Take Pride in our rainbow of communities
Scotland must use Pride month and every day to stand up for equality in the face of toxic campaigns by bigots, transphobes and homophobes.
Trans healthcare, gender recognition reform, banning conversation practices and advancing equality will remain a focus and target for party activism and campaigning throughout the rest of the Scottish parliamentary session, said Scottish Greens equalities spokesperson Maggie Chapman MSP.
She added: “A modern Scotland must be an equal Scotland. One built on the premise that love is love and we are free to be who we choose to be. Equality has always been a core value for the Scottish Greens and the whole Green movement, and that’s never been more important than it is right now.
“Since the formation of the Scottish Parliament we have made big steps towards a more equal society. We have torn down barriers and led the UK on many equality issues.
“The next big challenges will be to deliver the Gender Recognition Reform that our parliament voted for so overwhelmingly, and to ensure a full ban on all forms of conversion practice.
“There is no such thing as a non-coercive conversion practice and there never can be. We are determined to end this brutal form of torture that has gone unchecked for too long.
“However, and particularly as we enter Pride month, it is clear the spectre of bigotry, homophobia, transphobia and division has not gone away. In fact, with the shocking increase in hate crimes and the poisonous rhetoric we have seen against trans rights and the broader LGBTQIA+ community, it has been on the rise.
“We cannot undo the pain and the hurt that has been inflicted through prejudice, but we can build a better society where people are free to live and love.
“It is vital that we use Pride month not just to celebrate and embrace the diversity in our communities, but to build a more inclusive society.”
