RUTH Wishart is arguing for common sense. People are afraid to talk, and process the complexity of the boundary tensions between different groups. These boundary tensions won’t go away unless we find a way to talk, and understand.

One protected characteristic, such as being female, should not be undermined by another, and vice versa. On the whole, the vast majority of women are born with less physical strength than men – should we ignore or respect biology? If women are feeling colonised, should we not listen to their voices, and try to understand? Or do women born as female, and having lived the life of a female since a baby, once again have to zip it?
E Vyner
via thenational.scot

I HAVE become aware of the backlash Ruth Wishart is getting after her article in the Sunday National. She states: ”It is not transphobic but perfectly reasonable to inquire why the legitimate need for protection of 1% of the populations seems to trump just about every other minority, not to mention the rights of the 50% plus who are female.”

READ MORE: Why is a trans minority being pandered to by the Scottish Government?

This is surely the nub of the question – nobody is denying trans people should be protected but not at the expense of 50% of the population. Once you start to deny someone born as a woman or indeed as a man exists you deny biology, science and every sexual concept known.

Amazing people like Joanna Cherry and Joan McAlpine have suffered grievously because they are willing to stand up and be counted – it is time all women stood up and were counted and stood behind the brave women like Joanna, Joan, Ruth Wishart and Johann Lamont.

Women will not weesht for indy or anything else.
Winifred McCartney
Paisley

IS the elephant in the room really trans rights, or whether trans rights is more important than independence? I am a believer in treating all with dignity and equity, yet this issue seems to have devolved to tribal levels and grown to biblical proportions.

I’ve seen many previous SNP members stating that they have left due to the SNP’s position on trans rights/feminism. Yet we will only really have a say on anything in Scotland if we can achieve our own independence.

It would be truly counter-productive to take our eye off the ball and throw away our focus on independence over an argument about the details of trans rights and the impact on feminism.
Susan Gearing
via thenational.scot

WHAT I find disappointing in these debates (not from Ruth’s piece, I must add) is the emphasis on various groups’ rights but not their responsibilities to their fellow citizens. In an independent Scotland I would like to see a citizen’s charter that clearly sets these rights and responsibilities out.

I would suggest the extremists on both sides of the transgender debate should take responsibility for making their points with calm, reasoned argument. And I am disappointed that by asking for clarification on the points made by both sides, I have received aggressive and irrational criticism from the trans “activists”, when until then I had no particular preference for the arguments of either side!
Mary Brown
via thenational.scot