Letter to the Editor: Rights are not a zero-sum game

DEAR News Of The Area,

I FIND proposals such as the one outlined by Alison Penfold (Page 2, Gloucester District News of the Area, 27 May) deeply concerning.

I believe equality is strongest when it protects the dignity and humanity of everyone.

In a diverse society, there will always be complex questions about balancing rights, and those discussions should be approached thoughtfully, respectfully and based on evidence.

I am uncomfortable with laws that define people in ways that exclude or diminish their lived reality.

Transgender people are members of our communities, families and workplaces.

They should not have to justify their existence or their right to fair treatment under the law.

Three points are worth considering.

First, rights are not a zero-sum game.

We do not need to choose between protecting women and protecting transgender people.

A mature society should be capable of doing both.

The challenge is finding practical ways to uphold dignity, safety and participation for everyone.

Second, policy should focus on specific issues rather than identities.

If concerns exist about safety, fairness or access in particular settings, they should be addressed through evidence-based measures.

We should not assume an entire group poses a threat simply because of who they are.

Third, I question whether redefining the legal recognition of a small and vulnerable minority should be a legislative priority when women continue to face gendered violence, economic insecurity and workplace discrimination.

I am also concerned that this debate is increasingly shaped by a style of politics that relies on creating anxiety about social change and portrays minority groups as threats.

Such approaches may generate attention, but they rarely produce good public policy.

The measure of a fair society is how it treats those with the least power.

We can support women and girls, uphold safety and fairness, and at the same time recognise the dignity and humanity of transgender people. That is the kind of society I want to live in.

In regional communities, we pride ourselves on treating people with fairness, respect and

decency.

Those values should extend to everyone.

Regards, Sonja DUNCAN

Upper Bowman

Principal Consultant Modern Slavery & Sustainability