Plans to make it easier for adults in Scotland to change their legal gender have been published.
The Gender Recognition Reform Bill sets out proposals to speed up the time it takes for people to get a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
The legislation will also lower the age at which trans people can obtain the document from 18 to 16 if backed by MSPs.
Shona Robison, the Scottish Government's social justice secretary, said many people have found the current process for obtaining a GRC to be "intrusive, medicalised and bureaucratic".
The SNP minister claimed trans people are "among the most stigmatised in our society" and insisted the legislation would make "no changes" to women’s rights.
But some feminist organisations fear there could be a loss of women-only spaces – such as toilets and changing rooms – which could lessen women’s safety.
Nicola Sturgeon first outlined plans to reform gender recognition as far back as 2016 and the issue has prompted fierce debate since.
Robison said: “This bill does not introduce any new rights for trans people. It is about simplifying and improving the process for a trans person to gain legal recognition, which has been a right for 18 years.”
The Scottish Government’s proposals would amend the Gender Recognition Act of 2004, which sets out the grounds and procedures for obtaining legal gender recognition.
The Bill would cut the length of time a person has to live in their acquired gender before applying from two years to three months.
They would then have to undertake a mandatory three-month “reflection period”, confirming at the end of this if they wish to proceed with their application.
Megan Gallacher described the bill as an "important but polarising piece of legislation".
The Tory MSP continued: "We recognise improvements to the system would be beneficial for trans people.
"We will constructively scrutinise the proposals in the bill that may help to make the system easier.
"However, the proposals as they stand do not protect women's rights.
"They do not offer enough protection for women's safety. The concerns of women are legitimate."
Alex Cole-Hamilton said the Scottish Lib Dems would support the Bill.
"The current process is harmful, illiberal and fails to respect the human rights of trans people," he said.
Finance secretary Kate Forbes previously refused to say if she would support the legislation amid speculation some SNP MSPs want a free vote on the reforms to avoid repercussions if they go against the party whip.
The Bill is almost certain to pass when it is voted on later this year as it is supported by the Greens and many Labour MSPs.
Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: "The current system of gender recognition is lengthy, often expensive, and causes unnecessary distress, trauma and anxiety. It is damaging to trans people’s mental health and also puts their lives in danger.
"There has been a lot of misinformation surrounding the simple proposals outlined today, which will allow trans people to change their birth certificate to recognise them as who they are, including when they marry, pay their taxes or get their pension."
Polling in February found 57 per cent of Scots support the idea of making it easier to acquire a gender recognition certificate for people who identify as transgender.
But just five per cent of people said they follow debate on the issue “very closely”, with 31 per cent saying they follow it “quite closely”.
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