Don’t begrudge small acts which mean a lot

DESPITE a presence that reaches back several thousand years, there is still an explicit misunderstanding of trans people and what it means to be trans (Glenn Hardesty’s letter, ODT, 20.8.18, and Tony Crick’s letter, ODT, 21.8.18).

The biggest misunderstanding — biological sex doesn’t necessarily equal gender.

Scout BarbourEvans (and anyone else who has the required biology) can of course become pregnant without ever relinquishing his male identity, as his biology does not and should not affect his gender.

And this isn’t a whimsical, ‘‘Oopsie daisies, I don’t think I’m a boy/girl!’’.

Gender dysphoria is a horrific disconnect between body and mind and, combined with transphobia and dismissal of their identity, leads to depression and suicide rates being far higher among trans people than almost any other demographic.

So why would we not do as much as we can to make life as easy as possible for trans people?

Why should we deny them the right to have birth certificates — both their own and those of their children — display the correct gender?

Things like this make little impact on most people’s lives, but the acceptance it extends to trans people can make a world of difference to theirs. Alex Mitchell

Wanaka