Scotland’s first minister made it clear that transgender women will be safeguarded under any new laws targeting misogyny. Humza Yousaf emphasized that regardless of their biological sex, “anyone affected” by misogyny would be included.
He also stressed that the Scottish government wouldn’t spend excessive time deliberating whether to adopt the recommendations from the recent Cass Review on gender care.
The government aims to introduce a bill addressing misogyny before the current parliamentary term ends in 2026, following a review led by human rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC.
Notably, women were not covered in the recent Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, a decision Yousaf stated came after discussions with several women’s groups.
In response to queries about transgender women, Yousaf confirmed they would be covered by the proposed legislation, reasoning that those perpetrating misogynistic abuse wouldn’t necessarily know whether a woman is transgender or not.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland program, he emphasized the protection of women and girls, including trans women who often face threats such as rape or violence. He highlighted that when someone threatens a trans woman with rape on the street, the perpetrator may not know whether she’s trans or cisgender but perceives her as a woman and makes the threat regardless.
The urgency to proceed with the bill was stressed by the first minister due to concerns raised by many women regarding the lack of coverage of sex-related issues in the recent hate crime legislation.
Baroness Kennedy’s report recommended a separate law specifically targeting various forms of misogynistic behavior rather than incorporating it into the hate crime law.
A government spokesperson had previously stated that a misogyny bill would offer a new framework to protect women and girls from crimes driven solely by misogyny.
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