Question reference: S5W-23930
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 20 June 2019
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Current status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 30 July 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it giving the Equality Network £45,000 per annum since 2015-16 for its Intersex Project, which is secured until 2020, whether it supports the charity's aims to "challenge the definition of sex as consisting of only male and female" and "to promote the knowledge that sex is a continuum, as is gender".
Answer
The aim of the Equality Network's intersex project is to facilitate intersex people’s engagement with policy makers and others, to develop a shared understanding of intersex issues. We understand that these statements originate in the Statement of the European Intersex Meeting in Riga in 2014. We understand that the Equality Network have not taken a policy position on intersex/variations in sex characteristics (VSC) issues until they have consulted further on them with intersex people / people with VSCs in Scotland. Their webpage now makes that clear. The Scottish Government plans to consult on intersex/VSC issues.