Sir,
As a transwoman I second the offer by Janice Turner (“Swinson chose wokeness over women’s rights”, comment, Dec 7) to send a bunch of flowers to Jo Swinson. By exposing Lib Dem plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) as incoherent and inexplicable Turner has alerted the electorate to concerns that I have been raising for three years.
The diagnosis and medical reports that the Lib Dems want to delete from the GRA are essential safeguards that protect women’s spaces from any man who fancies himself as a woman for reasons known only to himself. They also protect transsexuals.
We do not need easier access to gender recognition certificates issued by the state. Instead we need to maintain and cherish the trust and confidence that existed between women and transwomen for decades.
The policies being promoted by Ms Swinson’s party put that at risk, should women lose faith in laws that rely on feelings rather than facts.
Debbie Hayton, Birmingham.
* This letter was published by The Times on 11 December 2019: Lib Dems’ policy on gender self-identity
Debbie Hayton 