In defence of Ash Regan’s gender bravery

Ash Regan’s decision to resign as Nicola Sturgeon’s community safety minister will not have been taken lightly. The Scottish parliament has today passed stage one of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, legislation championed by Sturgeon which will make it easier to access a gender recognition certificate, remove medical experts from the process and lower the applicable age to 16. Regan told Sturgeon in her resignation letter that ‘my conscience will not allow me to vote with the government’. 

Regan was one of a handful of SNP politicians who signed an open letter in 2019 warning ministers: ‘Changing the definition of male and female is a matter of profound significance. It is not something we should rush.’ Supporters of Sturgeon’s plans say the reforms merely bring clarity to the law and will ensure the system is more responsive to the needs of transgender people. Opponents contend that conflating sex and gender will undermine everything from government statistics to service provision in health, social care and justice.