MSPs have celebrated the Gender Recognition Reform Bill passing in the Scottish Parliament – praising it for making a “big difference to trans people in North Ayrshire.”

With the bill passing by 86 votes to 39, trans people will legally be able to change their gender from the age of 16, will now only have to live as their gender for three months rather than two years, and will not need a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

With the changes pedalled by the Greens and SNP, Green MSP Ross Greer voiced his happiness at the bill’s approval.

The MSP said: “I am delighted we’ve finally passed this legislation, despite shocking abuses of process by the Conservatives which saw Parliament sitting until after midnight for two days in a row.

“This is a small but significant change that will make a big difference to trans people in North Ayrshire and beyond, giving them the dignity they deserve in their official documents.

“Trans rights are human rights, and I am proud that our Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to bring Scotland in line with best international practice for improving the lives of our trans siblings.

"The future I want is one where everyone can live, love and thrive as the people that they really are and have always been. This vote takes us a step closer to that day."

The bill was also supported by West Scotland MSPs such as Katy Clark, Paul O’Kane, Neil Bibby, and Jamie Greene.

Despite the vote in favour of the bill and the fact the bill was pushed by the SNP, both North Ayrshire SNP MSPs - Ruth Maguire and Kenneth Gibson - went against the party whip and opposed the bill.

Mr Gibson's comments on the matter caused furore online and in the chamber.

Speaking in a debate on transgender women in prisons, Gibson said: “If a fox identified as a chicken would you put it in a hen house? Of course not.”

Responding to his comments, MSP for North East Scotland Mercedes Villalba accused him of hate-speech as many people noted the implication that trans-women are predators within Gibson’s comment.

Speaking to the Times, Mr Gibson clarified: “I did not say ‘trans women are predators’ but that we need to protect women in our prisons from those who PRETEND to be trans.”

Despite this, he went on to cite a speech where he refers to trans-women in prisons and refers to them as “biological males.”

Mr Gibson said: “Whatever the reason for a woman being imprisoned, what matters is that they are in the Scottish Government’s custody and it falls upon Ministers to do their utmost to ensure that these, often vulnerable, women are safe while serving their time.

“A 2011 Swedish cohort study analysed crime rates after surgical sex reassignment of male to female trans people and found that they retained a male pattern regarding criminality and violent crime.

“Trans women are therefore no more - or less - likely to commit crimes than any other biological males.”

The 2011 study referenced by Gibson is titled ‘Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden’.

The author of said study, Cecilia Dhejne, has been quoted as saying she was “certainly not saying that we found that trans women were a rape risk.”