Change the Rules on Rank Stupidity; SNP MSP Humza Yousaf says criminal suspects should be able to 'self-identify' their gender, how long before men wangle their way into women’s prisons, will there be a boom in miracle prison babies?

Dear All

In the midst of Brexit chaos at Westminster, we mustn’t forget that Scotland’s has its own parliament and a government where stupidity reigns supreme.

In what must seem like being trendy PC and right on, SNP Plank Humza Yousaf has said that criminal suspects can self-identify their gender without providing evidence of their birth sex to the police.

The only catch for criminals is that unless it is “pertinent” to a criminal investigation, people are required to submit no evidence of gender other than a person’s self declaration.  So, if someone ids as a woman born a man, they could in theory serve their sentence in a women’s prison down the line.

Plenty of opportunity for lonely hearts to meet, perhaps share a cell together, and who knows, red hot sexual action……. even for fat birds with tattoos and no teeth! We are treated to this gem from Humza Yousaf because SNP MSP Joan McAlpine asked a question on the issue at Holyrood. 

She said the justice secretary’s answer would leave many people “shocked”.

And of course this could lead to concerns over the accuracy of recorded crime statistics as males id as women to get better prison digs and benefits, the floodgates appear to be opening for co-ed prisons.

Asked whether Police Scotland and the courts record incidents based on a suspect’s birth sex or by self-declaration, Yousaf said:

“With regard to victims, witnesses and suspects, Police Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service record incidents according to a person’s self-identified gender.

He (or she) added:

“Police Scotland require no evidence or certification as proof of gender identity other than a person’s self declaration. Unless - and I think it’s important to emphasise this - it’s pertinent to any criminal investigation with which they are linked and it is evidentially critical that Police Scotland legally require this proof.”

McAlpine responded:

“I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer, but I think many people will be shocked to hear it.”

Making Humza Yousaf the justice sec was done by Nicola Sturgeon, it was of course to replace the previous dud who was out of his depth, but with Yousaf in the role, Matheson looks positively like a ‘rising star’ and future leader.

McAlpine said:

"The Cabinet Secretary will be aware that offending rates vary significantly according to biological sex, with males accounting for 84 per cent of violent crime and more than 95 per cent of sexual crime. Longitudinal studies (carried out) elsewhere suggest male-pattern offending remains the same even if men self-declare themselves to be women. So does the Cabinet Secretary agree with criminologists that it is misleading if data shows a rise in female sex offending, for example, including rape, when these crimes are actually committed by men?”

Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, said:

“I’m glad the justice secretary is open to learning more. It’s really important that crime statistics are based on objective criteria, independent of the persons subjective views and feelings. Classifying according to birth sex, rather than subjective feelings about the self, should therefore be the norm.”

I would say, not a thumbs up for Humza Yousaf, who as I understand was a former call centre worker, his actions are more call centre worker than justice sec in my opinion.

Lisa Mackenzie, of analysis group Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, added:

"It is very rare for women to commit certain offences, such as sexual and serious violent crimes. Recording based on self-declared gender identity in such cases risks skewing official statistics, damaging our ability to properly document, analyse and understand such behaviours. The introduction of unregulated self-identification principles into the criminal justice system deserves proper democratic debate and oversight, and the Scottish Government should share any analysis on which it is basing its view that the impact of this change will not be significant."

If Lisa wants proper democratic debate and oversight, she is in for an uphill struggle with the SNP as the government.

To return to the red hot sex issue, how long will it be before two ‘women’ in prison give birth to a prison baby? If the gates of the prison are to be thrown open, it is only natural that legs must also be. If this follows, we will need bigger prisons, easier and cheaper to just build a big wall round a housing estate. 

Finally, Humza Yousaf apparently ids as a man. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University