Scotland lowers self-ID barriers, London skeptical
On December 22, the Scottish parliament approved reforms that will make it easier for Trans people to change their legal gender. The reforms include removing the requirement for a gender dysphoria diagnosis and lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16.

Joining countries like Ireland, Denmark, and Argentina in implementing such self-ID measures this year, Scotland passed the bill 86 to 49, despite the opposition of Conservatives and some Trans-exclusionary women's rights campaigners.

Britain's Conservative government in London said it had concerns and might try to block the bill.

"We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other UK-wide legislation, in the coming weeks — up to and including a Section 35 order stopping the bill going for Royal Assent if necessary," said Alister Jack, the British government's secretary of state for Scotland.

Section 35 of the Scotland Act allows the Scottish secretary to block a bill's submission if they have reasonable grounds to believe it would have an adverse effect on the operation of the law as it applies to reserved matters — "reserved matters" being roughly equivalent to federal legislation.

"I think we can all hope that Trans people in Scotland will also be able to benefit from those positive outcomes as the bill removes barriers to the enjoyment of their human rights," said Scotland's social justice minister Shona Robison before the vote. Robison also pointed to a "remarkable" decrease in violence against Trans people in countries where similar laws were passed.

Spanish feminists divided over Trans bill
On a similar note, Spain's left-wing Podemos party has made another big step toward codifying a bill that would allow anyone 16 years and older to change the gender listed on their ID card, without the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. The measure was approved 188 to 150, and it has moved to the Senate for final approval.

The bill has some of the country's feminist lobby concerned, however, about how it could affect women's rights.

"When gender is asserted over biological sex, it does not seem to me to be a step forward in a progressive direction; it seems to be a step backwards," said Carmen Calvo, former deputy prime minister to current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. "The state has to provide answers for Transgender people, but gender is neither voluntary nor optional."

Other critics in the US and UK have trotted out similar rhetoric concerning women's sports, women's prisons, and minors self-determining their gender.

Equality Minister Irene Montero said that the law would "de-pathologize" Trans lives and safeguard Trans peoples' rights.

"Trans women are women," Montero said.