Contentious plans to reform gender recognition laws have been parked by the Scottish Government.

Today, it emerged that the proposals to allow people to change their legal sex without the supervision of doctors or a requirement to live in their acquired gender for two years will not be going ahead due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Government Minister Graeme Day said that the Government had to “deprioritise” bills which are not essential in the immediate future. 

However, the Government said it still supports the change and may seek to introduce legislation at a later stage.

Some in the Scottish Government will feel they have been handed a get out of jail free card today. The proposals received a huge backlash from many groups, including politicians within the SNP, and could have been highly detrimental to the party with the 2021 election in prospect.

The news is a victory for women’s groups who have consistently raised concerns about a move to self-declaration. Critics fear that under such a law, men with nefarious intentions would be able to self-identify as women and enter women’s spaces such as toilets, changing rooms and domestic violence shelters.

The groups point to evidence of this from other jurisdictions as well as evidence from the UK that male prisoners are already identifying as women under current provisions in order to be moved to a female prison and perpetrate abuse.

Another key concern with the proposal is the fact that an alarming rate of young people, especially girls, are being fast-tracked into ‘changing sex’.

In recent years, referrals to gender identity clinics across the UK have skyrocketed. Children sent to these clinics are often prescribed puberty-blocking drugs and cross sex hormones. Such drugs are harmful and lead to irreversible changes. For example, cross-sex hormones cause infertility in girls.

Young people who start on these treatments also go on, in many cases, to have surgery such as the removal of breasts or genitalia.

It is far from proven that these severe medical interventions, to make individuals appear more like the opposite sex, improve their quality of life. Indeed, there is strong evidence to suggest the opposite. Stories emerge time and time again of people who have changed sex and wish to ‘de-transition’.

Self declaration would make access to such treatments much easier and see more impressionable young people making decisions which will seriously damage their bodies and their mental health. The medical establishment is, in many cases, not exercising its duty of care in this regard.

So what should Christians make of today’s developments?

Scripture is clear that biological sex is part of God’s plan for human life and as Christians, we cannot support trans ideology. Biology is hard-wired and cannot be changed – even with surgery.

Gender dysphoria is a real concern. It’s a psychological condition which causes extreme distress to men, women and children. These individuals need help, support, kindness and prayer. As well as gentle leading towards an acceptance of the body they were born in. As God’s church we should be the first to support and council such individuals, welcoming them as we would any other visitor to our congregations.

The debate around this issue is toxic and heated. We should tread with care and be sympathetic in stating our position, recognising that the ideas being discussed affect real people, and real lives.

Let’s pray that the proposals which were shelved today are not taken up again, for the sake of women, children and vulnerable individuals struggling with gender dysphoria. And let’s resolve to love our neighbours, who ever they are, and whatever their struggles may be.