Meeting of the Parliament 22 December 2022
As we said in the committee at stage 2, that further work is under way.
The bill is a further step towards making Scotland a more inclusive and fair society where LGBT people feel safe, respected and included.
I want to share some personal testimony from someone who gave evidence to the committee, if that is okay, Presiding Officer. They said:
“I have known who I am since I was a child ... I tried several times to apply”
for a GRC
“but each time didn’t have what was needed. I couldn’t afford it the first time. The second time I didn’t have the proof. Then my partner had a stroke. We wanted to marry. We were together for 20 years but couldn’t do it because I didn’t have a GRC. He died in 2013 and I lost everything because we weren’t married. I had no legal right to everything that we had built up together, including his pension”.
They went on to say that, if the process in this bill had been in place then, it would have
“allowed me just to be ordinary, which is all we ever wanted”.
Let me end by saying that every party in the chamber except one made a clear commitment at the last Scottish election to the reforms that are set out in the bill. At the election before that, all parties did. Members from all parties in the chamber voted to support the general principles of the bill at stage 1. At this final stage, I urge all members to vote in favour of these important reforms and for the bill.
I move,
That the Parliament agrees that the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill be passed.
13:06