Readers' letters: Deluded gender activists need to be brought to book

First, this minority flies under the LGBT+ flag, but clearly its only interest is in the “T.” Some lesbians, prominently Joanna Cherry KC, are strongly opposed to allowing biological males claiming to be women invading women’s spaces, and are targets for trans activists.

Second, the NLS has “an LGBT+ staff network”, and also “LGBT+ partners”. What does this mean? Has the NLS other “networks” and “partners” who can blackmail its management into anathematising inoffensive (to most) books?

And now an Edinburgh Fringe venue, Summerhall, has apologised for allowing Kate Forbes to appear at one of their events because of her Christian views on sexuality. Those objecting to her presence were so fearful – presumably of contamination – that they established a “safe room” while she was in the building. What a piece of nonsense! Clearly, they are so insecure in their views that they cannot contemplate engaging in dialogue or debate with those whose only sin is to disagree with them.

If these people are so confident in their views, why do they need to silence and cancel those who have not shown or threatened violence of any kind but merely stated fundamental truths: biological fact is not an “anti-trans ideology”; and you cannot change your sex.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Turn back tide

This state of affairs simply cannot go on (“School trans toilet advice is not lawful, says council”, Scotsman, 15 August). Scotland’s credibility has reached a tipping point with not only this fightback against the law but with ridiculous judgements being made to cancel shows, remove books or ban certain people’s attendance at the Edinburgh Festival, all in the name of very flawed political “correctness”.

By chance, the architect of much of this is appearing at this very festival to promote her new book. Nicola Sturgeon must take a huge amount of the responsibility for creating such a maelstrom of confusion.

It is very simple. The majority decision of the public against this utter confusion is final. That is the only outcome that can possibly work. Why isn’t Holyrood being recalled from its break to please get its act together and stop trying to fight against the tide? With power comes a huge responsibility to fix the mess it has created.

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Legacy of fear

Neil Anderson states that, re Nicola Sturgeon, “evidence suggests that she went out of her way to keep Scotland informed in her clear communicative style” (Letters, 15 August).

My take on this, and something I have heard many others say, was her drive to keep the nation petrified with a daily update of the number of cases, deaths and continually ordering the nation to stay at home, inducing maximum stress to those most vulnerable – the elderly and infirm, many of whom to this day are still in a state of worry and anxiety.

Now, we see a different Nicola – one where, Frankly – everyone is a bully, she was a victim. She has no legacy, only quotes which enraged a majority of the nation if you disagreed with her gender nonsense, a photoshoot of a ferry with painted-on windows and a cardboard funnel and a lot of taxpayers’ money down the drain fighting unwinnable court cases. From day one in power, it was all about her, nothing more, nothing less.

Perhaps a decent legacy would be to apologise personally to Kate Forbes for creating the framework for her cancellation at Summerhall – or perhaps she too is “terrified” to go anywhere near Scotland’s only 5ft 2in ultimate street fighter!

D Millar, Lauder, Scottish Borders

Reid remembered

George Reid was, as you rightly reported (14 August), an outstanding public servant. He was also my oldest friend stemming from 1959 when he was president of the Students Representative Council at St Andrews University and I held the same position at Edinburgh University.

As students we travelled together with Donald Dewar to Kyiv, Leningrad and Moscow. Our wives Judy and Daphne happened to be at school and in the Guides together in Stirlingshire and we stayed with them in Geneva when George ran the International Red Cross.

We served together in the Commons and in the first Scottish Parliament he was my deputy and in the second my successor as Presiding Officer. I was pleased when the late Queen appointed him to join us as a Knight of the Thistle. We often talked about how our view of politics was similar though he started in the Labour Party and then moved to the SNP. He will be sorely missed.

Lord Steel of Aikwood, Selkirk, Scottish Borders

Picking cherries

Oh dear! Andrew HN Gray, never one to get pesky facts get in the way of climate change denial and being anti-anything that looks suspiciously “eco”, has reiterated the internet legend cherry picking newspapers articles regarding the Arctic Seas getting “hot” in 1922 and the Arctic melting in 1949 (Letters, 14 August).

The point has always been that between then and now that process has sped up so drastically, in such a short space of time, it cannot be anything other than man-made, not a “natural cycle”, and it is long past the stage those old enough to know better ceased their tiresome fingers in ears la-la-laing just because they dislike the sandal-wearing lentil-munching smug cultist weirdos that are its loudest mouthpieces.

Mark Boyle, Johnstone, Renfrewshire

VJ Day

While the United States commemorates VJ Day on 2 September, when the surrender documents were signed, it would have been appropriate if President Trump had attended a UK event yesterday – and would also have re-emphasised, before any meeting with Putin, that the aggressor in such unjustified wars must not benefit from subsequent ceasefire and peace agreements.

John Birkett, St Andrews, Fife

Peace summit

It's perhaps no coincidence that the Trump, Putin summit in Alaska took place on VJ Day. The horrific destruction, obliterating Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made the world vow “never again”. Yet we now find ourselves in a world arming itself for a nuclear war. The decision by Europe to increase spending on nuclear weapons, overtly to defend ourselves against Russian aggression, increases its likelihood.

An unlikely source of peace comes in the form of Vladimir Putin. While Donald Trump winged it alone for the summit, Putin met with his senior advisors. What emerged from that meeting was the decision to broaden the summit’s agenda to include steps back from the increasing nuclear threat.

The proposal would be a nuclear weapon control treaty, involving all nuclear powers. It would be ironic in the extreme if Russia offered itself as the world’s chief peacemaker.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Reading matters

I wonder who was First Minister at the time Learn Together Scotland’s schools volunteering scheme folded? To the best of my knowledge there is no current Scottish scheme for volunteers to help children with their reading.

The Bookmark Reading Charity (based in London) has a scheme for in-person (in certain areas of England) and online support for children at English schools; they welcome volunteers from Scotland.

Reading and book festivals are great – but some children need extra support before they can benefit from them. Libraries and other organisations, such as the Scottish Book Trust, do a great job in helping as best they can. But oh that we had financial and other support for literacy at Scottish Government level! There were, and I am sure still are, volunteers who care enough to give of their time and energy.

Moyra Forrest, Edinburgh

Flower power

There's another reason for letting the second verse of Flower of Scotland be sung a capella at Murrayfield (Scotsman, 15 August). The bagpipes can’t play the tune as written. Roy Williamson wrote the song with a very Scottish sounding chord on the word “think” but the drone bagpipes can’t play that chord. Consequently, with the pipe band, you hear the wrong tune, their version being much too cosy and relaxed.

However, when the crowd takes over, the full Scottishness of the tune is revealed! So you can see how an initial mistake has given way to a much better rendition.

Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Edinburgh

Chips ahoy

Delighted to see that Bill Greenock’s daughter has made a successful transition from a catering course to a stellar career in computing (Letters, 15 August). I daresay I speak for many when I say we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that in her new job she doesn’t absent-mindedly put the chips into a pan of boiling fat.

Robert Menzies, Falkirk

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