SNP MSPs will be whipped to vote in favour of gender recognition reforms

[Criticycle]

www.scotsman.com/news/politics/snp-msps-will-be-whipped-to-vote-in-favour-of-gender-recognition-reforms-3894529

Nicola Sturgeon is now going to force members to vote in favour of gender recognition reform.

I feel like she does not understand that this is such a wedge issue that this might cripple the SNP for decades to come.

Luckily the SNP have very, very little involvement in day to day life. They are VERY busy playing games with the media and the Right Side of History. Showboating and soundbites keep them busy enough amongst themselves.

I mean, our services and infrastructure are a bit fucked, because they've been largely ignored for decades, because they're not smexy enough, but aside from that, and a vague unease that one could be arrested at any time for wrongthink, everything's fine.

Sturgeon/SNP are incapable of ever admitting they've made a mistake. It's actually a worrying sign of a weak administration, I would say. They are desperate to prove they are Holy and perfect, largely to contrast themselves against the Monstrous Bad Westminsters.

Charge on, ignore the structures creaking and cracking underfoot, punish dissent, control the media, control the populace ...

It only works for so long.

The SNP also have a long history of undermining parents and the family unit. Look at the deeply unpopular Named Persons scheme that went to the Supreme Court to be overturned.

That is a helpful reframing, thank you Arabella

Between that and ready access to macaroni pies, I might still hope to flourish there.

What time is the vote today? And can someone refresh me on the next steps in the process, please?

live online from 2pm. This is Stage 1, there are 2 and 3 to go through and then I think usually a wait for it to become law.

Sorry, debate from 2, not sure when the vote is.

To be honest - I think the Greens and SNP want this over and done because it's so divisive and getting more so. One of the Greens sent me a pious email that delays were increasing transphobia but I think the bigger problem is that (with all the recent bad news) delay increases the division in their own parties. While the Libs and Labs don't want an obvious split in their own parties either and a whip gives their dissenters (and anyone who changes their mind) plausible deniability when there's an election. They probably hope they can edit the worst bits out with amendments later on and we can all forget and move on.

Delays increasing public awareness of what it means and giving time for people to start pushing back.

Democracy is now transphobic.

As well as being female and wanting to safeguard children.

Oh my god, all those crumpled up liberal faces quoting entirely made up statistics. How to show you care!

I think you're right, Amaryllis.

Pam Gosal's article emphasised legislation must not be rushed; as do those advocating 'watchful waiting' wrt children with gender incongruence. Women have been asking for time to be spent discussing, questioning, examining.

A feature of the arguments of most people advocating for Self ID is urgency- this has to happen nownownow, time is running out, we can't hang about to examine it too closely, get a move on, sign it in, quick quick quick. This echoes the time-sensitive arguments wrt puberty blockers - we can't wait to find out whether or not they're right for children, they must be given to children as soon as puberty starts to show - actually now WPATH have removed any age limits, I believe. Etc.

High pressure tactics.

And note the contrast in the rush to implement this compared to the ScotGov comments about the Cass Review in the Express today:

”The Scottish Government has said services have a year to consider the findings of the research from the Cass Review that led to some gender identity clinics being closed down in England. The move has been criticised as too little too late for kids already in the system.”

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/childrens-commissioner-accused-risking-health-28334065

No sense of urgency there, eh?

Rushing only headlong onwards. This is what 'progressive' means!

Boldly going forwards cos we can't find reverse....

There's reality on the starboard bow, scrape it off Nic!

Community Safety Minister Ash Regan has just resigned.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-minister-ash-regan-resigns-28340482

The dam is breaking.

'In her resignation letter, she wrote: "I have considered the issue of Gender Recognition Reform very carefully over some time.

"I have concluded that my conscience will not allow me to vote with the government at the Stage 1 of the Bill this afternoon.

"Consequently, I am writing to resign my position in the Scottish Government as Minister for Community Safety.'

A woman of principles. Thank you.

WOAH!!!!!!!

Go Ash!

Oh Wow. Good for Ash Regan.

"I note that at no stage have you approached me - or indeed the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice - to raise your concerns about the Gender Recognition Reform Bill or the vote this evening."

Presumably Ash was aware that her concerns would have been dismissed as "transphobic" so there was not much point in approaching NS.

Wow, full of admiration for Ash. I can't believe the First Minister's response to her resignation (paraphrasing) "you've never raised this with me before" - well who feels safe to raise this sort of thing in their workplace?!

Oh, essentially cross posted with @Signalbox !

It says at the bottom that she raised this in a letter in 2019 with other MSPs.

According to one of my MSPs, any concerns are based on misunderstandings.(Green)