Scottish Trans, the trans equality project of LGBTI equality and human rights charity the Equality Network, will hold an event outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, Oct. 27 in support of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill before the bill comes up for a vote later today.

Members of SNP, Scottish Labour and Scottish Greens will speak at the rally on why they support the reforms.

To accompany speeches, two local artists, Latoy and Evay, will be creating a visual piece on the theme of recognition during the event, which attendees can creatively contribute to with their own reasons why they support the bill.

The bill fulfills commitments by the SNP, Labour, Greens and the LibDems. The Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee took a wide range of evidence on the bill in the spring and summer, and recommends that MSPs support the bill in the stage 1 vote.

Vic Valentine, Manager of Scottish Trans said, “Trans people and our families, friends and allies are coming together at the Scottish Parliament to send a powerful and hopeful message to MSPs across the Holyrood chamber ahead of the debate and vote on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill at stage one.

“A vote for this Bill is a vote to improve the lives of trans men and women across Scotland. The current law means that people have to go through an intrusive, complex and stressful process to update the sex on their birth certificate, and be recognized as who they really are. We hope that all MSPs, just as the large majority of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee did after taking extensive evidence on the Bill, will decide that voting for this Bill and agreeing that the process should be made simpler and fairer is the right thing to do.”

— from staff reports