Media and speeches

Our media articles

2018

Letter to the Editor on GRA reform
The Sunday Times, 9 December 2018

sunday times

Media commentary

2023

After trans butcher Andrew Miller’s abduction of young girl, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison must reconsider impact of gender self-ID on safeguarding children – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 20 May 2023

Anger at transgender handbook for children in care
The Times, 11 May 2023

Police Scotland to be quizzed over trans rapists who identify as women
The Times, 22 March 2023

Scotland must drop policies of ‘trans cult’, says Kenny MacAskill
The Times, 20 February 2023

‘Human beings can’t change sex. We’re not clownfish, it’s fixed at birth’
The Times, 11 February 2023

Scotland’s Gender Meltdown
Quillette, 6 February 2023

Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of trans rapist controversy has been’ chaotic and cynical’ – Euan McColm
Scotland on Sunday, 5 February 2023

The fish rots from the head in Sturgeon’s Scotland
The Spectator, 31 January 2023

Nicola Sturgeon and the vindication of the Terfs
The Spectator, 30 January 2023

Halt on transfer of violent trans prisoners to female prisons
Scottish Legal News, 29 January 2023

Former FM urges review of how trans prisoners are jailed following Isla Bryson case
The Sunday Post, 29 January 2023

Transgender rapist Isla Bryson’s removal from Cornton Vale women’s prison must mean the end of Nicola Sturgeon’s policy of self-ID – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 28 January 2023

How lobbying by trans activists helped a rapist end up in a female prison
The Telegraph, 26 January 2023

Why Scotland’s gender reform bill is sparking concern over trans prisoner policies
The Guardian, 26 January 2023

Gender wars: the Union’s new battle line
The Spectator, 21 January 2023

Stoking a culture war? No, Nicola Sturgeon, this is about balancing conflicting rights
The Observer, 21 January 2023

Joanna Cherry: Gender bill might have faced legal challenge post-indy
The National, 20 January 2023

SNP handed millions to lobbyists who criticised UK Government over gender reform veto
The Express, 19 January 2023

Lawyers left ‘baffled’ by SNP inaction on Equality Act conflict as they say ‘we warned you’ countless times
The Express, 18 January 2023

Scotland’s new gender-reform law presents Rishi Sunak with a dilemma
The Economist, 5 January 2023

2022

Sex not limited to biological sex, Scottish court rules
Unherd, 13 December 2022

Human sex is ‘not limited to biology’, Scottish judge rules
The Telegraph, 13 December 2022

Controversial NHS policy claims patients concerned over trans women in female-only wards are ‘like racists’
The Sun, 10 December 2022

Edinburgh University staff union criticised for blocking ‘transphobic’ feminist film
The Times, 9 December 2022

Scottish Government could face a legal battle with Westminster if gender reforms are passed
The Express, 9 December 2022

Scottish Labour MSP slammed for supporting union’s attempt to ‘silence women’
The Express, 9 December 2022

Scottish Human Rights Commission reject UN gender recognition warning
The Herald, 6 December 2022

UN special rapporteur’s intervention over Scottish government’s gender bill proposals welcomed
Scottish Legal News, 5 December 2022

Concern at lack of guidance on accommodating transgender hospital patients
The Sunday Times, 3 December 2022

Event attended by Nicola Sturgeon in free speech row as women alleged to have been turned away
The Express, 1 December 2022

Prison service criticised for moving trans woman to Cornton Vale
STV, 1 December 2022

Transgender debate in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon’s stance on self-ID puts in doubt her commitment to Zero Tolerance of violence against women – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 26 November 2022

Scottish Parliament slated by civil servant who helped to set it up as ‘tarnishing democracy’
The Express, 23 November 2022

Gender MSPs under pressure to define self-ID ‘fraud’ for trans criminals but ‘cannot answer’
The Express, 22 November 2022

JK Rowling pays tribute to politicians who wore suffragette colours at Holyrood and Westminster
The Express, 18 November 2022

Holyrood facing lawsuit after campaigners were told to remove scarves at trans rights debate
The Times, 15 November 2022

Woman chucked out of gender reform discussion for wearing coloured scarf
The Express, 15 November 2022

Sandyford Clinic facing mounting legal action from former patients rushed into sex-change treatments
The Express, 9 November 2022

Bad laws written in flimsy terms undermine the founding purpose of Holyrood – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 5 November 2022

Scottish Labour and Conservatives urged to reveal how they will amend controversial gender reforms
The Express, 2 November 2022

Nicola Sturgeon has rebellion from nine SNP MSPs in controversial gender reforms vote
The Express, 27 October 2022

The silence of women
The Critic, 19 October 2022

JK Rowling: Sturgeon is deaf to women’s concerns over gender ID
The Sunday Times, 15 October 2022

JK Rowling takes aim at Nicola Sturgeon as feminists gather outside Holyrood
The Express, 6 October 2022

Equalities committee backs gender recognition law reform by five to two
Holyrood, 6 October 2022

Equalities watchdog calls on Scottish and UK governments to ‘minimise risk’ on transgender rule reforms
Holyrood, 5 October 2022

SNP told by UK equalities watchdog that sex-based rights WILL be impacted by gender reforms
The Scottish Express, 5 October 2022

Gender reform is a dog’s breakfast
The Sunday Times, 4 September 2022

NHS apologises for claiming eunuch is a gender identity
LBC, 17 June 2022

Beware of ‘insider Scotland’ and Sturgeon’s New Model Army
The Scotsman, 11 June 2022

MSPs hearing evidence on GRA reform may be guilty of confirmation bias
The National, 3 June 2022

Scotland’s gender recognition reform is a ‘recipe for bad law’, say campaigners
The Guardian, 1 June 2022

Gender critics face anti-English abuse after speaking out against SNP reforms
The Express, 1 June 2022

Create prisons exemption in Gender Recognition Act says women’s right campaigner
Holyrood, 31 May 2022

Gender recognition reform should allow for de-transition, MSPs told
Ireland Live, 31 May 2022

Scottish gender reforms amount to ‘state-endorsed’ reconstruction of society, warn campaigners
The Telegraph, 31 May 2022

Feminist campaigners say trans and women’s rights ‘inter-connected’
The Herald, 31 May 2022

Gender Recognition Reform Bill ‘risks becoming bad law’
Scottish Legal News, 30 May 2022

Women’s groups raise concerns about GRA reform ahead of Holyrood committee appearance
Holyrood, 30 May 2022

Too young for tattoo is too young to change gender, says church
The Sunday Times, 22 May 2022

Policy experts slate SNP’s Gender Recognition Act for being ‘biased’ and ‘full of holes’
The Express, 16 May 2022

Scottish Government has not addressed concerns about women’s rights in GRA reform, policy analysts say
Holyrood, 16 May 2022

Nicola Sturgeon refuses to define what a ‘woman’ is
The Herald, 2 May 2022

Prison chiefs to provide regular updates on transgender inmate numbers for first time in Scotland
The Scotsman, 25 April 2022

Trans equality or a threat to women’s rights? The two sides put their case
The Herald, 16 April 2022

Women won’t be silent as our rights are stolen
The Times, 15 April 2022

Trans victims of crime will still self-ID in Scotland following Home Office rule change
The Ferret, 14 April 2022

Nicola Sturgeon urged to launch formal probe into Lorna Slater comments
The Herald, 12 April 2022

Slater criticised for likening trans law opponents to antisemites and racists
The Times, 12 April 2022

Nicola Sturgeon’s controversial gender self ID law blasted as example of ‘bad lawmaking’
The Express, 19 March 2022

MSPs join ‘pressure group’ keen to pass self-declaring sex into law
The Telegraph, 15 March 2022

Nicola Sturgeon’s Potemkin parliament
The Spectator, 10 March 2022

SNP likens concern over trans reforms to racist segregationists
The Telegraph, 7 March 2022

Outrage over gender switch at 16…with no need for diagnosis; SNP Bill to reform trans recognition divides public and politicians
The Daily Mail, 4 March 2022

Gender Recognition: All you need to know about new trans reforms in Scotland
Press and Journal, 3 March 2022

The week Nicola Sturgeon abandoned women
The Telegraph, 2 March 2022

Scotland’s gender recognition reform bill to be published amid growing tensions
The Guardian, 2 March 2022

Trans gender debate in Scotland: Shona Robison should realise the need to consider the wider impact of self-ID – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 26 February 2022

Campaigners say SNP ministers are denying the GRA bill proper parliamentary scrutiny
The Scottish Daily Express, 14 February 2022

Nicola Sturgeon’s close ally urged LGBT groups to lobby politicians over gender reforms
The Telegraph, 12 February 2022

Scottish universities accused of falling short on ‘female-only’ staff networks following Kathleen Stock resignation
The Glasgow Guardian, 31 January 2022

The Observer view on the EHRC decision on Scotland’s gender recognition reforms
The Observer, 30 January 2022

LBC Lisa Aziz show
LBC, 28 January 2022

Watchdog’s census move heaps pressure on Nicola Sturgeon
The Times, 28 January 2022

My transgender reforms do not threaten women’s rights, says Nicola Sturgeon
The Telegraph, 27 January 2022

Sturgeon wades in on Scottish transgender row
LBC, 27 January 2022

Nicola Sturgeon questions equality watchdog intervention in trans law reform debate
Holyrood, 27 January 2022

Nicola Sturgeon condemned by 15 women’s groups for failing them on gender reforms
The Scottish Express, 27 January 2022

Sturgeon wades in on Scottish transgender row
LBC, 27 January 2022

Equality watchdog warns Scottish Government over self-ID plans
Holyrood, 26 January 2022

Trans rights campaigners blast UK human rights watchdog’s call for ‘pause’ to overhaul of gender self-ID in Scotland
The Sun, 26 January 2022

Scottish Government accused of ‘closed door’ approach to changing the gender reform act
The Scottish Express, 11 January 2022

Self ID plan ‘will hit rape convictions’
The Sunday Times, 9 January 2022

Feminist groups feel ignored by SNP gender consultation
The Times, 5 January 2022

BBC Woman’s Hour
BBC, 5 January 2022

Male bias at universities ‘due to lack of women-only groups’
The Times, 5 January 2022

SNP accused of ignoring feminist and religious groups in gender reform talks
The Telegraph, 4 January 2022

Anger as trans inmates revert to males when they leave Scottish prisons
The Express, 3 January 2022

From Scottish independence and Brexit to transgender rights, blind faith in dogma is replacing reasoned discussion – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 1 January 2022

2021

Plan to allow rapists to self-identify as women prompts victims’ fury
The Sunday Times, 26 December 2021

Self-ID is a fantasy that hurts trans people
The Times, 18 December 2021

Majority reject SNP gender self-identification plan
The Daily Mail, 17 December 2021

Large majority of Scots think people should be ‘free to express their trans identity’
Pink News, 17 December 2021

Nicola Sturgeon is dividing Scotland over trans rights, not uniting it
New Statesman, 16 December 2021

Why trans activists can’t beat JK Rowling
Unherd, 14 December 2021

Majority of Scots against gender ‘self-ID’ plans
Holyrood, 14 December 2021

Most Scots are opposed to gender self-ID, poll suggests
The Times, 14 December 2021

‘Absurdity’ of police recording rapists as women
The Sunday Times, 12 December 2021

Cops to record rapes as committed by woman if male attacker identifies as female
The Sun, 11 December 2021

Legal threat to trans-inclusive census
The Sunday Times, 7 November 2021

Trans row ministers to explain why equality law was ignored in changing ‘woman’ definition
The Herald, 6 November 2021

Equality and Human Rights Commission had ‘heavy-handed’ influence on gender questions
The Times, 4 November 2021

‘Inclusive’ smear test campaign that avoids the word ‘women’ and tells ‘anyone with a cervix’ to get screened risks being less effective, health chiefs are warned
The Daily Mail, 13 October 2021

SNP launches smear test drive without mentioning ‘women’
The Telegraph, 11 October 2021

‘Anyone with a cervix’ in cancer screening campaign ‘puts women at risk’
The Times, 11 October 2021

SNP ministers criticised for urging ‘anyone with a cervix’ to get a smear test
The Herald, 11 October 2021

UK will divide over census sex question
The Times, 5 October 2021

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland, 20 September 2021
[Transcript of discussion here]

Sturgeon on the hook
The Critic, 20 September 2021

Watchdog queries trans self-identity census plan
The Times, 17 September 2021

Gender reforms not a real threat to women, says Nicola Sturgeon
The Times, 10 September 2021

GRA reform: Free vote not ruled out, but concerns ‘not valid’, says Nicola Sturgeon
The Scotsman, 10 September 2021

Nicola Sturgeon dismisses concerns over gender reforms as ‘not valid’
The Herald, 10 September 2021

Nicola Sturgeon is refusing to back down on trans rights – but resistance is growing
New Statesman, 9 September 2021

Nicola Sturgeon tries to calm fears over gender recognition reforms
The Herald, 6 September 2021

Ban urged on rape suspects ‘claiming they are women’
The Times, 6 September 2021

SNP-Green coalition moves to simplify trans self-identification
The Times, 3 September 2021

Gender question on Scottish census ‘harms’ data
The Times, 1 September 2021

People can self-identify as male or female in Scottish census, says guidance
The Guardian, 31 August 2021

Transgender Scots can self-identify on 2022 census
The Daily Telegraph, 31 August 2021

Scotland’s census 2022 to allow people to self-identify as men or women regardless of legally-recognised gender
The Sun, 31 August 2021

Nicola Sturgeon facing backlash over proposed gender legislation
The Daily Telegraph, 23 August 2021

Policy Matters (Politically Speaking podcast)
Holyrood, 1 July 2021

La penalización de los sentimientos dentro del Código Penal
El Caribe, 30 June 2021
[English translation of Q&A provided to Raquel Rosario Sanchez]

Trans rights: How gender recognition reform became one of Scotland’s most heated debates
Press and Journal, 23 June 2021

Keir Starmer must show courage and protect women and their hard-fought rights – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 12 June 2021

Woman wins appeal over transgender tweet
Scottish Legal News, 10 June 2021

Campaign to ensure all rape suspects are recorded as men
The Times, 9 June 2021

Petition launched for sex of those charged with rape to be recorded ‘accurately’
The Scotsman, 8 June 2021

How the debate over trans rights is splitting the SNP
New Statesman, 14 May 2021

Nicola Sturgeon fails to understand equality laws, research finds
The Times, 6 May 2021

Unlike Nicola Sturgeon, women like me did not choose their pronouns and we are not akin to racists for saying so – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 23 April 2021

Fears raised over Green manifesto call to remove sex and gender from birth certificates
Holyrood, 17 April 2021

Rape suspects can choose to self-identify as female
The Times, 17 April 2021

Scotland census to be challenged again after sex question ruling
The Times, 22 March 2021

Backlash as SNP’s ‘chilling’ hate crime bill passed
The Express, 12 March 2021

Controversial hate crime bill passed at Holyrood
Scottish Legal News, 12 March 2021

Why the census sex question needs to be protected
The Spectator, 10 March 2021

Hardeep Singh: MSPs must put free speech before party politics
Press and Journal, 9 March 2021

Women’s manifesto aims to put pressure on Scottish parties to reaffirm sex-based rights
Scotland on Sunday, 7 March 2021

Saying that sex is binary risks criminal charge, group claims
The Times, 4 March 2021

Humza Yousaf accused of ignoring concerns over protections for free speech in the Hate Crime Bill
The Scotsman, 2 March 2021

How Scotland’s Hate Crime Bill ignited a freedom of speech row
Prospect, 26 February 2021

Hate Crime Bill: Humza Yousaf proposes detailed guidelines to quell fears over freedom of speech
The Scotsman, 22 February 2021

Questions on biological sex ‘are wiped from official data’
The Times, 13 January 2021

2020

Prison service’s review of trans policies to launch next month
The Scotsman, 27 December 2020

Sweeping changes to controversial Hate Crime Bill to protect freedom of expression
The Scotsman, 14 December 2020

EHRC sex data advice ‘misrepresents the law’
Scottish Legal News, 8 December 2020

Ex-women’s prison chief quits SNP over Hate Crime Bill and gender reform plans
The National, 25 November 2020 

Backlash to Sainsbury’s ad shows race not ‘talked about enough’
Press and Journal, 17 November 2020

Hate crime bill will not stifle speech, insists trans activist
The Times, 17 November 2020

JK Rowling and the Real World
The Tortoise, 4 November 2020

Scottish Government reveals 17,000 responses for consultation on gender reform
The Scotsman, 4 November 2020

New report claims Census policy was ‘captured’ by trans rights groups
The Scotsman, 20 October 2020

UK gender recognition process changes being considered by Scottish Government
The Scotsman, 24 September 2020

Scotland’s Hate Crime Bill would have a chilling effect on free speech
The Spectator, 22 August 2020

Trans rights activists are letting down people they represent – Euan McColm
Scotland on Sunday, 16 August 2020

EUP ‘tried to censor’ journal article over transphobia concerns
The Bookseller, 3 August 2020

Academics tell of bid by Edinburgh University Press to censor article on transwomen
The Sunday Times, 2 August 2020

Scottish Government’s illiberal hate crime bill must be sent to the knackers yard
The Herald, 2 August 2020

Why feminists like me stand with JK Rowling in trans rights row – Susan Dalgety
The Scotsman, 11 July 2020

JK Rowling row hints at generational rift on transgender rights
The Guardian, 12 June 2020

MSPs reject Scottish Government curbs on freedom of information rights
The Ferret, 19 May 2020

New trans rights row over ‘under the radar’ laws claim
The National, 8 May 2020

Controversial list of sexualities could be dropped from Scottish Census
The Scotsman, 3 February 2020

ID ROW SNP ministers enrage breast cancer patients after using expert who made ‘offensive’ remarks about mastectomies
The Sun, 8 January 2020

Policy experts call gender reform a radical and risky change in the law
The Scotsman, 5 January 2020

2019

Scottish census body backs self ID guidance for sex question
The Guardian, 27 December 2019

New gender ID now as academics issue warning over census
The Daily Mail, 27 December 2019

Sex question: Scots census bosses accused of ‘mixing up sex and gender’
The Sun, 26 December 2019

Academics criticise Scotland’s 2021 census for allowing sex to be self-identified
The Scotsman, 26 December 2019

Academics criticise 2021 census guidance allowing sex to be self-identified
The Herald, 26 December 2019

Trans reforms will not diminish cis women’s rights, says Holyrood
The Guardian, 17 December 2019

Only third of Scots back gender change at 16
The Sunday Times, 1 December 2019

Scotland’s 2021 Census to have 21 sexual orientation choices for adults
Edinburgh Evening News, 31 October 2019

Scotland’s 2021 Census to have 21 sexual orientation choices for adults
The Scotsman, 30 October 2019

Taken leave of their census
The Sun, 29 October 2019

Scottish Government pledge not to conflate sex and gender when publishing stats
The Scotsman, 30 September 2019

Data experts ‘left out’ of discussions on GRA census questions
The National, 25 September 2019

Campaigners prepare for three-day protest over ‘major threat’ to trans rights
The Scotsman, 3 September 2019

Scots head teachers warned over PE ban on transgender pupils
The Sunday Times, 1 September 2019

Our wimpish leaders are bullied by activists
The Times, 31 August 2019

Academics call on Scottish government to uphold Equality Act amid claim of ideologically-driven lobbying from trans rights advocates
Scottish Legal News, 31 July 2019

Report says trans lobbying groups ‘captured’ public policy, putting women and girls at risk
The Herald, 29 July 2019

Holyrood’s trans rights pause is a good thing
The Spectator, 22 June 2019

Law on gender recognition is delayed amid concern for girls
The Times, 21 June 2019

Gender self-ID law ‘could run out of time’
The Herald, 20 June 2019

Scotland to run new consultations before updating gender law
The Guardian, 20 June 2019

Gender law delayed for more consultation on impact on women
The Scotsman, 20 June 2019

Asking what the future holds for women
The Morning Star, 13 June 2019

Women in Scotland join forces to defend ‘threatened’ rights
The Scotsman, 9 June 2019

Poll: Women in Scotland want to retain single sex facilities
The Scotsman, 4 June 2019

Police Scotland criticised over allowing suspects to self identify gender
The Scotsman, 3 June 2019

Joan McAlpine defies bullies in sex and gender dispute
Scotland on Sunday, 7 April 2019

Transgender suspects able to ‘skew’ crime statistics
The Scotsman, 16 March 2019

Humza Yousaf: Criminal suspects able to ‘self-identify’ gender
The Scotsman, 14 March 2019

Letting criminals self-identify gender ‘putting women at risk’
The Times, 14 March 2019

‘Non-binary’ sex option will not appear on next census
The Times, 7 February 2019

Legal bid to allow Scots to choose sex in census will be rejected
The Herald, 7 February 2019

New Scottish bill conflates sex and gender – report
The Guardian, 7 February 2019

Council confusion over sex and gender ‘could put women at risk’
The Times, 11 January 2019

Scotland census: sex question changes ‘may risk reliability of data’
The Guardian, 9 January 2019

Speeches