A physiotherapist who exposed herself in the Scottish Parliament insisted she had nothing to be ashamed of as police confirmed they are investigating.
Health worker Elaine Miller stunned onlookers in Holyrood last Thursday when she lifted up her skirt to reveal a wig underneath in protest against SNP gender reforms.
Nicola Sturgeon’s government successfully passed new laws which will make it easier for transgender people to self-identify after days of marathon debates.
Ms Miller carried out her shocking protest from the public gallery immediately after a majority of 88 MSPs from across the political divide voted in favour of the reforms.
She declared: “Parliament does not respect the rights of women, if you can’t be decent to women being raped in jails and not be decent, then I will not.”
Ms Miller and her fellow campaigners are opposed to the SNP’s gender reforms. Activists insist they will put women at greater risk.
But the Scottish Government has repeatedly insisted the new laws are simply intended to make life easier for transgender Scots to be legally recognised.
In a video attempting to explain her actions, Ms Miller claimed she could justify her bizarre protest.
She told listeners: “If women are losing our rights, we’ll just do something else then, won’t we?
“I have the right to protest, I have the right of freedom of speech. I am allowed to express myself in a way that might not be polite.”
Ms Miller added: “What I did I can justify. People might disagree, but I think I can justify it.
“I’m really not ashamed. I know I’m supposed to be, but I’m not. I’m quite pleased actually.”
Three women had already been removed from the public gallery – where onlookers are supposed to be silent – before Ms Miller then exposed herself.
Police confirmed to The Press and Journal they had launched a probe into the incident.
A spokesperson said: “We have received complaints and enquiries are ongoing.”
Russell Findlay MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ community safety spokesman, has tweeted a picture of him with Elaine Miller, and said: “Here’s me with [Elaine Miller], holding one of the pubic wigs that’s triggered this ludicrous fit of the vapours.
“Surely cops got better things to do than pursue fake pubes.”
Who is Elaine Miller?
Ms Miller is a trained pelvic physiotherapist.
She is also an award-winning comedian who has performed her show about pelvic floors at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The physiotherapist has been a vocal opponent of reforms for transgender Scots and has even won praise from Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
What do the gender reforms do?
The new laws will make it easier for transmen and transwomen to legally obtain a new birth certificate without medical approval.
Trans people will only need to live in their acquired gender for three months instead of two years before they can obtain lawful recognition.
What happened in Holyrood last week?
SNP ministers initially planned to hold a vote on passing the reforms on Wednesday.
But this was delayed due to a prolonged debate on Tuesday which lasted until midnight when the lights went out.
The Scottish Tories tried to stall the laws and argued more scrutiny was needed.
But Ms Sturgeon and her party insisted the reforms have been under consideration for long enough.
Hecklers had already interrupted proceedings from the gallery before Ms Miller’s protest and campaigners opposed to the measures rallied outside parliament.
Nine SNP MSPs – including Inverness veteran Fergus Ewing – voted against their party on the changes to the law.