As a feminist for over 50 years, I was delighted to see Sonia Sodha defending the right of a female nurse to dignity and privacy when changing within an NHS hospital. (“No woman should be forced to change her clothes in front of a male colleague”, Comment)
The issue here is not about being anti-trans but being pro women’s rights. We have established protected female-only spaces not because all men pose a risk, but because some, indeed many, do. As it is not possible to know which men pose that risk, we exclude them all. The reality is that a man remains a man, irrespective of his gender identity, and should not therefore be allowed access to places that for very good reasons are designated for women only. It seems extraordinary at a time when violence against women and girls is so high, we should even contemplate violating this boundary.
Gerison Lansdown
London N10
