Your VP Opportunities and VP Liberation and Equality have added their signatures to an open letter from students, societies and other student groups in the UK regarding the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. This open letter has been created by the National Union of Students.
The letter sets out strong opposition to removing the reciprocal gender recognition arrangements for countries on the UK Government’s approved list, and to blocking the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
The student movement has a long and proud history of standing up for the rights LGBT+ people – for 50 years NUS have campaigned, and won, change. Collectively, the NUS now represents over 7 million students across the UK and are determined to campaign for the rights of all students.
NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall noted “the student movement will resist all attempts to block democracy and dehumanise trans people.”
Emma (VP Liberation & Equality) and Izzie (VP Opportunities) stated: “we have signed the Open Letter from students and apprentices in the UK and elsewhere supporting the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. As trans and non-binary allies, we oppose removing the reciprocal gender recognition arrangements for countries on the UK Government’s approved list, and to blocking the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill - it is undemocratic and unjustifiable to block the legislation or deny the recognition of Gender Recognition Certificates issued in Scotland in England and Wales.
More than 350 million people worldwide already live in countries that have a de-medicalised gender recognition system, which UN Special Rapporteur Victor Madrigal-Borloz has called the “most efficient and appropriate” way to realise the human rights of trans people. As student officers, we are part of long and radical history of standing up for LGBTQ+ rights and will continue to fight for liberation and equality.”
Your Students’ Guild is here to support and represent you to have the best time at Exeter. One of our values is radically inclusive and we celebrate diversity, champion anti-oppression and equality of opportunity, and create inclusive communities for all our students. Take a look at our communities pages, and see our full list of societies here.
You can read the open letter here.
Your Officers and NUS Delegates are at NUS National Conference this week. There are policy debates on key issues including the cost of living, accessible education, NUS accountability and wellbeing.