I'm afraid I must take a fair amount of umbrage at the misrepresentation of Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, aka Posey Parker, in recent coverage in The Irish News. Posey Parker is not anti-trans, she is pro-women.
She has publicly debated many times with trans activists in the media, and has stated that biological males have no right to be in private and personal female-only domains.
She has argued that trans people should have their own changing spaces and their own sporting category assigned to them.
I do not find these views controversial. Being a father of a 16-year-old, I do not want my daughter and her friends going swimming with someone like myself, a 55-year-old man, 5ft 10in and 14 stone, declaring he has the right to use the same space as they do. I find that view repugnant in the extreme and it is not controversial to be opposed to it.
Your reference to the recent mayhem in New Zealand when Posey Parker held her Let Women Speak rally was the reason I felt compelled to write this in the first place, as the demonstration of what appears to be a right-wing Neo-Nazi group had nothing to do with her rally.
She publicly disavowed this group in interviews on the media, both in New Zealand and the UK – a simple search through YouTube under Posey Parker New Zealand will reveal that information.
The violence and absolute misogyny shown to women who solely wanted to define themselves at Posey Parker’s rally was breathtaking. Women were punched, kicked and thrown to the ground and the response of New Zealand law enforcement was abysmal.
People like Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posey Parker, Sharon Davis and Riley Gaines are heroines of mine, for the simple reason they are defending the rights of my teenage daughter, and all other biological women and girls.
I’ve never replied to any newspaper column/media commentary before in my life, but I feel things have gone beyond ridiculous at the moment.
PAUL NASH
Derry City
‘Eaten bread soon forgotten’
Thank you for your editorial – ‘Biden’s message of hope’ (April 17) – lauding the very successful visit of President Biden last week highlighting his close Irish family links and the long-standing contribution of Irish migrants to American life.
With this in mind I would like to raise my concern about President Biden’s new Asylum Transit Ban that will be implemented along the US/Mexican border in May.
It is designed to place onerous hurdles on migrants obliged to pass through multiple countries on their way to the US – its overall effect will be to deny the fundamental human rights of vulnerable persons fleeing poverty and seeking refuge in the US.
This significantly increases the exploitation of migrants and migrant deaths which are now at record levels because legal pathways at the border are denied.
Furthermore, it is extremely disappointing that no politician or church leader on this island sought to raise these appalling injustices with Mr President when he was here last week.
Given our own history of migration and oppression it could have been a golden opportunity to publicly raise these grave matters with the man himself and to encourage him and his government to put in place policies more consistent with justice, human dignity, and the fundamental human rights of migrants on the American/ Mexican border.
As my late Father would often remark “ Eaten bread soon forgotten “
FR JOSEPH McCULLOUGH
St Patrick’s Missionary Society, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow
President’s minor gaffe certainly not newsworthy
It has been reported that President Joe Biden, while having a drink with friends in Dundalk, made reference to his distant cousin, Rob Kearney, when he, the president, said that Mr Kearney beat the hell out of the Black and Tans. I can’t understand what all the fuss is about. Rob Kearney wasn’t born when other Irish men and women beat the hell out of the Black and Tans. He was, however, a full back of the Irish rugby team that beat the hell out of the New Zealand team, also known as the All Blacks. Both events are written in our history books and most Irish people would be proud of both happenings. A minor gaffe by Mr Biden but nothing serious and certainly not newsworthy. The media and the White House must have no real news to speak of. Appeasement of the British and unionism would seem to be the only reason for this nonsense.
VAL MORGAN
Newry, Co Down
SDLP needs to get out of ‘sore loser’ mode
Tom Kelly’s column (April 17) lauds many of those, but not all, who were involved in ‘Herculean efforts required to achieve peace’ 25 years ago. To quote him: “Unfortunately, some of the giants of that era, John Hume, David Trimble, Seamus Mallon, Mo Mowlam and David Ervine are no longer with us”. Martin McGuinness is no longer with us. Was that a deliberate omission? Tom Kelly gives credit to Albert Reynolds, Bertie Ahern, John Major, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton and rightly so – but there is no mention of Gerry Adams. Was that a deliberate omission? One of the themes of his article – ‘Generosity toward future lies in giving all to present’ – is generosity but he seems to have little to spare for Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams. Towards the end of his article, Tom Kelly quotes Martin Luther King: “Don’t satisfy thirst by drinking from the cup of bitterness.” This is something he should ponder on himself and represents good advice to his former friends in the SDLP. They really need to get out of this sore loser mode before their current political decline becomes terminal.
W DONNELLY
Belfast BT11
