Sir, Further to your report “ ‘Chestfeeding’ advice from trans-friendly midwives” (Feb 10), if Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trust needs a formal “gender inclusive language policy” to instruct staff to treat all patients with dignity and respect, then it has a bigger problem than “transphobia”. It is not “biological essentialism” to say that mothers give birth to children, and then breastfeed them with mother’s milk. It is essential biology.
Such attempts to control language may backfire spectacularly on transgender people like me as the public tires of being told what they are expected to think. If even the facts of life are deemed to be transphobic, then perhaps transphobia has lost all meaning.
Debbie Hayton
Birmingham
* This letter was published by The Times on 11 February 2021: Chestfeeding.
Debbie Hayton 
5 replies on ““Chestfeeding””
Well done Debbie – and thanks.
Kind regards
Anna :o]
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Hear, hear! Thanks for speaking out so clearly, Debbie.
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It seems to me that this has nothing to do with being trans inclusive and everything to do with a strange new pseudo reality. As ever you shine a light on it Debbie and I thank you. I know you are not a journalist by training and trade, but you are putting career journalists to shame on this subject
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Debbie, thank God for you ! So many women are terrified of even saying what we think anymore and many of us believe sex and gender are different . Why people can’t accept biological sex while presenting their gender however they feel comfortable is beyond me. The idea of innate gender identity is often backed up with sttereotypical examples of behaviours. The ideology regressive and essentialist despite the claims . I have been called transphobic so many times for not agreeing that biological sex is redundant and gender identity is what matters . Women and it seems to be more my age 40+ are so angry, upset and afraid for even calming our own identity and experiences .
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Thank you. It’s appalling that we are fearful of speaking the truth about biological sex.
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