The First Minister has voiced support for Lorna Slater following a row over comments by the Green minister about transphobia. 

Nicola Sturgeon claimed that Ms Slater's comments had been mischaracterised and that she agreed with what had been "actually said". 

It follows calls for the Scottish Green co-leader to resign after comparing those with transphobic views to racists and antisemites.

In an interview for the Herald on Sunday, Ms Slater compared the backlash against the trans community to 1990s America and “ridiculous bathroom laws”.

The Lothians MSP said: “We wouldn’t put balance on the question of racism or antisemitism.

“But we allow this fictional notion of balance when it comes to anti-trans [views]."

READ MORE: Scottish Greens label Lorna Slater transphobia row a 'wild overreaction'

It came as the Scottish Government is seeking to reform the Gender Recognition Act to simplify the process for a trans person to obtain legal recognition of their acquired gender - with the current process requiring a medical diagnosis and lasting two years. 

The timetable would also be compressed to six months, and the age threshold for applying for a gender recognition certificate lowered from 18 to 16.

Critics of the move expressed concerns that self-identification suggested in the Bill, will undermine certain women's sex-based rights.

Following the Ms Slater, one Tory MSP described Ms Slater as a “radical extremist” and called for Nicola Sturgeon to sack the Green MSP.

Speaking to the Scotsman, the First Minister said her comments had been mischaracterised as to have compared critics of the GRA reform to racists and antisemites. 

Ms Sturgeon said: "I don't agree with the characterisation of the comments, but I don't think Lorna said what she was, in some respects, characterised as having said.

"What she said was transphobia should be treated as negatively as racism and sexism.

"What she did not say was that anybody who takes a different view on the gender recognition legislation, anybody who has concerns about that or anybody who wants to have a civilised debate about that, should be treated in that way.

"So I agree with what she actually said. I don't agree with what some people characterise her as having said."

READ MORE: Green minister Patrick Harvie accuses SNP of allowing transphobia to 'fester' in the party

 Meanwhile, she also denied claims that the SNP has allowed transphobia to "fester". 

Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie had accused his partners in government of failing to tackle transphobia by “a significant number of high-profile people” in the SNP.

Mr Harvie said the issue should have led to disciplinary action by the SNP, but instead it had been “allowed to fester”.

Ms Sturgeon said she does not agree with claims and does not think they were "justified".