Sir, – Jacky Grainger, Madeleine Ní Dhailigh and Stella O'Malley make a level-headed and sensible contribution to an acrimonious debate ("Bill to ban conversion therapy poses problems for therapists", Opinion & Analysis, August 9th).
The point is not to enable therapists to deny or suppress a young person’s gender identity. On the contrary, it is to create a space within which to help explore and establish their identity.
The call is for the wording of the pending Conversion Therapy Bill to be clarified, not for blocking the Bill. – Yours, etc,
ROWAN STEWART,
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Crumlin,
Dublin 12.
A chara, – Thank you for the informative, balanced and thoughtful piece on the Conversion Therapies Bill.
It is extremely refreshing to see, given the awful polarisation of the debate on trans issues in this country, and also elsewhere. It seems like a complicated issue, given that gender dysphoria affects many in teenage years, for example, but a lot of people, myself included, do not go on to transition nor want to.
If we could talk about these things openly it seems it would be better for everyone affected, trans people and those who aren’t sure, and as a lot of us aren’t when we’re younger. Sadly, it seems few are willing to have the conversation without mud slinging on both sides ensuing, which is wholly unproductive and makes everyone wary of engaging.
So it is very heartening to see something like this, and the support it received in the comments. A victory for open discussion, I hope. – Is mise,
MO LYNCH,
Kilmainham,
Dublin 8.