Proposals published on Tuesday state that actions designed to "change or suppress" another individual's gender identity, causing them physical or psychological harm, would become illegal under the radical law.
SNP ministers acknowledged that so-called conversion practices often took place in a "family setting", raising the prospect that parents could be criminalised if they refuse to go along with their child's declaration that they are transgender.
Stopping someone from "dressing in a way that reflects their sexual orientation or gender identity" was put forward as an example of an action that would become illegal, even if a parent believed they were acting in a child's best interests.
A consultation states that alongside new criminal sanctions, preemptive civil orders could be obtained against parents or religious leaders, even where conversion practices had not yet taken place.
Comment: You can bet the lunatics running the education systems in the western world will be on the front lines demanding those civil orders.
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The plans are the latest controversial measure put forward by the SNP. Critics argue the proposals would have a devastating impact on freedom of speech, privacy and family life in Scotland.
Last year plans by Nicola Sturgeon to allow children as young as 16 to change gender were blocked by the UK Government.
Religious campaigners have vowed to fight the ban in the courts.
"We have grave concerns that these plans will criminalise loving parents, who could face years in jail simply for refusing to sign up to the gender ideology cult," Marion Calder, a director at the campaign group For Women Scotland, said.
"They will also hand activists and social workers unprecedented powers to meddle in family life, while having a chilling impact on therapists and counsellors. If the SNP and Greens insist on pushing this through, it is likely to go the same way as the toxic self-ID and named person laws and be blocked in the courts."
Discredited practices
The measures around gender identity also include far less controversial steps to outlawing discredited practices that aim to turn gay people straight.
Providers of services aimed at suppressing or changing a person's sexual orientation or gender would be targeted, with taking someone out of Scotland to access "conversion" services also to become illegal.
A consultation stated that parents or religious leaders would not be criminalised for "expressing concerns", "advising a child against medical interventions" or "not actively supporting" a child's decision to dress as a member of the opposite sex.
However, it stated that when actions became "coercive" or "controlling" then the law would apply, even in cases where they were motivated by "a desire to help or protect the person".
Comment: "The person" in question is a child, usually deemed not able to make life-altering decisions. That's what the "coercive, controlling" parents are there for, to protect the child from rash actions. The SNP is insane.
Those accused of conversion therapy would have a legal defence if they could show their actions were "reasonable".
However, this would apply only in "a very small number of circumstances" such as to prevent a child "from engaging in illegal or dangerous behaviour".
Anyone breaching a civil order, which could be obtained by social workers or activist groups on behalf of alleged victims, could face two years behind bars.
The maximum penalty for those guilty of a criminal offence would be seven years in jail, an unlimited fine, or both.
The SNP has chosen to push ahead with the law despite the damage inflicted on the party by Nicola Sturgeon's controversial gender self-ID law, which was blocked by the UK Government.
A planned conversion therapy ban in England has been shelved by Rishi Sunak amid internal disagreement over what would be covered.
A spokesman for the Catholic Church said it had "serious concerns" over the Scottish proposals, claiming they "may criminalise advice or opinion given in good faith".
Care for Scotland, a Christian charity, warned the measures "could lead to the subjective policing of speech about sexuality and gender, in a range of settings".
Michael Veitch, the group's policy officer, said: "Ultimately, parents, teachers, church leaders, counsellors and others could be caught up and unfairly criminalised."
'Destructive'
However, Emma Roddick, the SNP equalities minister, said attempts to change or suppress a person's gender identity or sexual orientation were "damaging and destructive" violations of human rights.
She added: "The consultation responses we receive will help us to further consider those measures we can take to stop the harm of conversion practices and protect those at risk while ensuring that freedoms - including freedoms of speech, religion, and belief - are safeguarded."
Maggie Chapman, equality spokesman for the Scottish Greens, backed the planned law, which the SNP agreed to implement as part of its coalition pact with her party.
"Conversion practices are not therapy," she said. "They are abusive and coercive. They are a form of violence that has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland.
"Nobody should be told there is something wrong with them or be forced to be ashamed of who they are, just because of their identity."
Daniel Sanderson, Scottish Correspondent for The Telegraph
Reader Comments
I cannot cite any human rights law that says so but I suspect that a parent's right to parenting should be higher on the list than a child's right to mutilate themselves on a childish whim.
If I know the Scots, I think the SNP is soon to be consigned to the dustbin of History.
Disgusting how they are heading a sick agenda of perversion.
But aside from the obvious pedophile tendencies in the so-called "elite", there is another motivation behind such a move. The disenfrenchisement of parents in general, reducing them to mere breeding machines.
The only good thing is - the worse the times get, the less competence and apprehension the "leaders" have. So instead of adjusting to reality, they are just digging faster in their holes. Nothing will be forgotten ...
I can surely see inconsistencies and contradictions between posts on separate threads for some poster, him included. The more I see, the less likely I engage.
And while Scottish independance efforts seem laudable, I find their France and EU propensity more than strange.
"Scottish independence without Scottish characteristics" = Result of EU Divide et Impera strategies only.
But hey, why should the Scottish political class be any different than elsewhere in the West ?
WTF that kind of thing actually has to do with actual Scotland is beyond my actual ken.
I wouldn't go around wearing a T-shirt that says "25% Scottish", though.
I lenjoyed it, especially the (Edinburgh) pubs.
By the way, others claimed so-called "people of color" status for a fraction of a percent of black/native DNA ...
Haven't been there for ages, Though.
There are not two sides to the trans 'debate'. There is no such thing as 'trans gender'. It is a purely cosmetic treatment of a profound mental disorder and consists of dressing up, acting, make-up and sometimes damaging cosmetic surgery. It very often results in suicide when the victim of the delusion is forced to come to terms with the reality of what they have done to themselves, what others have helped or persuaded and coaxed them to do.
If only it was just that. The SNP are also neo-con, Europhile, status-quo (not the group) loving, liberal half-wits, who have no interest in Scottish independence. They are only in it for the money.
Sounds like some dystopian future movie coming true.