Scotland’s only transgender politician says it’s ‘isolating’ being out
Non-binary transgender councillor Gregor Murray. (Facebook)
Transgender councillor Gregor Murray has returned to politics for the first time since quitting the Scottish National Party citing “institutional transphobia”.
Murray, who is the only elected trans politician in Scotland, attended a Dundee City Council planning meeting as an Independent on August 12.
The meeting was their first following a two-month suspension for online abuse.
In an interview with Dundee’s Evening Telegraph, Murray said that it’s “isolating” to be the only trans politician in Scotland.
“Being the first of anything is never easy,” Murray said. “It is isolating and, in the last year, there have been some real low points.”
Scotland’s only transgender politician says SNP is ‘transphobic’.
Murray resigned from the SNP in May 2019, saying they no longer felt “welcome or safe” in the party.
“The SNP has a major institutional problem with transphobia, and is doing nothing to rectify this,” Murray told The Courier.
“While they rightfully condemn Labour for anti-semitism, and the Tories for anti-Islamic sentiment, they remain silent on anti-trans sentiment at all levels within the party.
“There are two main issues that Holyrood are considering right now that affect the trans community – the census, and the Gender Recognition Act (GRA).
“Both of these policies are going through committees with transphobic conveners. Extreme right-wing fundamentalists with a history of abuse are being given the red carpet treatment at Holyrood in the party’s name.”
Murray’s suspension in May 2019 for “inappropriate online comments” came after they resigned from the SNP.
Scotland slowing plans to improve trans rights.
On August 7, the Scottish government backtracked on plans to include a non-binary gender option in the 2021 census, saying it would retain the binary “male or female” sex question.
This came after its July 2019 announcement that legal recognition would not be extended to non-binary transgender people as part of planned reforms – now delayed – to the Gender Recognition Act in Scotland.
There are currently no openly transgender MSPs or MPs in Scotland, or in the rest of the UK.
PinkNews has contacted the SNP for comment.
