The SNP could expand their new hate crime laws to offer more protections for transgender people, despite calls for the legislation to be scrapped.
The Scottish government is proposing new legislation to make it easier to prosecute those who engage in "conversion practices"
The planned changes would mean that attempting to "change or suppress" someone's gender identity or sexual orientation - even if attempting to help them - would become an "aggravator" in cases where another crime has been committed.
As a result, anyone convicted of another offence would face a harsher sentence if it could be proven that they were motivated by wanting to convert someone.
The SNP could expand their new hate crime laws to offer more protections for transgender people, despite calls for the legislation to be scrapped
PA
The law would apply to parents who thought they were helping their child, meaning they could face up to seven years in jail.
This comes despite the UK Government dropping their plans to ban conversion therapy in England, over fears it could prosecute parents trying to help children.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into effect on Monday, which creates a new offence of “stirring up of hatred” for protected characteristics.
Police Scotland received 7,152 complaints under the new hate crime law in the first week of operation, sparking concerns the legislation could overload the police with work.
Yousaf said the new legislation "absolutely protects people in their freedom of expression" while guarding "people from a rising tide of hatred that we’ve seen far too often in our society".
The act was supported by MSPs from Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, as well as the SNP.
It also creates a new offence of “threatening or abusive behaviour that is intended to stir up hatred” on the grounds of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics.
But reacting to plans to extend the legislation, Marion Calder of the For Women Scotland campaign group said: "Members of the public will find it incredible that, despite the fiasco created by these hate crime laws, the Government is already considering extending them.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
"Any actions to which an aggravator could be attached are already illegal. The consultation makes clear that this is simply an attempt to threaten and criminalise loving parents or medical professionals acting in a child’s best interests.
“Rather than doubling down on these draconian laws, the SNP Government should listen to women and front line police officers and scrap them.”
