Nicola Sturgeon is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2014 to 2023.
Sturgeon became a target of anti-transgender activists for supporting gender recognition reform.
Background
Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon was born on July 19, 1970 in Irvine. Sturgeon joined the SNP in 1986.
Sturgeon earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Glasgow School of Law in 1992, then began working as a solicitor and holding leadership roles within SNP. Sturgeon served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 under Alex Salmond, during which time Sturgeon also served as Health Secretary. Sturgeon was a key leader in SNP’s unsuccessful 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign. Sturgeon was sworn in a First Minister later that year.
Sturgeon and former SNP CEO Peter Murrell began a relationship in 2003 and married in 2010. Both were arrested and questioned about SNP finances several weeks after Sturgeon resigned in 2023. They were released without charge pending further investigation. In 2024 Murrell was re-arrested and charged with embezzlement of party funds. In 2025 Police Scotland cleared Sturgeon of wrongdoing and confirmed Sturgeon was no longer under investigation. Sturgeon announced plans to retire.
Gender Recognition Reform
In 2016, the SNP vowed to review and reform the way that trans people change their legal gender via the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill . The bill passed in Parliament 86 to 39 in 2022. Weeks later, the UK Government prevented it from gaining Royal Assent under a section 35 order of the Scottish Act 1998. Critics attacked Sturgeon’s response to the Isla Bryson case involving transgender prisoner housing.
References
Merson, Adele (June 30, 2021). Trans rights: How gender recognition reform became one of Scotland’s most heated debates. The Press and Journal (Scotland) https://news.stv.tv/politics/transgender-reforms-shelved-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic
Staff report (April 1, 2020). Transgender reforms shelved due to coronavirus pandemic. STV News https://news.stv.tv/politics/transgender-reforms-shelved-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic
Staff report (April 1, 2016). Nicola Sturgeon makes gender recognition pledge. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2016-scotland-35945543
Staff report (June 20, 2019). Scottish transgender reforms put on hold. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48702946
Anti-trans coverage
Sanderson, Daniel (February 1, 2021). SNP civil war deepens as leading Sturgeon critic Joanna Cherry purged from Westminster team. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/02/01/snp-civil-war-deepens-leading-sturgeon-critic-purged-westminster/
Johnson, Simon (August 23, 2021). Nicola Sturgeon facing backlash over proposed gender legislation. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/08/23/nicola-sturgeon-facing-backlash-proposed-gender-legislation/
Gordon, Tom (September10, 2021). Nicola Sturgeon dismisses concerns over gender reforms as ‘not valid’. The Herald https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19571909.nicola-sturgeon-dismisses-concerns-gender-reforms-not-valid/
Staff report (January 17, 2023). Nicola Sturgeon says gender reform row will go to court. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64264063
Staff report (February 9, 2023).Nicola Sturgeon’s gender conundrum: Is Isla Bryson a man or a woman. BBC News https://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64590421
Camobell, Glenn (February 15, 2023). Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland’s first minister. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-64647907
Resources
Scottish Parliament (parliament.scot)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)