"The final vote on Scotland's controversial new hate crime law has been delayed as MSPs debated a raft of amendments.
The legislation consolidates existing law and extends protection for vulnerable groups with a new offence of "stirring up hatred".
The government accepted some changes but most amendments were rejected during a five-hour Holyrood session.
Under the bill, offences are considered "aggravated" - which could influence sentencing - if they involve prejudice on the basis of age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or variations in sex characteristics (sometimes described as "intersex" physical or biological characteristics).
Former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont wanted "sex" added as a protected characteristic, arguing that women were often the target of hate crime.
But the government has rejected this."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56349995
