Scotland just took a huge step forward in legally recognising transgender children

The Scottish government will consider reducing the age for legally changing gender to 16 – and possibly even lower.

Under new proposals, transgender people will also no longer be asked to provide medical proof that they deserve recognition for their new legal gender.

This means that trans citizens would no longer have to live for two years in a body which matches their true gender to be officially identified as that gender.

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The Scottish government’s announcement comes just days after Nicola Sturgeon “wholeheartedly apologised” for historical gay sex convictions in the country, leading an onlooker who was prosecuted for being gay to break down.

The government’s public review of the 2004 Gender Recognition Act will also suggest legal recognition for non-binary people, such as a gender-neutral passport option.

Scottish National Party Equalities Minister Angela Constance said the move would help her country to further advance LGBT rights.

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She said: “Scotland rightly has a reputation as one of the most progressive countries in relation to LGBTI legal and human rights equality in Europe – but we need to do more to progress equality for trans people,” the BBC has reported.

“Both our Fairer Scotland action plan and this year’s programme for government commit to renewing the 2004 Gender Recognition Act.