Latest news with #GenderRecognitionCertificates
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
J.K. Rowling sets up private fund to offer legal support for 'women's sex-based rights': What we know
J.K. Rowling, author of the world-famous Harry Potter novels, has opened a new fund in her name to protect individuals or organizations facing legal action for their sex-based rights. The author has previously spoken out against trans activists and has sponsored such legal and social protests in the past. The official website of the J.K. Rowling Women's Fund (JKRWF) says that it 'offers legal funding support to individuals and organizations fighting to retain women's sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and protected female spaces. It provides women with the means and confidence to bring to justice cases that make legal precedents, force policy change, and make positive contributions to women's lives in the future.' The fund has also established eligibility criteria to determine who can apply for aid from the organization. Legal representation is open to those who 'have lost their livelihoods or are facing tribunals because of their expressed beliefs; are being forced to comply with unreasonable inclusion policies regarding single-sex spaces and services, or female-only clubs and events; are challenging legislation which takes away the freedoms or protections women are entitled to or don't have adequate means to bring actions to court or to defend themselves'. The organization also states that it can only help those who have already sought legal representation for their case. The fund is completely sponsored by Rowling's grants and does not accept any public donations. Rowling said in a social media post, 'I looked into all options and a private fund is the most efficient, streamlined way for me to do this. Lots of people are offering to contribute, which I truly appreciate, but there are many other women's rights organizations that could do with the money, so donate away, just not to me!' The logo of JKRWF, Rowling says, is inspired by Athena or Pallas, the goddess of wisdom and war. She explained that Athena's symbol being incorporated into the logo 'signifies a shield and a woman, which seemed appropriate to the aims of the fund – giving women the means to protect themselves against oppression and unfairness.' Those applying to the fund must be based in the UK or Ireland, and should be able to explain how their lives have been impacted by their beliefs on 'biological sex being unchangeable' and provide reasons for requesting financial support. The website includes a form at the end and if a person has gone through all the requirements dictated, they may be considered eligible to receive funding. Previously, Rowling had funded a legal case that challenged the 2010 Equality Act's definition of a woman. A Supreme Court ruling earlier this year established sex determined at birth as the way to identify a woman, negating federal recognition of transgender women with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs). The ruling banned trans women from competing in the sports category of their identified sex and preceded a judgement by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which prevented trans people from using lavatory facilities of their choice. Rowling is considered one of the wealthiest people living in Scotland at present.
STV News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Equality watchdog opens consultation on new rules after definition of woman ruling
The equality watchdog has opened a public consultation on updates to its Code of Practice in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman. It follows the landmark judgment last month that determined the legal definition of a woman refers to 'biological women and sex' in the 2010 Equality Act. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the ruling would force it to rewrite parts of the Code of Practice for governments, public bodies, employers and others. The EHRC is Britain's equality regulator, responsible for upholding and enforcing the Equality Act 2010. It has implications for a wide variety of services that impact people's daily lives, including determining what facilities must be provided and who is able to access those facilities. What are the changes? Updates to the EHRC's Code of Practice include Explanation that Gender Recognition Certificates do not change a person's legal sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 Outline of what protections trans people have under the Act, whether or not they have a Gender Recognition Certificate New content on defining sex at birth, which defines sex, man and woman in the Equality Act Specification on sexual orientation that a person who is attracted to people of the same sex is either a lesbian woman or a gay man As trans men are legally female under the Equality Act, they are protected from pregnancy and maternity discrimination on that basis On Tuesday, the watchdog announced it was seeking views on updates to its rulebook. 'Since the judgment was handed down, the demand for authoritative guidance has been obvious. It's our job to provide that,' the Commission's chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner said. 'It is important that our Code is both an accurate interpretation of the law and clear to those who use it. So we want to hear views on the clarity of these updates and urge all interested parties to respond to the consultation over the next six weeks. 'We will consider every response carefully and amend the draft Code where necessary.' Last year, the EHRC ran a twelve-week consultation on wider revisions to the Code of Practice, made then to reflect a range of 'significant developments' in legislation and case law since it was first published in 2011. In light of the Supreme Court's ruling, and the desire for authoritative guidance on its implications, the equality regulator has opened a fresh consultation on a number of further updates. The equality watchdog said it had incorporated the 'clear' legal position on the definition of 'sex' into relevant sections of the Code. The EHRC is asking for views on whether these updates 'clearly articulate the practical implications of the judgment' and enable those who will use the Code to understand, and comply with, the Equality Act. The consultation, opened on Tuesday, will close on Monday, June 30. The EHRC said it will review responses received as part of the consultation and make 'necessary amendments' to the draft Code of Practice. It will then be submitted to the UK minister for women and equalities for approval and laying in Parliament, before it acquires statutory status. 'This is a complex area of law, which bears on the rights of people with the protected characteristics of sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment,' said Baroness Falkner. 'We know that there are strongly held views across our society, both about how the law should be interpreted and whether it reflects the right balance between those rights. So if everybody's rights are to be protected – as the Supreme Court confirmed the law intends – service providers and their legal advisors need help to navigate these challenges. 'The consultation launched today will help ensure our services Code of Practice is a useful and authoritative guide. Please tell us if you think it could be clearer or more helpful. That way, whether you're a shop owner or the chair of a local sports club; the manager of a hotel or a hospital; an HR professional or a solicitor – you will have guidance to follow so you can be confident that you're upholding the law.' The Supreme Court ruling follows a lengthy legal challenge by women's rights campaigners who challenged the Scottish Government's interpretation of anti-discrimination legislation which applies to England, Scotland and Wales. For Women Scotland had argued that 'woman' means being born a biological female. The Scottish Government had argued that 'woman' should extend to trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC). Holyrood's interpretation was twice upheld in Scottish courts, and ministers said their stance was 'consistent with the advice given by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'. But on April 16, the Supreme Court – the highest court in Britain – unanimously decided the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a 'biological woman and biological sex'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
What comes next after Supreme Court hands down gender ruling
Former MP Mhairi Black weighs in to say we need to change the 'binary boxes' society is organised around, even though it is now clear that sex is in fact binary, as the majority knew all along. Black appears to equate the legal protection of women with the actions of fascists in the 1930s, calling those objecting to sharing a changing room with someone of the opposite sex 'weirdos'. That's without the aggressive trans lobby saying they will still use the toilets they want to, posting selfies and boasting that if they are banned from doing so, they will 'pee on the floor' of public buildings. This is not the reaction you would expect of the 'marginalised', 'terrified' group they claim to be. Since the ruling, a lot has been made of the fact that trans people comprise only 0.44% of the population, but few mention the hugely disproportionate effect it would have had on the 52% of the population (women) if anyone could become a woman on a whim, access women-only spaces and effectively erase women. In Scotland, John Swinney and Police Scotland have over the last week gone out of their way to reassure the allegedly victimised trans community. What a shame they never reassured gender-critical women and men when they were gaslighting us, telling us we were transphobes, and threatening women's hard-won legal rights. At least the Scottish Government has said it has 'no plans' to revive the disastrous gender reform legislation. I suppose even they could see there is no point. Self-ID is off the cards and Gender Recognition Certificates mean as much as they always did. Tim Hopkins of the Equality Network says self-ID has not caused any problems elsewhere it has been implemented. Really? What about Ireland, which sleep-walked into self-ID by tagging it on to a referendum about abortion rights and now has violent male Barbie Kardashian housed in the women's wing of Limerick Prison, causing considerable problems for the prison authorities? Or Canada, where most schools teach that a child can be born in the wrong body? And countries with self-ID will find out to the cost of women that measures to counter unequal pay and treatment will become meaningless if men can claim them too. Tim even claims that everyone down the line will now get to interpret the Supreme Court decision any way they please, from the EHRC and regulators down to employers and providers. Don't think so. One commentator took it a step further, saying that as males are not now allowed in hospital wards, women will not be able to get female visitors and men will not be present in 'birthing rooms' (it's 'maternity units'). This is where you see how ludicrous the arguments have become. The Scottish Government has never supported gender-critical women, refusing to engage with us meaningfully prior to enacting its daft legislation, which it only got through by forcing MSPs to support it or lose the blessing of their then leader. Even now, they imply the Government will have to undergo some drastically difficult contortions to implement the law. It shouldn't be that difficult. The law is now clear. What is less obvious is that the Scottish Government even effectively gaslit trans people by making them believe they could change sex when they cannot. The Scottish Government now faces a major financial headache in changing its guidance to public bodies to ensure single-sex provision. Some definitely seem more concerned at the fate of trans people than they ever were about women's safety being compromised and women self-excluding from public toilets for religious reasons. They fret about where trans people will now go to the toilet. How about all those gender-neutral toilets which were installed up and down the country (or changed from being male and female) as the Scottish Government decided the law would change in its favour? Just don't take the easy way out and disadvantage disabled people by saying trans people should use their facilities, as was Shirley-Anne Somerville's suggestion in the trans schools guidance. The law is now clear. Let the Scottish Government's response to it also be clear and its support for the women of Scotland be unequivocal. Better late than never. Julia Pannell Tayside THERE was only ever going to be one topic for my letter this week. An issue that I feel very strongly about and which makes my blood boil. Women are now well and truly safe from marauding guys in skirts barging intae their toilets and sexually assaulting them. Hallelujah! (I was always partial to the lowest form of wit!) Seriously, I was always taught that a proper civilised society treats its minority groups and vulnerable folk with the utmost respect. Well, right now, I can't think of a more vulnerable, put-upon minority group within Scotland and the whole of the UK than the trans community (less than 1% of the population). Given the recent Supreme Court judgment, they are most certainly about to be put upon even more! For aw us men and women (the 'proper' type as deemed by the Supreme Court), imagine innocently going into a bar or restaurant for a drink or a meal, then it comes to the point we need a pee, or maybe something a bit more! There are two toilets – one is totally out of bounds, and the other is full o' folk that we find, given our appearance, totally intimidating. What the hell happens now! Depends on the strength of yer ain bladder or bowels, I guess! Time for a desperate rush out of said establishment to find another establishment outside, hopefully nearby, that has a disabled loo or a unisex one! Hopefully we can keep it in that long! This is the predicament trans folk now face. Before deciding where to drink or eat, a recce of potential bars and restaurants will need to take place beforehand to assess if they have a disabled or unisex loo. Hang on though, disabled toilets are for disabled folk. Why should trans folk be forced to utilise toilets specially adapted for disabled folk, another minority group in society whose needs are also often overlooked? That just leaves unisex toilets, which loads of bars and restaurants don't currently have. Returning to the 'threat' posed by said men in skirts against the female population. Am I missing something? The last time I checked the statistics for women and girls being assaulted by men posing as trans women or even genuine trans women themselves were so miniscule as to be insignificant. It's all about what MIGHT happen! What aboot us guys though! Statistics definitely reflect that women and girls are a million times more likely to be murdered, seriously assaulted, the victims of assault generally, rape, serious sexual assault, other sexual assaults, verbal sexual abuse, unwanted sexual comments, misogyny, etc, etc, by whom? Us 'proper' guys! Dae ye want me tae gaun on! For god's sake why can't folk gie the trans community a bloody break! Giving Rabbie Burns's famous song a bit of a twist, I reckon – 'a human being is a human being for aw that!' Ivor Telfer Dalgety Bay, Fife
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Opinion What the UK can learn from India about trans rights and inclusive feminism
On April 16, the UK Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, clarifying that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer exclusively to biological sex assigned at birth. This interpretation allows organisations to lawfully exclude transgender women from single-sex spaces — such as hospital wards, shelters, and sports categories — even if they hold Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs). Given the scope of the Equality Act, the ruling carries far-reaching implications for trans people in the UK. This judgment is political in nature — it reverses hard-won protections and significantly affects how trans women access public spaces. Many trans people fear increased vulnerability in an already transphobic and patriarchal society. It is worth noting that anti-discrimination laws in the UK and India are structured quite differently. India does not have a comprehensive anti-discrimination law; constitutional rights are largely enforceable only against the state. However, certain provisions — such as the abolition of untouchability or prohibition of child labour — apply horizontally to private individuals. Article 15(2), for instance, ensures that no citizen can be denied access to shops, restaurants, hotels, or places of public entertainment on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. This horizontal application can, at times, clash with the freedom of association, where individuals claim the liberty to exclude others based on personal conscience. While anti-discrimination bills have been proposed in India, none have been enacted. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court clarified in Kaushal Kishor v State of UP (2023) that constitutional silence on the horizontal application of rights should not be mistaken for prohibition — the state has a duty to protect citizens' rights and interests. In the UK, the enthusiasm expressed by petitioners over the exclusion of trans women reveals much about the prevailing social climate. For example, many argue that allowing trans women to participate in women's sports is unfair. This 'common-sense' stance, often grounded in a narrow view of biology, reflects deep-seated prejudices. This issue was brought home to me by the Ultimate Frisbee team at the National Law School in Bengaluru, where the sport is played in a gender-inclusive format. Curious, I turned to the work of Payoshni Mitra, an internationally recognised athlete rights activist who has campaigned against invasive sex-testing in sports. Mitra and her associates advocate a transformative approach to sports policy — one that affirms trans, intersex, and gender-diverse athletes instead of framing inclusion and fairness as mutually exclusive. Their work proposes four guiding principles: Lead with inclusion, decentre regulatory science, invest in community and youth sport, and double down on gender equity. Zooming out, we must ask: Why are some feminists advocating the exclusion of trans people from the category of 'woman'? Feminist movements of the 1970s and 1980s helped us understand gender as a social construct and opened space for alternative forms of care, community, and resistance to binary thinking. So how did some radical feminists — many of them lesbian — become vocal opponents of trans inclusion, especially in the US and UK? In her essay 'On Liking Women' (2018), Andrea Long Chu challenges the idea that this is simply a generational divide between older second-wave feminists and younger queer activists. Trans-exclusionary feminists, she argues, are often highly networked and active online, with a 'fascinating relationship to trolling.' Their insistence on defining gender strictly in terms of sex assigned at birth ignores the diversity of gender experience. Chu points out that trans women are not aspiring to become women — they are women. Reassignment surgeries are not only personal choices to feel comfortable in their body, but also about making universal claims on womanhood. In India, feminists have largely refrained from excluding trans people from the category of 'woman.' Since the 1980s, the 'women question' has remained open-ended and contested. Across national autonomous women's conferences and women's studies forums, a singular or normative definition of 'woman' has been consistently challenged. As a result, the category has remained inclusive and self-reflective. Feminists have also shown that under colonial law, 'woman' was never a uniform legal subject. In the revised edition of her landmark work Women and Colonial Law: A Feminist Social History (2025), Janaki Nair shows that women in India have always been internally differentiated by caste, class, region, and ethnicity. Legal discrimination does not impact all women equally. Feminists in India have often had ambivalent relationships with the law; some groups have questioned feminist involvement in pursuing criminalisation and punishment, seeking alternative modes of engagement and resistance. Cultural historians, too, have highlighted how trans identities in India are often shaped not by law but by regional cultures and ritual practices. As Gayatri Reddy shows in With Respect to Sex (2005), hijra identity in South India cannot be reduced to legal categories like 'third gender'. Many hijras understand themselves through moral economies of izzat (honour), memories of religious importance, and past roles at the tomb of Prophet Mohammed. The bonds of friendship between feminist queer people is apparent in Bengaluru, where trans persons — otherwise marginalised in public — have led queer mobilisation and have shaped the imagination and conscience of queer communities. Recently, I had the good fortune of documenting a series of 'townhalls' or open discussions organised by a non-funded queer peer group called All Sorts of Queer (ASQ) in Bengaluru, a 10-year-old, non-funded collective that began as a group for lesbian, bisexual, and transmasculine people assigned female at birth. Over time, it expanded to explicitly include non-binary individuals assigned female at birth. Recently, in response to questions about belonging and direction, ASQ hosted a series of 'townhall' discussions — online and offline — to reflect on identity, inclusion, and collective ethics. Rather than react to anonymous online criticism, the group chose dialogue, openness, and risk as a way to preserve trust and safety within the community. At a time when exclusion is often framed as protection, these collective practices of reflection, care, and solidarity remind us that the feminist and queer project has always been about expanding, not narrowing, the possibilities of belonging.
Irish Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, April 23rd: On Pope Francis, trans rights, Pakistan's Indus river, and space tourism
Sir, – The death of Pope Francis after a challenging illness is a sad time for all who admired him and his radical papacy. For divorced and remarried practicing Catholics it is gratifying and a gift to have marriage recognised and blessed by a person's birth faith. This is something that would not have happened under previous popes. Pope Francis was courageous and was happier to encourage and hug rather than to point the finger and scowl. – Yours, etc, THOMAS MORRIS GORMALLY, READ MORE Rathangan. Sir, – Despite the great sadness of Pope Francis's death, it is a great relief to observe so many facets of the media acclaim a world leader who spoke out for the disenfranchised, the disabled and the impoverished, and who understood and campaigned from a climate change perspective, and was deeply committed to mitigating the horrors of 'man's inhumanity to man'. With great personal humility, little sense of self and a compassionate insight on the vulnerability of humanity, he laid comprehensive foundations for making the Catholic Church Great Again. Would that others note his blueprint! – Yours, etc, MICHAEL GANNON, Kilkenny. Sir, – While I'm certain the pilgrims in St Peter's Square were delighted to see the Holy Father on Sunday morning and to receive his blessing, it's impossible not to be haunted by the feeling that, had he been dissuaded from exerting himself, he might still be with us. One is reminded uncomfortably of the late Queen Elizabeth, so much frailer than we had ever seen her, accepting the credentials of Liz Truss as prime minister, shortly before her majesty died. Now her heir, King Charles, is soldiering on despite his health problems. Do we expect too much of people in these positions, so that they feel unable to take a well-earned rest when it's called for? – Yours, etc, PAUL GRIFFIN, Merseyside, UK. Trans rights in Ireland Sir, – Under the heading 'UK ruling on biological sex' three letters published in The Irish Times were supportive of the UK's decision do define a woman (or man) as being the biological sex at birth ( Letters , April 19th). Your correspondents cite issues with ladies' Gaelic football changing rooms, single-sex spaces and lesbian clubs and bars. But none of them point to a basic truth: trans women pose almost no threat to women. People have been able to self-identify as trans in Ireland since 2015 (when Gender Recognition Certificates were introduced). Since then, there have been no recorded incidents of assault by trans women on women in single space areas in Ireland. If Ireland were to replicate the UK's decision, trans women will be expected to use the male toilets. It's not hard to imagine how a female-presenting trans woman would face increased danger in that situation. For almost no increase in security for women, the trans community would be made to feel even more vulnerable and marginalised. In addition, will masculine-looking women be challenged in women's toilets, simply based on appearance? Will we require some form of door check on those using public facilities? How will they perform the check? Will processes be standardised across all public single-sex spaces? In short if we were to go down this path, we will create increased danger, confusion, division and resentment, all for little or no benefit to women's safety. I have little doubt that the decision in the UK will increase the pressure to reopen the debate on trans rights here. We need our public representatives to prepare themselves and be determined to defend the equality we have created in Ireland. – Yours, etc, RICHARD KAVANAGH, Wicklow. Impressive space mission Sir, – The opinion piece written by columnist Liz Carolan was disappointing (' Katy Perry's 11 minutes as an astronaut were a waste of space. It could have been so much more ', Opinion, April 19th). Whatever one might think of space tourism, this was a promotional flight designed to show that space flight is not (quite) as dangerous as before. If Katy Perry returned excited and kissing the ground, it was perhaps because the crew was under no illusion that a failed parachute deployment might well have spelt death. Oprah Winfrey revealed that her friend Gayle King was 'absolutely terrified' by the prospect. Last week's helicopter crash in New York should be a reminder that technology can still catch us out with fatal results. The six women on the Blue Origin flight included an aerospace engineer, an astrophysicist, a TV editor/producer, a singer/songwriter, a film producer and an aviation executive/helicopter pilot. They were a diverse group that included a 70 year old. My granddaughters were impressed, which is all the proof I need that the mission was a success. – Yours, etc, GEORGE REYNOLDS, Blessington, Co Wicklow. Tech giants bow to Trump Sir, – Huge amounts have been written off the valuations of the tech giants, whose chief executives have flocked to support US president Donald Trump (' The silence of the CEOs in the face of Donald Trump's tariff chaos ', Economy, April 21st). Why are these chief executives not protesting vociferously about the Trump tariffs that are causing market chaos? The same charge could have been levelled at British leaders of the business community during the Brexit campaign. There were few manifestations of protest about this self-inflicted damage being wrought on the UK economy. Our society has become much more intolerant and woe betide the person who does not conform to the views of those who have become so powerful. There is a new ruthlessness in this, of a kind we used to associate with totalitarian dictators. Informed discussion and civilised exchanges on procedures and policies are unfortunately not the norm any more. – Yours, etc, EITHNE O'CALLAGHAN, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. A lifeline under threat Sir, – I write to you not only as a general practitioner living in Ireland, but as a son of Sindh, a historic province in southern Pakistan where one of the world's oldest Indus Valley civilisations once thrived. I watch in anguish as my homeland rises in a wave of protests and sit-ins in a desperate call to save the Indus river – the lifeline of our culture, economy and existence. The Pakistani federal government, alongside Punjab province and supported by the military establishment, has launched a controversial plan to construct six large canals under the 'Green Pakistan Initiative'. These canals would divert water from the already depleted Indus to arid lands in Punjab's Cholistan desert. This is not a small technical project. For Sindh, it is an existential threat. The Indus is not just a river, it is the only source of fresh water for Sindh's people and the foundation of our agriculture, drinking water and ecosystem. Without it, life becomes impossible. The scale of devastation this canal project could unleash is hard to overstate: mass displacement, collapse of farming communities, disease and famine. If allowed to proceed, this plan may not just damage Sindh, it risks triggering a slow, systematic genocide through economical and ecological destruction, where an entire nation is denied the means to survive in its own homeland. What is remarkable – and largely unseen in Pakistan's history – is the scale and unity of the response. Lawyers have launched indefinite sit-ins, professors have closed colleges, farmers and students have joined the streets. This is not a political movement, it is a civil, social, and cultural uprising. And yet, the federal authorities remain unmoved. We Sindhis are not asking for charity or conflict. We are demanding fairness, sustainability and the basic right to exist. The world must understand: this is not merely a water dispute. It is a question of life and death. A nation without its river is a nation condemned. – Yours, etc, Dr MUHAMMAD MATARO HINGORJO, Limerick. Aviation industry and climate Sir, – Dr Ola Lokken Nordrum's refers to the media offering free PR to high-emission industries by encouraging carbon-intensive air travel, and that this must be addressed 'if we are serious about climate action' ( Letters , April 22nd). But the media is not the only culprit. Our Government contributes to the profits of the aviation industry and encourages people to frequently fly by providing approximately €600 million each year to that industry in the form of exemption from tax on jet kerosene. I receive no tax exemption on my fuel if I drive to Cork but I do if I fly! In addition, in 2009-2014 Ireland had an air travel tax (passenger charge) but it was abolished to support the aviation industry. Furthermore, we impose a zero VAT rate on tickets. If we are serious about climate action, these issues must also be addressed. – Yours, etc, PAUL O'SHEA, Shankill, Dublin 18. Worthwhile career choice Sir, – Brian Mooney gives too narrow a perspective in answering your correspondent's question: ' My son wants to study sustainability but has no idea what course to choose. Can you help ?' (Education, April 20th). In his reply, he talks mainly about agriculture, which indeed the letter writer highlights as one of their son's strongest subjects, but agriculture is more than farming and food. Nor is sustainability a new idea. Forestry, based on the ideal of sustained yield, was well developed in 19th century Germany, following centuries of overexploitation. Today, our forests and their harvested wood products are critically important in the battle against climate change because they capture and store carbon as well as substitute for steel and concrete. I can think of few more worthwhile careers. – Yours, etc, DR CORMAC O'CARROLL, Salzburg, Austria. Bearing witness Sir, – Primo Levi, survivor of Auschwitz, taught us that the act of bearing witness is not just a moral obligation, but a warning. He wrote: 'It happened; therefore it can happen again.' His words were not meant to serve one people alone, but to protect humanity from the spiral of dehumanisation and indifference that enabled the Holocaust. Today, as we witness the suffering of civilians in Gaza – trapped, bombarded, displaced – we echo Levi not to compare tragedies, but to recognise patterns of violence that must never be normalised. To speak out against the suffering of Palestinians is not to deny Jewish suffering; it is to affirm our shared humanity. And yet, in invoking Levi's name to call for an end to collective punishment and state violence, many are accused of anti-Semitism. This is a cruel irony. To bear witness to the horrors of the Gaza ghetto is not an act of hate – it is an act of conscience. We cannot allow moral clarity to be distorted by political defensiveness. If 'never again' is to mean anything, it must apply to all people. Levi's legacy belongs not to any one nation, but to all who choose to see clearly, speak bravely, and defend the dignity of every human life. – Yours, etc, DECLAN DOYLE, Kilkenny. Dublin now and then Sir, – I grew up in the Dublin of the 1960s travelling daily across the city from Drumcondra to Sandymount for school over 10 years. Viewed from the top of the bus some of the older buildings en route had a certain charm. However, there was large-scale dereliction, 'tooth gaps' on streets and poor quality housing . All resulting in a grim city. Since then the quality of architectural design has improved immeasurably with great examples of public and private housing. Una Mullally in her column sees the city through a prism of ugliness (' Why are most new housing schemes in Dublin so terrible? ', Opinion, April 14th). However, I agree with your correspondent ( Letters , April 17th) and am not buying into Ms Mullally's opinion. - Yours, etc, KIERAN GALLAGHER, Architect, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Bank holiday reading treat Sir, – I would like to thank Miriam Lord whose intelligence and wit kept us going during the unruly first term of the new Dáil. Her end-of-term ' Easter awards ' were a welcome bank holiday treat after the long political Lent we have endured (April 19th). I particularly liked the 'Best Leo Varadkar tribute act' that went to US vice-president JD Vance for his 'very Leo' novelty shamrock socks. I look forward, as always, to more of Ms Lord's Dáil reports. Silk purses come to mind. – Yours, etc, CHRIS FITZPATRICK, Dublin 6. Truth standing on its head Sir, – How does he do it? I refer to the cartoon by Martyn Turner regarding Jesus the Palestinian ( April 18th ). He is perhaps the most famous person in the world and unfortunately the Palestinian people are the most persecuted people in the world today, and the victims of mass murder. GK Chesterton has defined paradox as 'truth standing on its head to attract attention'. So often these cartoons display such paradox. Congratulations Mr Turner on your astute artwork. – Yours, etc, KATHLEEN FORDE, Dublin 9. 'Clean rotten' A chara, – May I add to Frank McNally 's Hiberno-English intensifying adjectives ('pure') the word 'clean' meaning extremely or thoroughly, as in the expression 'clean rotten'. – Le meas, CAOIMHÍN Ó SEANÁIN, Béal Feirste.
