There is a lot of controversy in Scotland about the SNP’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill and also quite a lot of misunderstanding. It is important to understand what it will change and what it will not change.

At present the process of applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is set out by the UK Government and this will continue to be applied in England and Wales.

The purpose of a GRC is to enable someone’s affirmed gender to be legally recognised. This enables the person to change birth certificate get married in the affirmed gender and have the affirmed gender on a death certificate.

The Scottish Government wishes to make the process of obtaining a GRC considerably easier. Being different from England as usual is part of the motivation. It intends to remove the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. It lowers the minimum age to 16. It lowers the amount of time needed to live in the affirmed gender to 3 months after which there is a further 3 month period of reflection.

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