UK government uses veto power for first time to block Scottish bill streamlining procedure to change legal gender

The British government has blocked a Scottish bill that would make it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, using its veto power for the first time in a move that reignites the debate over trans rights and sets up a legal standoff over political autonomy between London and Edinburgh.  Alister Jack, the British government’s minister for Scotland, told the U.K. Parliament on Tuesday that proposed legislation would result in two different gender recognition programs in Britain, and that it might lead to more fraudulent applications. Westminster’s move set off an immediate firestorm. Trans rights groups condemned the move and Scottish nationalist politicians branded Jack’s decision undemocratic. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said her government is likely to challenge the veto in court. [...] London’s decision to halt the Scottish bill could further galvanize secessionist sentiment. Shona Robison, a pro-independence Scottish minister, said the move demonstrated the British government’s “contempt for devolution.” Sturgeon, the Scottish leader, suggested London might seek to similarly overrule Edinburgh on other issues.
Read the full article here: Washington Post