Scotland and Spain have passed bills that allow transgender individuals to legally change their gender recognition without having to undergo medical referrals.
Scottish lawmakers passed the Gender Recognition Reform bill on Thursday by a vote of 86 for and 39 against. The vote came after two days of filibustering by Tory Parliament members.
Despite the bill’s passage in the Scottish Parliament, conservative lawmakers in the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is part, have suggested that they might block the law from going into effect, an “unprecedented intervention” Pink News reports.
“Lots of people have got concerns about this new bill in Scotland, about the impact it will have on women’s and children’s safety,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a statement Friday (as reported by Pink News).
He continued, “So I think it is completely reasonable for the UK government to have a look at it, understand what the consequences are for women and children’s safety in the rest of the UK, and then decide on what the appropriate course of action is.”
Once it goes into effect, the law will allow individuals to legally change their gender identifiers without needing to obtain a medical referral. The bill would also lower the age at which individuals can legally transition, from 18 to 16.
Similar legislation passed in Spain’s Parliament which allows individuals to legally file for gender change without medical referral at age 16.
Younger individuals can also transition within the guidelines of the new Spanish law, but with certain provisions. Those between the ages of 14 and 16 would need parental support while those between the ages of 12 and 13 would require a judge’s authorization.
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