The SNP has been accused of “undermining” its own confidence north of the border after listing more than 20 genders in official guidance on sex and gender.
The list, which was compiled for public bodies in Scotland who collect data on sex and gender, included “trans man”, “trans woman”, “gender fluid”, and “androgynous”, among the options.
However, the list also included “questioning”, “pangender”, “autigender” and “bigender”. Despite the extensive list released by the party, First Minister John Swinney confirmed in July that there are only “two genders”.
Swinney also told BBC Radio Scotland that he recognised there are others who take a “different view” on gender.
The SNP has been criticised for their ‘undermining’ and ‘bizarre’ list of 24 different genders
GB News / Getty / PA
Speaking to GB News, Fiona McAnena of Sex Matters argued that the guidance is “bizarre” and “undermines people’s confidence in the Government”.
McAnena explained: “It’s easy to laugh at this, isn’t it? I think one of my favourites is pangender, which they say is an identity that encompasses all possible genders at once.
“Most people can’t even decode what these genders are, and it just becomes a distraction. And I think it really undermines people’s confidence in what the people in government are actually thinking.”
However, McAnena claimed that in the health care industry it is “important” to know an individual’s sexual orientation as it may have “significant implications”.
The SNP First Minister claimed there were only ‘two genders’ in July
PA
McAnena told GB News: “”There is a serious point here, because actually, we do need to know people’s sexual orientation, because that sometimes has implications for service providers, for health care and so on.
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“We need to know who’s male and female, because that also has significant implications for their needs in public life, maternity provision, for example.”
When pressed by host Ben Leo, McAnena admitted some of the options listed are “quite bizarre”.
She added: “The point of autigender is a serious one, and that is there’s a very high correlation between autism and being confused about whether you’re male or female, and getting caught up in this whole gender identity thing.
“That’s one of the biggest problems for children. Lots of the children who are referred to gender clinics in Scotland and England have autistic traits and they think very rigidly. They kind of latch on to this stuff, so it’s actually rather serious.”
Fiona McAnena highlighted the ‘serious’ issue of some of the genders listed by the SNP
GB News
Highlighting another issue with the gender guidance, McAnena told GB News that the term “detransitioned” does not specify whether the individual is male or female.
McAnena explained: “One of the menu options the Scottish Government recognises is detransition – we know that there are people recognising that this was a mistake for them, they were not born in the wrong body.
“But if you try to reverse some kind of medical transition, you have serious medical needs and those are profoundly different whether you’re male or female. So all of these genders have got male and female versions except detransition, which is heartbreaking.
“Because actually a detransitioned male and a detransitioned female, those are emerging healthcare specialist areas, and I don’t think they’re getting the attention they need.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The point of the survey is to collect information on the respondents’ trans history and how they would define it.
“It is therefore important that the survey is designed in such a way that allows that information to be captured.”