I WOULD like to respond to the article by Mark Smith (“Appeasement of transphobes is putting our progress at risk”, The Herald, June 24). It followed my statement to Parliament that a Gender Recognition (Scotland) Bill, to reform the current process of obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate, will be published by the end of the year and a full public consultation on its detail carried out. This is not a way of us “pushing the pause button” as the opinion piece states. It is a way to introduce legislation which can be passed with strong support from across the chamber and wider society. Within Parliament a number of concerns have been raised by MSPs from across the chamber, particularly in relation to single-sex spaces, which need to be addressed. We can introduce a bill, but we need support and a respectful debate on the issues to ensure it becomes law.

I am acutely aware that transphobia is a serious issue in Scotland and must be tackled head on. I also know that some in the trans community will be feeling a sense of deep disappointment at what they see as a lack of progress on trans rights. I want to reassure them that the Scottish Government is committed to reforming the 2004 Act. When we legislated for equal marriage, we did so following consultation on a draft Bill – and we are proposing the same approach here. I believe that proceeding in this way will ensure we can protect and promote the rights of women and trans people, while, at the same time, making sure people are aware of and understand our proposals. It is important to bring society with us and explain that reform is necessary.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Equalities, Edinburgh

HAVING attended Edinburgh Pride on Saturday and witnessed my Lesbian sisters being harangued, jeered at and at one point lunged at by trans rights activists, I was angered to read Mark Smith’s article. He rightly points out that Scotland is not as gay-friendly as we would like to think by reminding us that “people in Scotland are not free to kiss someone of the same sex openly and in public” outside of Pride marches.

And yet the small group of Lesbians and their allies who were holding banners declaring ‘Lesbian Visibility’ were doing just that: asserting the right of same-sex attraction between women. But in this present climate such an assertion is deemed transphobic.

Smith referred to the announcement made in Parliament last week by Equalities Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville to delay the proposed reforms of the GRA in order to carry out a wider consultation. Smith said the initial consultation received public support but neglected to say that it was mostly lobby groups that were consulted and that the wider public were largely unaware. He states that the move to halt the reforms is being pushed by “socially conservative feminists “. Whereas the feminists that are asking the questions today are the same feminists who fought against Section 28. This does not sound like social conservatism to me.

I would suggest Mark Smith needs to do his homework on this issue because he has displayed an amazing ignorance.

Lisa Randall, Edinburgh

IN response to Mark Smith’s column: firstly it is important to realise that often attacks on gay people have little to do with their sexuality and all to do with a breed of violent thugs who are merely making any excuse to attack an innocent person. Their excuse for violence is as likely to be one’s colour, class or creed or indeed anything which they identify as “different.” Mr Smith obviously believes that name-calling is justified if someone points out the ramifications of rushed, ill-thought out legislation. It is not transphobia to worry about the implications of self-declaration of gender on women’s sport. School and college women’s sport in the USA is already being severely affected by transgender athletes destroying their female-born fellow competitors. How long would it be before an athlete born a male declares as female and wins Wimbledon Ladies Championship? This has the capability to destroy girls’ and women’s sport.

It is therefore just political partisanship to criticise the Scottish Government for talking time to understand and implement policies which are positive and beneficial rather than a knee-jerk reaction to pressure from people like Mr Smith.

David Stubley, Prestwick