Firing this NHS doctor is sinister

WHAT is this new age of tyranny when it comes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues? I don’t like it — and I say that as a gay man.

Take Dr David Mackereth, an NHS doctor with 26 years’ experience who was training to be a disability assessor for the Department of Work and Pensions.

His contract has been terminated because he refused to agree to identify patients by their ‘preferred gender’. Dr Mackereth explained that, as a devout Christian, he believed gender is determined at birth by biology and genetics, and that God makes people male or female.

Now, I don’t agree with Dr Mackereth. I know from my work that the feeling of being in the wrong body can be incredibly distressing for trans people. But it seems an incredible overreaction to fire him.

If truth be told, he’s expressing a view that millions share. No one should be browbeaten, threatened or coerced into thinking a certain way. I find that sinister.

Being sacked won’t change his view. Far better that he gets to meet trans people in person. He might then realise it’s just courtesy to use the terminology they prefer.