Scottish Parliament Restores Gender Search for MSPs
The Scottish Parliament has reinstated the option to search for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) by their sex on its official website.
This decision follows an invitation by Holyrood authorities for the new intake of MSPs to complete a survey regarding their sex and, where applicable, their transgender status.
A total of 62 MSPs responded to the survey. Among them, several did not consent to having their data published, resulting in their information being listed as "undisclosed".
The removal of the gender search function shortly after the election prompted complaints from some MSPs who argued that women had been "erased" from the website.
Prior to the 7 May election, the Holyrood website featured a search filter that allowed users to sort MSPs by gender, with "male" and "female" as options.
Within days following the election, this filter was updated to include a "non-binary" option. However, this feature was removed a few days later.
A parliament spokesperson explained at the time that the filter was a "legacy system" and had been removed as part of an ongoing Inclusive Parliament Review.
Two Scottish Green MSPs, Iris Duane and Q Manivannan, became the first openly transgender members at Holyrood following the May election. Manivannan also identifies as non-binary.
With the latest update, visitors to the Scottish Parliament website can once again search for MSPs by sex as well as transgender status. However, no MSP has consented to having their transgender status published online.
A note accompanying the search function states:
"Sex is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and refers to a male or a female of any age."
"For the purposes of the 2010 Act, 'sex', 'woman' and 'man' refer to biological sex."
The sex of 73 MSPs, including Duane and Manivannan, is listed as "undisclosed," indicating that they either did not complete the survey or did not grant permission for their information to be published.
