We must not allow a rollback on Scotland’s hard-won LGBTQ+ rights
As people in Edinburgh prepare to take to the streets, to march together and celebrate Pride today, Scottish Greens MSP Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill is calling for a commitment to strengthen and progress the hard-won rights for the LGBT+ community across Scotland.
With the rise of homophobic and transphobic rhetoric from the far-right becoming so normalised in our society, there must be an outright rejection of the politics of division and hate.
The Scottish Greens want to see more rights won to reach “true equality” for LGBT+ people living in Scotland.
Kayleigh said:
“Scotland has long been known as a progressive nation, and we cannot let our rights be rolled back due to the games and rhetoric that politicians on the right like to play out to deflect from real problems in our society.
“Pride is more than just rainbow flags and singing Cher at karaoke. It’s hard-won rights like equal marriage, discrimination protections and rights to adopt. But this alone does not add up to true equality, and we must go further.
“An easy way that the Scottish Government could improve our rights tomorrow is to put an end to conversion practices once and for all. This shameful, harmful form of torture must come to an end, and allow victims/survivors to see justice and live authentically and proudly as a member of the LGBT+ community without fear.
“Another example of true equality would be supporting same-sex couples looking to start a family. Bringing in parity of IVF for same-sex couples and widening access to IVF could be transformative. That is certainly something that personally, I am keen to see as a woman married to another woman, who would love for our family to grow someday.
“The demonisation of trans people must also come to an end, and fundamental human rights granted to every person, including better access to trans healthcare and an overturning of the EHRC guidance that all but blocks trans people from just going about their daily lives, as they have done forever, without problem.
“There is a risk of our rights being dialled back if we don’t fight to bolster what we already have during the next five years of the Scottish Parliament, which does make me slightly fearful as a community member.
“However, Pride teaches us that hate will never win. Our LGBT+ community and allies from all spaces must come together to resist hate, demand better, and keep the spirit of the progressive Scotland we know and love very much alive and proud.”