LGBT+ Conservatives spark backlash with ‘pathetic’ response to blocking of Scottish gender bill
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. (Getty)
The LGBT+ Conservative group has been criticised for its “pathetic” statement in the wake of the government blocking Scotland’s gender reform bill.
This afternoon (17 January) Scotland secretary Alister Jack made a statement to the House of Commons, where he said he would make an order under Section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 to halt the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) bill from proceeding to royal assent.
The bill, which was passed in December 2022, would make it easier for trans people to update their gender marker on their birth certificates, as well as lowering the application process to 16 and 17-year-olds for the first time.
The UK government using the Section 35 order to prevent the Scottish bill from becoming law is an unprecedented move in that it is the first time such an order has been used since Scotland was given devolved powers in 1999.
One LGBTQ+ activist warned the decision to pursue such action marked the “beginning of the end” of the United Kingdom as a union.
In response to this decision by the government, the LGBT+ Conservatives – the national organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Conservatives and allies – released a statement to the public.
The statement reads: “The fight for trans equality is not over. LGBT+ Conservatives are unequivocal in our support for the trans community, advocating not just for an advancement in legal rights, but more importantly, acceptance, kindness and understanding from the wider population.
“It is regrettable that trans people, already facing great anguish and challenge, now face being caught up in an increasingly toxic independence, constitutional debate between Holyrood and Westminster, when the issue that really matters is the advancement of equality.
“We are a United Kingdom – and we call on the secretary of state for Scotland and the Scottish government to decisively and with conviction come together to find a path forward and meet with us to discuss this.
“Considerable progress has been made since 2010, let’s not stop now, the fight is not over.”
‘Pathetic’
The response was quickly slammed on social media with several people calling it “pathetic” and many others pointing out that “the call is coming from inside the house”.
One reply came from Michael Carthew, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Olton in Solihull, who wrote: “Just ignoring the fact that this didn’t need to be a constitutional debate until the Conservatives blocked it for no reason.”
Another Twitter user wrote: “Your party is blocking it, that’s all there is to it. Pathetic statement, you don’t care about the LGBT community, you only care about your party.”
A third said: “There’s no debate to be had. The Scottish parliament passed it, you’re blocking it. Utter clowns.”
