Moray's LGBTQ+ Pride organisers 'distressed' by MP Douglas Ross' support for J.K. Rowling in gender bill battle with Scottish Government
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IN a move Moray's Pride organisers have called 'distressing', Douglas Ross has lent his support to J.K. Rowling after she spoke out against Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government's new gender recognition legislation.
The Harry Potter author has been critical of the government's plan to simplify the process of obtaining a gender recognition certificate, which would enable transgender people to change their legal gender without the need to obtain a medical diagnosis.
In a strongly-worded essay in The Sunday Times, Rowling, who shared an image of herself wearing a T-shirt that claimed SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was a 'destroyer of women’s rights' earlier this month wrote: "If any woman or girl suffers voyeurism, sexual harassment, assault or rape in consequence of the Scottish government’s lax new rules, the blame will rest squarely with those at Holyrood who ignored safeguarding experts and women’s campaigners.”
Moray's MP and leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross then shared the author's essay and spoke of his support for Rowling, tweeting: “She is spot on about Nicola Sturgeon. We fully support JK Rowling on the need to protect women’s rights.”
Expanding on his tweet, Douglas Ross said: “I support improving the rights of trans people, but this must not come at the expense of the hard-won sex-based rights of women and girls.
“JK Rowling has a huge platform to make her voice heard, but many more women across Scotland have legitimate and deeply-held concerns that are being ignored by the SNP.
"Many have contacted me directly about this an want to ensure their side of this discussion is fully understood.
“Nicola Sturgeon should be engaging with these women – instead she has dismissed their views as ‘not valid’ and in some way less ‘feminist’ than her own.
“We cannot allow any new legislation to take Scotland backwards on women’s rights. The SNP must start listening to women and acknowledging their valid concerns about these proposals.”
Earlier this month a majority of MSPs on Holyrood’s equalities, human rights and civil justice committee backed the general principles of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will speed up access to a gender recognition certificate.
The bill also lowers the age limit to apply for a gender recognition certificate from 18 to 16 and will change the period someone must have lived in their gender from two years to three months, but a three-month “reflection period” would be introduced.
It would also make it an offence to knowingly make a false gender declaration, with the possibility of imprisonment or a fine if caught.
Pride in Moray, who were responsible for organising Moray's first LGBTQ+ pride event last month have criticised Mr Ross' comments.
A spokesperson for the group said: "Over the past few years, we have begun to see a decisive campaign from certain corners of society trying to paint the transgender community as something they are not, well known people such as J.K Rowling are able to use their platforms to support this ideology when in reality, the transgender community are marginalised and facing higher rates of hate crime than ever before.
"The latest support for the views of J.K. Rowling sadly comes from our own MP and MSP Douglas Ross who, throughout his time representing our community, has met with various members of the LGBT community in Moray individually but has failed to follow through in any support to his constituents.
"We understand that Douglas Ross’ comment will be distressing to the community here in Moray and beyond. We restate our support for trans people’s right to self-identification. We believe trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.
"The recent attacks on the community and against the charity Mermaids, a charity supporting transgender people and their families, has sickened the Pride in Moray committee.
"The committee stand firmly behind our transgender community and support not only the GRA but the need for LGBT education in our schools and communities.
"Pride in Moray is committed to continuing to support and advocate for the trans community, so that those who are and will become your friends, neighbours, co-workers and family members have an equal chance to succeed and thrive.
"We all deserve to have the freedom to live as our true selves."
