Another Scottish Trojan Horse? Human Rights Bill for Scotland

[IWillNoLie]

Thank goodness for the Scotland Act limiting the Scottish Government:

The "equal opportunities" reservation means the Scottish Parliament cannot generally make law which is aimed at preventing, eliminating or regulating discrimination between persons on the grounds of certain protected characteristics (including sex, race and disability), unless an exception applies. One of those exceptions allows the Scottish Parliament to legislate to prevent, eliminate or regulate discrimination by certain public authorities in Scotland when exercising their Scottish functions (within certain parameters). Another exception allows the Scottish Parliament to legislate to encourage equal opportunities as long as it is not prohibiting or regulating discrimination. This means we are limited in what we can do in relation to rights in the treaties relating to equal opportunities.

But

We will particularly consider this where specific rights may have standalone significance and where there may be benefits to stronger protections under the framework.

They will target specific stakeholders for these…

Their purpose becomes clear in Chapter 6:

However, we are also considering whether we should specifically list LGBTI and older age as grounds for protection, given the Taskforce noted that these groups lacked the protection of an international treaty and recommended explicit protection of them in the Bill. Putting these groups specifically on the face of the Bill could help to ensure clarity of exactly who the provision is intended to protect.

LGBTI peopleHuman Rights Taskforce Recommendation 7An equality clause that protects and promotes the full and equal enjoyment of rights of LGBTI people.

We are committed to tackling inequality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex[25] (LGBTI) people. While there is not a specific international human rights treaty for LGBTI people, we are clear that they should have equal access to the rights within the Bill. As set out earlier in this part, the inclusion of an equality provision could help ensure LGBTIpeople can access rights equally, and the proposal to ensure that human dignity can be taken into account when interpreting the rights could assist in placing this concept at the heart of the interpretation of rights for LGBTI people.

We want to give further consideration with stakeholders as to whether the Bill framework could do anything more specific in this area.

Consultation here: https://consult.gov.scot/equality-and-human-rights/a-human-rights-bill-for-scotland-consultation/

Tackling 'inequality' for 'lesbian bi and gay people'

Yeah first define exactly what you mean by lesbian bi and gay people

Exactly. I'm going through it with a bloody toothcomb.

Because I'll bet it does not mean homosexual, and I'll bet this hands whole new bludgeons to T political extremists (who are frequently not T themselves) to beat homosexual and women people who want to retain their previous unmucked about with rights prior to T political interference, and to safeguard children.

This will mostly be about enabling butt plug dildo rainbow monkey jamming inappropriate but highly exciting (for the unqualified but very grift happy trainer) material down the throat of kids and getting them programmed early for the benefit of awful political agendas, under the table from any rational grown ups, hidden under an 'aren't we progressive!' flag.

Hmm I really hope that they either drop this or go full hog and fall foul of section 33 the way the right of the child bill did

Would also be interesting to see their definition of ‘intersex’