Latest news with #selfidentification
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Rapists should ‘probably forfeit' right to self-identify as women, says Sturgeon
Rapists like Isla Bryson should 'probably forfeit' the right to self-identify as women Nicola Sturgeon has conceded, despite her controversial gender laws allowing them to do so. The former first minister said trans predator Bryson, who raped two women while living as a man, should probably not have the right to choose gender. In an interview with ITV News to promote the publication of her memoirs, she acknowledged that Bryson was a 'biological male' but referred to the rapist as 'they' rather than 'he'. Ms Sturgeon also said she was 'partly responsible' for 'all sense of rationality' having been lost in the debate over allowing trans people to self-identify their legal gender. Her controversial Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill would have allowed biological men to change legal gender by simply signing a declaration. An amendment tabled by Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, banning sex criminals from self-identifying as women was voted down by SNP and Green MSPs. The legislation was passed at Holyrood but was vetoed by the UK Government over concerns it undermined women's safe spaces. However, it emerged that swathes of Scotland's public sector, including the prison estate, had adopted self-identification all the same. Bryson was jailed in February 2023 after being convicted of raping two women, crimes which were committed while living as Adam Graham. However, there was public uproar when the predator was initially sent to a women's prison, in line with guidance at the time stating that criminals should be sent to the jail that matched their self-identified gender prior to their conviction. Asked by ITV News's Julie Etchingham about how she became 'unstuck' over the Bryson case, Ms Sturgeon said: 'Isla Bryson identified as a woman. I think what I would say now is anybody who commits the most heinous male crime against women probably forfeits the right to be the gender of their choice.' Ms Sturgeon admitted that this was 'not the best phrase to use', before being challenged to admit that Bryson was a biological male. 'They are a biological male, but that's about whether it gets back into the self ID thing. I should have been much more straightforward. I wasn't,' she said. 'We'd lost all sense of rationality in this debate, I'm partly responsible for that.' However Mr Findlay said: 'Frankly, Nicola Sturgeon must be delusional if she thinks the women of Scotland will swallow this drivel. 'She arrogantly ignored all warnings that gender self-ID would be a gift to male predators like Isla Bryson. And she ordered her SNP MSPs to vote down my attempts to block rapists and other sex criminals from being able to legally change their gender by self-declaration. 'Her absurd ideological belief in self-ID collapses with her belated mealy-mouthed admission that this rapist is a man, but she still can't bring herself to say sorry for all the pain and misery she has caused.' Ms Sturgeon, 55, also launched another attack on the late Alex Salmond, claiming he had not read the entire independence White Paper that was the Yes campaign's prospectus in the 2014 referendum. She said her mentor and predecessor as SNP leader and First Minister 'really didn't engage in the work of the drafting or the compilation of the White Paper at all'. 'I don't even know if he'd read bits of it. I knew I was going to have to sit him down and say, 'Look, you're going to have to read this, and you're going to have to tell me now if there are bits you want to change, because it has to be signed off,' she said. 'He told me he was going on a trade mission to China. I don't think I'd ever felt as much cold fury at him as I did in that moment. It just seemed to me like an abdication of responsibility.' Chris McEleny, the former general secretary of Mr Salmond's Alba Party, said: 'Her continued unfounded allegations against Alex are an attempt to deflect from the imposter syndrome she's always stated she had because, in the cold light of day, Alex took us closer to independence than we've ever been, whereas Nicola destroyed the independence movement and has few achievements to look back on in contrast to Salmond.' Ms Sturgeon also recalled having a 'panic attack' while overseeing the White Paper after feeling an 'overwhelming sense of impossibility' about getting it up to scratch. 'I was sobbing on the floor of my office at home and just my heart was racing,' she said. She also used the interview to disclose that she had got her first tattoo, saying: 'Midlife crisis alert! What it is, is known really only to me, but I'll give you a kind of sense of it. It's kind of an infinity symbol with an arrow, and I came up with the design myself. 'In summary, what it signifies to me is strength, resilience and continuing to move forward, even when it feels impossible. And it might not be my last one now that I've got the taste for it.'
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nicola Sturgeon says rapists 'forfeit the right to be gender of their choice' as ex-SNP leader gets in a fresh muddle over trans prisoner Isla Bryson
Nicola Sturgeon has said anyone who rapes a woman 'forfeits the right to be the gender of their choice'. The former Scottish first minister made the claim as she struggled to answer fresh questions about transgender prisoner Isla Bryson. In a TV interview, Ms Sturgeon admitted she was 'partly responsible' for a loss of 'rationality' in the debate over trans rights. The ex-SNP leader quit frontline politics in 2023 after a furious row over her Scottish Government's plans to introduce a system of self-identification for changing gender. Ms Sturgeon had also been damaged by a row over Bryson, a double rapist who was sent to a female jail after announcing she was a trans women. Bryson, who was convicted of attacking two women while known as a man called Adam Graham, was later moved to a male prison following a public outcry. At the time, Ms Sturgeon refused to say whether she believed Bryson was a man or a woman. But, speaking to ITV ahead of the publication of her memoir Frankly this week, the Glasgow Southside MSP said Bryson is a 'biological male'. Ms Strugeon acknowledged she should have previously been 'much more straightforward' on the issue. 'Isla Bryson identified as a woman,' she told TV News At Ten presenter Julie Etchingham. 'I think what I would say now is anybody who commits the most heinous male crime against women probably forfeits the right to be the gender of their choice.' She went on to add: 'That probably was not the best phrase to use…' Asked why she doesn't simply say Bryson is a biological male, Ms Sturgeon replied: 'They are a biological male but that's about whether…. it gets back into the self ID thing. 'I should have been much more straightforward, I wasn't, but that's because of the debate. We'd lost all sense of rationality in this debate. I'm partly responsible for that.' Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: 'Frankly, Nicola Sturgeon must be delusional if she thinks the women of Scotland will swallow this drivel.' The Conservative MSP said Ms Sturgeon had 'ignored all warnings that gender self-ID would be a gift to male predators like Isla Bryson'. He added that the ex-SNP leader 'ordered her SNP MSPs to vote down my attempts to block rapists and other sex criminals from being able to legally change their gender by self-declaration'. Mr Findlay continued: 'Her absurd ideological belief in self-ID collapses with her belated mealy-mouthed admission that this rapist is a man, but she still can't bring herself to say sorry for all the pain and misery she has caused.'
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Badenoch accused of wearing transphobia as ‘badge of honour' by Labour MP
Kemi Badenoch appears to wear transphobia as a 'badge of honour', a Labour MP has told Parliament. Richard Quigley, the MP for Isle of Wight West, hit out at politicians who 'scapegoat' vulnerable people, during a Westminster Hall debate on Monday. A spokesman for the Conservative leader said she has 'always defended the rights of trans people' and accused Mr Quigley of twisting Mrs Badenoch's words. As MPs discussed a petition calling for the ability of trans people to self-identify their legal gender, Mr Quigley said: 'It is disheartening to see figures, including the Leader of the Opposition, appear to wear their transphobia almost as a badge of honour. 'In this House we must not forget that our words matter and we can really impact the most vulnerable. I came into politics, and I believe many of us did, to champion minorities and give a voice to the voiceless. 'It is vital that we remember the power we hold, to raise the tone of debate rather than to lower it, to support the vulnerable, not scapegoat them.' He added: 'What concerns me further is the growing narrative that improving trans rights somehow threatens the rights or dignity of women and girls. 'And I am not going to deny that in places such as the prison service there have been troubling examples of individuals playing the system to gain access to women's spaces. We must acknowledge and address these concerns seriously. 'But when I hear some from the Opposition declare themselves – well, if they were here – champions of women's rights, I find myself asking, where are they, well, now? Where have they been for the last 15 years? 'When violence against women and girls skyrocketed, where was the legislation? When women's shelters were chronically underfunded, where was the outrage? When domestic abuse cases surged, whilst court access diminished, where was the action? 'When male perpetrators played the legal system to harass their victims, where was the advocacy? I do not raise these points just to score political points, but rather to prompt reflection. 'If your defence of women's rights only surfaces in opposition to trans rights, then I question whether it is truly about supporting women, or simply targeting trans people under that guise.' Intervening, Labour former minister Dame Meg Hillier said: 'So many people have been in touch with me, very frightened now, because of this Supreme Court ruling. 'Doesn't he agree, as he said, we need to speak well here, but the Government needs to make sure that that interim guidance is fast firmed up into proper guidance? Because the interim guidance is causing confusion and fear amongst so many people.' Mr Quigley said he agreed 'entirely' with the MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, adding: 'Words matter.' A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said: 'Kemi has always defended the rights of trans people, but she has been clear that those rights cannot come at the expense of women and girls. 'This issue has consistently been exploited by people, like Richard Quigley, who seek to misrepresent the law and twist Kemi's words for their own political gain. 'The Supreme Court judgment has now made the law abundantly clear, and it is what Kemi has argued throughout her political career – that sex is biological.' Later in the debate, Dame Meg said the Government 'may need to step in to resolve' the issues caused by the Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman. 'The Equality Act itself was well written in order to deal with intersectional issues when they arose, the guidance around it was very clear and this ruling has muddied that,' she said. Intervening earlier in the debate, Labour MP Will Stone said 'we should be doing our utmost to protect the trans community and ensure they have the same rights as everyone else and that they can live in dignity'. The Swindon North MP added: 'What we say in this House matters, it ripples across communities, and regardless of what side you sit on or where you are in the argument, at the centre of that argument are people.' Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam Olivia Blake said the uncertainty on the issue risked 'undermining' gender recognition certificates (GRC). Ms Blake said: 'I'm pleased that Labour committed to making the GRC process simpler in our manifesto, but the recent judgment is very concerning and it risks undermining the existence of these certificates in themselves if we're not careful, and if the guidance goes the wrong way.' Conservative shadow equalities minister Mims Davies said: 'Every individual should live a life of dignity and be free as to how to live their lives and be safe to do so, and safety has been very much raised today, and rightly should be supported in that. We are a party that is inclusive and focused on equality, and will always stand up for the rights of women and girls too.' However, she added: 'I believe we must ensure that we work for a future where women do not have to fight for their rights every time and nobody has to keep fighting for all of their rights every time.' Home Office minister Seema Malhotra said accounts of hate crime and transphobia were 'a concern to us all'. Ms Malhotra said the Government remained committed to both delivering a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy, and the Cass report. However, she said Labour did not believe in self identification. She said: 'We understand these issues must be navigated sensitively. The Government's position embodies a belief that it is both possible and essential to uphold protections for trans individuals whilst respecting women's concerns around privacy, safety and dignity.'
