EHRC Might Lose It’s ‘A’ Status Over Comment On GRA In Scotland

Europe – Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) seemed to have overstepped itself into speaking against the LGBT community in ways, that has led a group of them to demand it be revoked. A group of 20 such human rights organizations have sent a 19-page submission to the UN – which the groups said was prompted by the EHRC’s stance on trans rights. These organizations are now seeking that the independent status of the EHRC be reviewed.

EHRC’s comments over the Scottish Gender Recognition Act seems to have gone not well with many. Last month, Scottish Government ministers had voiced proposals to reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) to make it easier for people to change their legally recognized gender, with a bill expected at Holyrood this year.

In response, EHRC said that plans to change the law on gender recognition in Scotland required “further consideration”. While the Human rights independent group said equality is everyone’s right, it did ask for more time for considering things. According to Stonewall, a LGBT charity that has signed the petition to the UN said that EHRC’s comments “undermine the EHRC’s core purpose of regulating, promoting and upholding human rights”.

Further, on Stonewall’s insistence, (backed by the Good Law Project), a submission has been drawn up to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, calling for the EHRC to lose its ‘A rating.’ Losing its status would prevent the EHRC from making representations at the UN Human Rights Council, or its committees on human rights.

The GRA is a significant move empowering the LGBT community. The Scottish Government’s proposal to reform the GRA will make it easier for a person to change their legally recognized sex. 

The legislation has received massive support in Holyrood, Scotland. However, there has been fierce opposition to some of the proposals expected to be in the bill as well. One of the concerns is around the impact the legislation could have on women-only spaces. Currently, under the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, trans people seeking a gender recognition certificate must have a formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria and live in their “acquired gender” for two years.