Seven SNP MSPs have defied Nicola Sturgeon by voting against plans to make it easier for people to change their gender.
These included Ash Regan, who quit as Community Safety Minister in protest at the proposals, and former Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing.
Two other SNP MSPs failed to support the First Minister by abstaining.
Despite the mini-rebellion, the Bill easily cleared its first parliamentary hurdle by 88 votes to 33.
The Bill aims to speed up the time it takes to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) and lowers the age for obtaining one from 18 to 16.
Ministers also want to drop the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and the need for a doctor’s report.
But critics have panned the proposals as a threat to women’s sex-based rights, with Harry Potter author J.K Rowing a staunch opponent.
At the Stage 1 vote, Regan, Ewing, Stephanie Callaghan, Kenneth Gibson, Ruth Maguire, John Mason and Michelle Thomson voted against. Annabelle Ewing and Jim Fairlie abstained.
The vote was overwhelmingly carried following widespread support from SNP, Green, Lib Dem and Labour MSPs. Two Tories also backed the Bill.
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