A retired paediatrician has described the Scottish government’s refusal to stop the routine prescription of puberty blockers to children as “a medical scandal.”
Dr Jenny Cunningham has questioned why Scotland’s health service continues offering the hormone-stopping drugs to those as young as 12 years old despite the NHS in England announcing it was stopping the practice.
The move, announced by health chiefs last week, followed a review by Dr. Hilary Cass who found that the current “affirmative” model of care for children suffering with gender related issues needs an overhaul.
That includes the roll out of drugs that stop the normal sexual development of children.
Following recommendations in the independent interim review, the NHS said it would no longer routinely offer the drugs to children and young people.
The NHS added that it was in the process of launching a study into the impact of puberty blockers on gender dysphoria in children and young people with early-onset gender dysphoria,
Cunningham, a board member of the Scottish Union for Education (SUE), called for the practice to be ended in Scotland immediately.
“Drugs that will only be used for experimental research in England continue to be handed out to children in Scotland,” she said in a statement.
Leaflets Sent to Schools
Last month, Scotland’s social care watchdog said children as young as 12 years old can consent to trans-affirming medical interventions.The Care Inspectorate’s guidance was issued to services responsible for children in care.
Cunningham described the First Minister’s remarks as “unsurprising.”
SUE, a campaign group “set up to challenge the impact of political indoctrination that is becoming so dominant in schools and in the lives of children” says it plans to send over 2,000 pamphlet’s to schools and politicians outline concerns around trans ideology.
The pamphlet was launched on Thursday at a public meeting at the Tron Church in Glasgow.
In a press release, SUE said the pamphlet explains “the weakness in advice and the unconvincing nature of the research that the Scottish government has used to promote gender ideology in schools.”
The group said the approach “is likely to both confuse children about biological realities and lead an increasing number of often autistic and gay children down the path of irreversible medical and surgical interventions.”
SUE said the pamphlet is being sent to every MSP and headteacher in Scotland.
The pamphlet advises schools to “stop adopting and promoting” trans-identifying ideology.
Guidance and other materials on transgenderism “should be removed from schools and government websites” until a “proper public discussion” is held on the curriculum.
It also suggests that schools “should not be social transitioning children without parents’ knowledge.”
Gender Recognition Reform
In April, the Scottish government announced it will challenge UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s decision to block its gender reform bill in court.In December, the Scottish Parliament passed the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which would enable anyone over the age of 16 to self-identify their gender.
But the UK government blocked the bill in January, citing its “adverse impact” on UK-wide equalities protection.
Yousaf confirmed his government will go to court to challenge the UK government’s decision.
He said legal action is “now our only means of defending our Parliament’s democracy from the Westminster veto.”
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the UK government’s decision represented “an unprecedented challenge to the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate on clearly devolved matters,” and “risks setting a dangerous constitutional precedent.”
The Scottish Greens, who are in government alongside the SNP, said the decision is “vital for equality and democracy.”
Sunak said his government’s decision to block the bill had been made “after taking very careful and considered advice.”
He added that the government had concerns about “how Scotland’s gender recognition act would interact with reserved powers, about the operation of the Equalities Act, the protection of women elsewhere in the UK as well.”
The Scottish bill—championed by then-First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon—would have allowed anyone over the age of 16 to self-ID via a statutory declaration to obtain a new birth certificate, which changes the recording of their registered sex at birth to their chosen gender.
There would also be no requirement for an applicant to undergo surgery or hormone therapy, and the process to change sex on birth certificates would have been simplified.
Critics of the legislation say that a self-identification system could be exploited.
Women’s groups as well as the U.N. Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, have raised grave concerns that it will open up women’s services and private spaces to abuse.
