SNP MP Angela Crawley has welcomed the launch today of a new Scottish Government consultation proposing landmark reforms for transgender equality.

The SNP’s Equalities spokesperson at Westminster said the proposals to improve gender recognition laws, in line with international best practice, would place Scotland among world leaders by making it simpler – and less intrusive – for transgender people to access their human right to legal gender recognition, and by enabling non-binary people to get legal gender recognition for the first time in the UK.

The move makes Scotland the first part of the UK to begin reforming gender recognition law, and follows a manifesto commitment by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Commenting Angela Crawley MP, SNP Equalities spokesperson at Westminster, who has campaigned for similar reforms in the UK parliament, said:

“These landmark reforms to improve gender recognition laws, in line with international best practice, are a leap forward that will place Scotland among world leaders on transgender and non-binary equality.

“Transgender people have faced prejudice and discrimination for far too long, so I’m proud that the SNP government is taking action to improve the law to make it simpler and less intrusive for trans people to fully access their human right to legal gender recognition, and to give non-binary people legal recognition for the first time in the UK.

“Scotland is the first part of the UK to begin reforming the law, and I hope these reforms will not only deliver a welcome improvement for the lives of trans and non-binary people in Scotland, but will also add to the momentum for progress on trans and non-binary equality across the UK and the world.”