There’s worse to come in Scotland than the Hate Crime Bill

The Scottish Government has courted controversy with its social policy agenda: sweeping hate crime legislation, and gender recognition changes that undermine women’s rights. But what’s coming down the tracks at Holyrood looks even more troubling. In fact, the next item on the agenda could be one of the most controversial seen since devolution. Following activists’ demands, politicians’ promises and the rowing back on parallel plans by the UK government, the Scottish government is moving towards a ban on so-called ‘conversion practices’. 

Some readers might take umbrage with this suggestion. Most of us agree that trying to forcibly change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity – perhaps through pseudo-scientific quack ‘treatments’ – is wrong, and should be punished. However laws already exist to punish such actions. The plans currently being cooked up have the potential to cross the line into authoritarian enforcement of state values on Scottish people, in ways never before seen by our society.