Scottish parliament removes gender search function from website after two trans MSPs elected

The Scottish parliament has removed the option to search for MSPs by their gender on its website.

The controversial move comes following the election of the first two trans MSPs to Holyrood - the Scottish Greens' Iris Duane and Q Manivannan.

Sky News understands the parliament initially added a non-binary category in addition to male and female to accommodate Manivannan, but then questions were raised over Duane being listed in the female section.

The gender filter search function has now been removed completely, sparking complaints from women's rights campaigners and a number of politicians.

The Scottish parliament said the filter function was a "legacy system" that had been removed as part of an ongoing Inclusive Parliament Review.

Scottish Conservative MSPs Rachael Hamilton and Meghan Gallacher have written to Holyrood's presiding officer, Kenneth Gibson, to express their "concern".

The pair wrote: "As female MSPs, we believe it is important that women continue to be clearly and transparently represented within the parliament's official records and public-facing information.

"The removal of female as a distinct category risks undermining the visibility of women's representation in public life and makes it more difficult to accurately assess progress relating to female participation within Scottish politics.

"At a time when there is ongoing public discussion around the importance of sex-based data and representation, we believe the Scottish parliament should lead by example in ensuring that women are not erased or obscured within official systems and reporting mechanisms."

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The MSPs have asked for clarification about why the change was made and if there are plans to reinstate the search function.

Scottish Labour MSP Carol Mochan added that the removal of the filter limits the information that helps people choose if they would rather speak to a male or female representative in their region.

She too has written to the presiding officer to ask for a further explanation, adding: "Erasing women doesn't mean we will shut up and go away."

A Scottish parliament spokesperson said: "As part of the Inclusive Parliament Review, our systems and processes are currently under review.

"The online filter function on our website is a legacy system and we have taken steps to remove it.

"The review will also consider what personal information on members we need to publish and in what format."

(c) Sky News 2026: Scottish parliament removes gender search function from website after two trans MSPs elected