MSPs have been urged to “take a clear stand against the scaremongering, smears and disinformation” around the Scottish Government’s gender plans as Holyrood takes a final decision on backing the proposals.

Under the Scottish Government’s plans, trans people will no longer have to undergo medical examination and require a gender dysphoria diagnosis to obtain a gender recognition certificate – an amendment to a birth certificate used for pension and benefits claims and changing gender in the eyes of the law.

The self-ID Bill, backed by all parties except the Tories, will lower the minimum age from 18 to 16.

A gender recognition certificate is not required to enter any single-sex space despite concerns being raised by campaigners.

MSPs will take evidence from two UN experts today – Victor Madrigal-Borloz who has already spoken in support of the bill and Reem Alsalem who has raised concerns.

On Tuesday a further flurry of amendments will be considered before the parliament considers the plans for a final vote on Wednesday.

Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, vice-convener of Holyrood’s Equalities Committee, said voting through the plans will “bring Scotland in line with international good practice, and be at the forefront of equality legislation in the UK”.

She added: “Our parliament has the opportunity to make history and take a clear stand against the scaremongering, smears and disinformation that has characterised far too much of the debate. “Nobody should have to suffer the vilification and demonisation that trans people have endured for far too long.”

But the Tories have claimed that MSPs considering more than 150 amendments to the legislation in a nine-hour debate could lead to a “travesty of democracy”.

The Scottish Government has asked parties to consider 153 amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in seven sets tomorrow — with each given as little as 15 minutes for debate.

Scottish Conservative equalities spokeswoman, Rachael Hamilton, said: “It is disgraceful that the Scottish Government are putting a time limit on amendments to such a crucial piece of legislation.

“The SNP and Labour should have seen sense and backed our calls to delay the last reading of this Bill, to allow for full, reasoned debate on the concerns many of us have about protections for women and girls.”

She added: “Recent polling suggests our concerns are shared by the majority of Scots, who are supportive of trans rights but also want women and girls to have safe spaces – and are rightly worried about teenagers being given the green light to do something they later regret.

“Rushing this through before Christmas is typical of the SNP’s attempts to railroad this legislation through parliament without proper scrutiny. Without the full debate that each of these 153 amendments merits, tomorrow risks being a travesty of democracy.”