creating inpatient beds for new mothers north of Livingston and offering joined up support through family support hubs, as set out in chapter 8.
  • Have a special focus on ending medical misogyny so women’s symptoms aren’t dismissed, prioritising research and training on conditions including endometriosis, the menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperemesis, ectopic and molar pregnancies.
Create world-class drug services for Scotland by 2030 by:
  • Championing Mother and Child Recovery Houses for those affected by substance abuse and new intensive community-based perinatal services, using the funding secured by Scottish Liberal Democrats in the 2025/26 Scottish Budget.
  • Treat abortion as a healthcare issue, and give MSPs the opportunity to vote on decriminalisation.
  • Supporting and encouraging campaigns to improve equality, diversity and inclusion at all levels of sport.

Rights and Equalities

Respect and defend the rights of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including trans and non-binary people, including:

  • Banning all forms of conversion therapies and practices, working in partnership with the UK Government to achieve this.
  • Working towards a four nations consensus on addressing the shortcomings of the gender recognition process..
  • Restating our commitment to inclusive education around LGBT+ issues in schools.
Tackle violence against women and girls and domestic abuse by:
  • Commencing Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act to introduce protection notices and protection orders that enable urgent action not led by the person at risk.
  • Bringing in separate offences targeting prejudice and contempt for women as recommended by Baroness Kennedy’s independent expert group, subject to a review of the effect of adding sex to the list of protected characteristics in the Hate Crime and Public Order Act 2021.
  • Working with COSLA, establish a single point of contact within a local authority, ensuring victims only have to tell their story once.
  • Introducing a duty on councils to ensure all housing and frontline staff are trained to detect and respond to domestic abuse and survivors of domestic abuse, with particular measures to assist young survivors who may have complex needs.
  • Protecting the ‘fund to leave’, advocated for by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and ensure it takes into consideration circumstances such as whether a victim is located in a remote or rural area.
  • Updating the law to add a presumption that the perpetrator of domestic abuse will be the one required to leave the shared home.
  • Identifying any gaps in legislation that could enable a perpetrator of domestic abuse to exert control over a survivor by acting vexatiously in court proceedings.
  • Implementing the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic abuse, with protections for all survivors regardless of nationality or immigration status.
  • Implementing the provisions in the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2020, including new protection orders.

[Comments: No pdfs, manifesto is headers with detail in pop up windows. Not hugely easy to use. What the fuck does 'addressing the shortcomings of the gender recognition process' mean?]

www.scotlibdems.org.uk/2026-manifesto

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MissGendering · 21/04/2026 21:04

Ash Regan has issued a short and sweet mini manifesto:

https://voteashregan.com/

Women’s Rights
Women’s rights must be protected and respected. I will continue to stand up for fairness, safety, and dignity for women and girls in public spaces, sport, healthcare, and following the law

'FOR WOMEN.

Women’s safety, dignity, and health must be central to policymaking.
Tackle the crisis of male violence against women and girls at its roots.
Criminalise the purchase of sex and support those exploited through prostitution, as set out in the Unbuyable Bill,
making clear that women and children are not sexual commodities.

Conduct a root-and-branch audit of data across health and justice bodies, disaggregated by sex, to properly identify inequality and patterns of criminality and abuse.

Address inequalities in women’s health services and outcomes.

Protect and safeguard single-sex spaces and services, especially for vulnerable women in prisons, hospitals, care homes and hostels.

Improve awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions such as endometriosis.

Increase funding for research into historically neglected women’s health conditions.

Vote Ash Regan

Ash Regan for Edinburgh and Lothians East Media: [email protected] General Enquiries: [email protected] Mini Manifesto: Click here Help out with the campaign: Sign up here Ash for Edinburgh and Lo...

https://voteashregan.com

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Igneococcus · 18/04/2026 19:08

lifeinthelastlane · 17/04/2026 19:02

Joanna Cherry hasn't left the SNP has she?

She says she has in the Times interview

celticnations · 18/04/2026 17:24

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 17/04/2026 18:57

The SNP don’t want women to have sex based rights. You are voting SNP. It’s not that difficult.

Don't think it’s me that’s on the drink.

I don't agree with anyone born a male competing in women's sports nor using woman's facilities. I vote SNP because of trying to reduce Westminster grasping reach.

If you wish to generalise then try this:

Reform are all knuckle-dragging neo-nazis.

Tories are all xenophobic crackpots.

Labour don't know what they are -a xenophobic working class or champagne socialists who talk the talk only.

lifeinthelastlane · 17/04/2026 19:02

Joanna Cherry hasn't left the SNP has she?

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 17/04/2026 18:57

celticnations · 17/04/2026 14:02

Eh?

Where did I post anything re gender?

You been drinking?

The SNP don’t want women to have sex based rights. You are voting SNP. It’s not that difficult.

Don't think it’s me that’s on the drink.

MissGendering · 17/04/2026 17:55

RhannionKPSS · 17/04/2026 17:53

It’s a weird , creepy and sad idea because Ms McKelvie died last year aged 57…

She fuckin what now?!

What in the ever loving fuck are they thinking? Is it coming via Derek Acora?

I think thats one of the most distasteful and weird ideas I've ever heard.

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OotontheRandan · 17/04/2026 17:53

Very useful, thank you @MissGendering

RhannionKPSS · 17/04/2026 17:53

PhilOPastry62 · 17/04/2026 16:43

Thank you for all the posts @EdinburghCentral.

"A threat of a birthday card from Christina McKelvie on your 50th birthday for women, although seems to also include 'marginalised communities'. [Not quite sure the point of this, I do not want a fucking birthday card from that woman."

Never have I been so pleased to be (significantly) over 50. Seriously, what on earth makes them think that would be a good use of public money?

It’s a weird , creepy and sad idea because Ms McKelvie died last year aged 57…

NotAtMyAge · 17/04/2026 17:45

MissGendering · 15/04/2026 11:47

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn71e236y6do

Overview. No mention of women/girls.

Written by Professor John Curtice. He has form in this area.

RhannionKPSS · 17/04/2026 17:37

celticnations · 16/04/2026 20:29

Did I say that?

Frankly , yes because you have said you are voting for the SNP who amongst other ridiculous concepts, are fighting, in court, using our money to keep delusional men in women’s prisons. How any women who is at all politically aware in Scotland vote for them is beyond me , and the very large majority of women in Scotland.

PhilOPastry62 · 17/04/2026 16:43

Sorry, also meant to thank @MissGendering - thank you. 😀

PhilOPastry62 · 17/04/2026 16:43

Thank you for all the posts @EdinburghCentral.

"A threat of a birthday card from Christina McKelvie on your 50th birthday for women, although seems to also include 'marginalised communities'. [Not quite sure the point of this, I do not want a fucking birthday card from that woman."

Never have I been so pleased to be (significantly) over 50. Seriously, what on earth makes them think that would be a good use of public money?

celticnations · 17/04/2026 14:02

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 17/04/2026 00:09

‘SNP SNP for me’.

Yes. Yes you did.

Eh?

Where did I post anything re gender?

You been drinking?

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 17/04/2026 00:09

celticnations · 16/04/2026 20:29

Did I say that?

‘SNP SNP for me’.

Yes. Yes you did.

MissGendering · 16/04/2026 20:34

Ah, well done, EdinburghCentral, and thank you! I couldn't find a download version at all.

I think a pdf is good when it is alongside a web version.

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celticnations · 16/04/2026 20:29

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 16/04/2026 09:34

So you’re against women having sex based rights. Well done you.

Did I say that?

EdinburghCentral · 16/04/2026 18:23

I find PDFs quite manageable and as I like to store them for later, the parties that annoy me are the ones that hide their PDFs away! Here are a few c&ps from the SNP manifesto PDF. I think this covers most of the above though I decline to copy the idiotic Christina Card stuff:

LGBTQI+ Rights
At a time when marginalised communities are
under attack, the SNP will always defend all
human rights. We will seek to maximise the rights
of LGBTQI+ people by ensuring equal access to,
and support from, our public services - including
improving access to inclusive healthcare.

We are proud of Scotland’s record in advancing
equality, dignity and human rights for LGBTQI+
people, and we will go further.
We are committed to upholding and protecting
the human rights of trans people as far as
possible within our powers and we will do all
we can to ensure that trans people’s identities
are recognised and respected. Scotland is the
first country in the world to proudly incorporate
LGBTQI+ education in our schools.
We believe that everyone should be able to
live openly, safely and authentically, free from
discrimination, prejudice or fear.

Ending Harmful Conversion Practices
Conversion practices are harmful, abhorrent,
and abusive actions intended to change or
suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or
gender identity. These discriminatory practices
inflict severe damage on the mental health and
well-being of LGBTQI+ people and have no place
in Scotland.

Should the UK government fail to bring forward
legislation to ban conversion practices, we are
committed to legislating against the harms
of conversion practices and will introduce
legislation within the first year of the new
parliament to permanently end these practices.
This will establish legal safeguards to protect
people from the harm of conversion practices
and ensure a response when such acts occur.
Beyond the necessary legislation to prohibit
conversion practices, we will implement
measures to support victims and survivors,
including mental health services, and promoting
education and awareness.

[...]

Childcare
Every child in Scotland deserves the best start in
life, which is why we are committed to eradicating
child poverty and giving families the support
they need. We have always recognised that a
child’s earliest years are the most crucial for their
development and future success.
That’s why we will extend childcare support to
every child in our country from 9 months old to
the end of primary school by the end of the next
parliament. This new system will be designed
to fit around families - rather than expecting
families to fit around the system. The new
system will give support 52 weeks a year and
mean families benefit from between £1,400 up
to over £11,000 dependent on need. Helping
both with the cost of living and helping parents
take up employment opportunities that also
grow our economy.

[...]

Maternity and Neonatal Care
We want everyone planning for a family in
Scotland to feel supported and confident they will
have a positive and safe experience of maternity
care. We are committed to improving maternity
services and will deliver a national review
to support this. We will also seek to expand
perinatal mental health services.
We will commission a rapid review of IVF
provision in Scotland, with a particular focus
on widening access to single women, same sex
couples, and couples where one partner has
children from a previous relationship.
To improve the provision of miscarriage care
we will ensure that all maternity hospitals
have discreet, dedicated spaces for women
and families in the event of pregnancy
complications. We will also ensure access to
progesterone prescriptions for women who suffer
a miscarriage, and deliver a graded model of
miscarriage care backed by a Patient Charter for
Miscarriage by 2027, developed jointly with baby
loss charities
We will commission an Independent report
into maternal mortality faced by Scotland’s
Black and Asian communities to investigate
any possible systemic biases and barriers to
treatment contributing to the increased risk of
maternal mortality faced by them.
SMA Testing for Babies
In 2025 the SNP introduced changes to make
Scotland the first country in the UK to begin
national screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
(SMA), a rare condition which causes progressive
muscle wastage, and which affects movement,
breathing and swallowing.
We will commit to continue funding this
programme to ensure parents are offered SMA
screening for their newborn babies through the
existing blood spot test at five days old.

[...]

Women’s Health
We are committed delivering the second phase
of our Women’s Health plan, including increasing
the uptake of screening for cervical cancer,
launching a national campaign and piloting the
use of self-sampling kits to use at home.
We do not support the restriction of existing
abortion legislation as abortion is a legal right,
and we will protect that right. We will take
forward a consultation on the recommendations
of the Abortion Law review chaired by Prof Anna
Glasier, including on decriminalisation within the
specified term limits.
We will implement the National Plan for
Gynaecology, backed by £13 million
of investment to reduce waits.
We will also recognise endometriosis as
a chronic, long-term condition to ensure
women get the support they need as early
as possible.

[...]

Tackling violence against women and girls
We have taken significant steps to protect victims
and introduce new domestic abuse and coercive
control offences, however there is no doubt that
violence against women and girls remains a
societal issue which must be tackled.
We need to ensure that our laws keep up with
new abuses, so women are protected. That is
why we will ban using technology to create and
possess deepfake intimate images and also
ensure pregnancy is an aggravating factor in
domestic abuse cases.
We know there has been an increase in
material available online regarding crime such
as committing sex offences against women and
children. Whilst the publication and distribution
of such material is illegal, we will also ban
its possession.
We recognise women face abuse in their
everyday lives and need increased protection
against this. That’s why we will bring forward
Misogyny Bill legislate to ensure harassment
and abuse based on misogyny is outlawed
in Scotland.
We view prostitution as violence against women
and believe that the purchasing of sex should
be criminalised. We have established an
independent Commission to consider how this
can be done whilst ensuring that women are
protected and concerns that women could be at
higher risk of violence are addressed.
We will improve the interaction between the civil
and criminal courts in domestic abuse cases
especially in child contact cases and make
change necessary to existing legislation to
implement Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.
Fund to Leave
We will continue to support women experiencing
domestic abuse to buy essentials when leaving
an abusive partner, recognising that domestic
abuse remains a leading cause of women’s
homelessness. We will make our £2 million Fund
to Leave scheme permanent and universal,
extending to those with no recourse to public
funds, guaranteeing support for women and
children to leave an abusive partner.

MissGendering · 16/04/2026 17:53

FFS. I can't do screenshots and upload them, they'd be illegible.

Link is there, for anyone who wants to read it.

I'll summarise:

LGBTQI+ rights, several paras, p 32/33. Talks about 'maximising' LGBTQI+ rights, inclusive healthcare,'we will go further', and Scotland is the first country to 'proudly incorporate LGBTQUI identity in schools'. 'We will do all we can to ensure trans people's identities are recognised and respected'.

A whole section on banning 'conversion practices', much condemnation of these 'abhorrent' practises etc.

A section within healthcare on maternity services, including new care for miscarriage, review of IVF. Report into maternity mortality for black and Asian women.

Women's health gets a whole five paras. Self testing for HPV. Consultation on decriminalising abortion. National Plan for Gynaecology to cut waiting times. Will recognise endo as a longterm health condition.

A threat of a birthday card from Christina McKelvie on your 50th birthday for women, although seems to also include 'marginalised communities'. [Not quite sure the point of this, I do not want a fucking birthday card from that woman.]

VAWG - Ban deepfakes, 'ensure pregnancy is an aggravating factor in domestic abuse cases' [sic - you've worded this dreadfully, John]. Will ban possession of images 'committing sex crime' - I'm not honestly sure what they mean here it's very badly phrased. Will bring forward Misogyny Bill legislate [sic, did nobody proof read this?]. Independent Commission to look at criminalising prostitution [why didn't you go for Ash Regan's Bill, but are now trying to claim it for your own?]. 'Will make change necessary to existing legislation to Implement Domestic Abuse Protection Orders' [I don't know what they mean here, it's garbled].

£2million Fund to Leave for women fleeing abusive relationships.

Will change law to give cohabitants better financial rights.

And that's about it. I've paraphrased, I'm sorry I can't copypaste and sorry for angry asides. I will admit that I find it very hard to be objective about the SNP for obvious reasons, so do read the manifesto in the special whizzy magazine link above to get the words from the horse's mouth.

There are some worthwhile ideas in there, but it's rushed and the section about LGBTQIA+ suggests they remain absolutely hellbent on elevating this identity above all others, tbh.

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