Latest news with #HowtheLightGetsIn
The Herald Scotland
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Sturgeon: Law may need to change after Supreme Court ruling
Her intervention comes weeks after she told reporters in Holyrood that the lives of transgender people are at risk of being made 'unliveable' in the aftermath of the judgment. Ms Sturgeon was speaking at the How the Light Gets In festival in Hay-on-Wye yesterday and cited comments made last week by Baroness Hale of Richmond, the first female president of the Supreme Court, who said the April judgment had been 'misinterpreted'. Ms Sturgeon insisted the Supreme Court judgment in April had said 'what the law is, there is no gainsaying that'. READ MORE: Ruling could 'stoke culture wars' against trans people SNP ministers reaction to reset 'bizarre' given independence in EU aim Hundreds of care staff to go on strike over £38 million government U turn LGBTQ+ centre offering 'safe space' could be opened in Glasgow 'It's time for Scotland's politicians to act like we are in a housing emergency' But she added that it was for politicians to 'decide what the law should be or has to be'. 'That judgment, I think, has been massively overinterpreted in terms of some of the immediate reactions to it," she said. 'But if it is the case that the judgment means we have to move to a situation where trans lives are almost impossible to live then I'm sorry but the law has to change because that is not an acceptable way to be.' Since the judgment the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published an interim update on what it means for the operation of single-sex spaces. It states that in places like hospitals, shops and restaurants, trans women should not be permitted to use women's facilities. The Scottish Parliament earlier this month banned trans gender people from using toilets in their acquired gender in the building. Trans people and their supporters hit back saying many fear using toilets of their birth sex. Dylan Hamilton, a trans man who works at Holyrood as an MSP staffer, said the policy would impact him, calling the rule change 'a personal attack on my dignity that I will have to experience every day'. Speaking to journalists in Holyrood for the first time about the landmark court ruling earlier this month Ms Sturgeon raised concerns about interim guidance issued by the EHRC. The former First Minister said it was not inevitable that the judgment would make the lives of transgender people 'impossibly difficult', but there was a danger that certain interpretations could put transgender rights at risk. 'If that is the case, then yes, it would be my view that the law as it stands needs to be looked at,' she told reporters at the Scottish Parliament. Ms Sturgeon has been one of the UK most prominent supporters of transgender rights, with her Scottish Government having introduced gender recognition reforms that would have made it easier for Scots to change their legally recognised sex. The reforms were ultimately blocked by the former UK Government. The Supreme Court judgment in April, which ruled that sex is defined by biological sex under equality law, followed years of legal wranglings and had effectively been fought for by the campaign group, For Women Scotland. Ms Sturgeon's views on the impact the court ruling's interpretation on the trans gender community have been echoed by the Scottish Government. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said fears trans people feel around using single-sex spaces have been "aggravated" by the EHRC interim guidance. Ms Sturgeon's comments were criticised by Susan Smith of For Women Scotland, who secured the victory in the Supreme Court against the Scottish government. 'It would be quite ironic, although not unexpected, if the first female First Minister was resolutely sticking to the notion that biological sex is some nebulous concept,' she told The Times. "There has indeed been a great deal of misrepresentation of the Supreme Court ruling, but the most egregious has come from trans activists who have spun the most outrageous interpretations." Dr Lucy Hunter, of Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, a policy analysis group which supported the For Women Scotland Supreme Court challenge, told The Times the 'reasoning and conclusions of the Supreme Court are easy to follow'. 'Organisations faced with undoing the effect of years of poor advice would do best to follow the example of the Scottish parliament, and take steps straightaway to comply with the law,' Ms Hunter said. 'They need to read the judgment, obtain their own legal advice and ignore the former First Minister, whose contributions on this subject remain as unhelpful as ever.' Ms Sturgeon, whose memoir Frankly is due to be released this August, also spoke about the way she had been treated as a woman in politics.
The National
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Nicola Sturgeon says Supreme Court ruling 'massively misinterpreted'
The former first minister was speaking at the How the Light Gets In festival in Hay-on-Wye on Saturday, and said she would 'always be an ally of the trans community'. The Sunday Times reports that Sturgeon told the festival the Supreme Court judgment set out 'what the law is, there is no gainsaying that'. But she added it was the job of politicians to 'decide what the law should be or has to be'. READ MORE: Zarah Sultana: UK halting Israel trade talks is 'irrelevant' We told how Lady Hale, the first female president of the Supreme Court, said the ruling had been 'misinterpreted', and that there was 'nothing in that judgment that says that you can't have gender-neutral loos'. In the weeks following the judgment, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released interim guidance that banned transgender people from using the bathroom of their acquired gender. The guidance was described as 'cruel', 'authoritarian' and 'segregation'. Trans women were subsequently banned from playing women's football and cricket. Sturgeon referenced Hale's comments, adding: 'That judgment, I think, has been massively overinterpreted in terms of some of the immediate reactions to it. 'But if it is the case that the judgment means we have to move to a situation where trans lives are almost impossible to live then I'm sorry but the law has to change because that is not an acceptable way to be.' The Glasgow MSP previously told journalists in Holyrood that it 'doesn't make a single woman any safer' to make trans people's lives 'almost unliveable'. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that under the Equality Act 2010 a woman is defined by 'biological sex' and does not include a transgender woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). This decision went against how the law had been interpreted across public and private bodies in the UK for the past 20 years. READ MORE: Fears 'rigged' Scottish Labour voting system boxes out left-wing MSPs Sturgeon, who is standing down at the next Holyrood election, said that despite abuse she had received she would 'always' be an ally to the trans community 'no matter how difficult that might be'. 'Many of those who are on the other side [of the issue] say it is all about protecting women,' she said. 'Isn't it ironic that I have probably had more misogynistic abuse as a result of this issue than on any other issue in my entire political career. Go figure.' For Women Scotland, an anti-trans campaign group who took the gender case to the Supreme Court, originally after challenging the inclusion of trans women on gender quotas for public boards in Scottish Government guidance, criticised Sturgeon's comments. (Image: PA) Susan Smith told The Times: 'It would be quite ironic, although not unexpected, if the first female first minister was resolutely sticking to the notion that biological sex is some nebulous concept,' she said. 'There has indeed been a great deal of misrepresentation of the Supreme Court ruling, but the most egregious has come from trans activists who have spun the most outrageous interpretations.' Sturgeon was first minister when the Scottish Parliament passed its Gender Recognition Reform Act in 2022, which would allow transgender people to self-identify and simplified the requirements to acquire a GRC, before it was blocked by Westminster from becoming law.
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Nicola Sturgeon: Supreme Court judgment on definition of woman 'massively overinterpreted'
Nicola Sturgeon has warned that politicians should update the law if the Supreme Court judgment harms the lives of transgender people. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Nicola Sturgeon has warned the Supreme Court judgment defining a woman in the Equality Act has been 'massively overinterpreted" as she repeated her calls for Keir Starmer's government to amend the law if the fallout impacts on the lives of trans people. Nicola Sturgeon | John Devlin The former first minister has revealed that she has had more "misogynistic abuse" over the issue of gender recognition than any other during her career. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon | John Devlin Unsurprisingly, Ms Sturgeon has reiterated that she will always be an "ally of the trans community". Ms Sturgeon, speaking in events at the How the Light Gets In festival in Hay-on Wye in Powys, Wales, on Saturday, stressed that the Supreme Court judgment last month had said "what the law is, there is no gainsaying that". The court ruled that the definition of a woman in the Equality Act refers to a biological woman. Trans women can legally become a woman through the Gender Recognition Act. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Echoing her comments given at Holyrood earlier this month, Ms Sturgeon stressed that it was up to politicians to "decide what the law should be or has to be". Watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has faced accusations of a kneejerk response to the ruling after issuing interim guidance which recommends transgender people should not be allowed to use toilets of the gender they live as, and that in some cases they also cannot use toilets of their birth sex. Ms Sturgeon pointed to comments last week from Baroness Hale of Richmond, the first female president of the Supreme Court, who said that the judgment had been "misinterpreted". Susan Smith, left, and Marion Calder, directors of For Women Scotland, cheer as they leave the Supreme Court in London following the landmark ruling against the Scottish Government Lady Hale said that there was "nothing in that judgment that says that you can't have gender-neutral loos". Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Sturgeon said: "That judgment, I think, has been massively overinterpreted in terms of some of the immediate reactions to it. "But if it is the case that the judgment means we have to move to a situation where trans lives are almost impossible to live then I'm sorry but the law has to change because that is not an acceptable way to be." Ms Sturgeon said that despite the abuse she had received over her support for the trans community, she would "always" be its ally "no matter how difficult that might be". Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She added: "Many of those who are on the other side [of the issue] say it is all about protecting women," she told the festival. "Isn't it ironic that I have probably had more misogynistic abuse as a result of this issue than on any other issue in my entire political career. Go figure." According to The Sunday Times, Ms Sturgeon's comments have been criticised by Susan Smith of For Women Scotland, the organisation that won the Supreme Court appeal against the Scottish Government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: "It would be quite ironic, although not unexpected, if the first female first minister was resolutely sticking to the notion that biological sex is some nebulous concept. "There has indeed been a great deal of misrepresentation of the Supreme Court ruling but the most egregious has come from trans activists who have spun the most outrageous interpretations. "Baroness Hale was correct in saying that the ruling does not outlaw gender-neutral toilets but any organisation which only provides such facilities should be mindful that this may result in discrimination against other protected characteristics, in addition to sex.
STV News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Nicola Sturgeon to appear at 'world's largest' philosophy festival
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been named as one of the speakers at the 'world's largest philosophy and music festival' in Hay-On-Wye this year. 'The life and philosophy of Nicola Sturgeon' is set to debut at the How the Light Gets In festival alongside talks from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice at the end of May. The former Scottish leader will discuss her 'core philosophy of life' and the experiences that led her to this outlook. 'From her belief in nuclear disarmament to her campaign for independence to her resignation in 2023, join Nicola Sturgeon to discover the life – and the ideas – behind a remarkable political career,' the programme description reads. The festival advertises itself as a place for 'big ideas and big names'. 'This year's festival is bringing together the sharpest minds, boldest thinkers, and most inspiring performers for a weekend of unmissable debates, talks, music, and comedy,' the festival description says. 'In 2025, we'll be bringing together our biggest line-up yet for a bank holiday of illuminating debate and discussion.' It's the latest in a series of high-profile public appearances from Sturgeon, and it comes after police cleared her name in their criminal investigation into the SNP's finances in March. Speaking at the time, Sturgeon said she had been 'vindicated' and there was never a 'scrap of evidence' against her. Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, appeared in court charged with the embezzlement of party funds. The appearance also comes ahead of the publication of her memoir, Frankly, on August 14. The book promises to offer an 'open, honest and candid' account of the former first minister's achievements and heartbreaks. The appearance at the philosophy festival also follows Sturgeon's decision not to seek re-election as an MSP at next year's Holyrood election, ending a two-decade career as an SNP politician. How the Light Gets Hay runs from April 23 to May 26. Festival tickets provide access to a wide range of events, including debates, talks, music, comedy, an academy, and late-night parties. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
