I was going to wait for the completion of the debate and votees on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill before commenting but the voting down of Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP's amendment to pause a GRC application for those charged with rape or sexual assualt last night needs covered.
Most of the SNP (it was whipped), some Labour, all of the Greens and Lib Dems voted to defeat the amendment. So if the bill passes, which given Labour are whipping for it to do so will happen, means that a rape victim could be forced to call their rapist by female pronouns in court, and the rapist can then demand to be placed in a women's prison.
The Scottish govt had argued that it didn't have the legislative competence to pass this but since it's not clear that it has the legislative competence to pass much of the bill - the change in age from 18 to 16 for example- that's entirely specious.
I find it somewhat strange that so many words and so much effort have been expended on here in the last few days about a 2000 year old possible assault by an entity thst many involved in that discussion does not exist, while this atrocity of a bill is in the news.
