. An additional three-month 'reflection' period is also mandatory for all applicants. However, a senior SNP source has told The Telegraph the Scottish Government is 'sympathetic' to a new amendment which would instead require 16 and 17-year-olds to wait six months (along with the three-month reflection period) before they are given a GRC. The proposed change from Christine Grahame, an SNP MSP, is reportedly being well-received among ministers including Shona Robison, Scotland's social justice secretary. 'Randomly chosen waiting period' Ms Grahame told The Telegraph: 'My aim is that 16 and 17-year-olds take longer to consider their position and there is a more precautionary approach for them. 'I have felt that way all along, I have always had concerns. 'At 18, I could satisfy myself about that. But even before I read the stage one report, I was concerned about 16 and 17-year-olds. They are in a bit of flux at that stage, and I just felt that it was a bit young. 'I think there will be quite a few people like me who had concerns about this age group and I hope, if this goes through, it will give them some confidence.' The amendment has failed to satisfy critics of the Bill who branded the time reduction 'as another randomly chosen waiting period, seemingly plucked out of thin air'. Trina Budge, director o){kind=link}
The SNP is ‘sympathetic’ to an amendment which would mean 16 and 17-year-olds wait six months for a Gender Recognition Certificate
Nicola Sturgeon is considering watering down her controversial gender reforms for teenagers after SNP backbenchers mounted the biggest rebellion against the party’s leadership since coming to power.
The First Minister’s heavily-criticised overhaul to gender laws has sowed unprecedented division within the SNP’s rank and file over her proposals to allow children as young as 16 to apply to change their gender.
The Gender Reform Recognition Bill, currently in its second stage of debate in Holyrood, also slashes the amount of time an individual has to live in their “acquired gender” from six months to three before they receive a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).
An additional three-month “reflection” period is also mandatory for all applicants.