Tha cruaidh feum air deasbad a tha nas socaire

Iain Swinney is Ceit Fhoirbheis a’ nochdadh air beulaibh na meadhanan Dimàirt. (Dealbh: Andy Buchnanan/Getty Images)

Ma bha duine sam bith ag èisteachd ris an Dr Hilary Cass agus i a’ bruidhinn aig Comataidh na Slàinte ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Dimàirt, ghabhadh iad fìor iongnadh gun robh cuid a’ cur às a leth gu bheil i mì-phroifiseanta agus mì-chothromach mu thimcheall a cuid obrach.

[English-language version below]

Bha i ciallach, reusanta agus fiosraichte, mar a shaoileadh thu bho a h-eachdraidh chliùiteach phroifiseanta. Ach ann am poileataigs na h-Alba an-dràsta, far an e èigheach is gràin a tha a’ cunntadh nas motha na càil eile, chan eil duine air an cùmhnadh.

Bha cuid ga càineadh bhon a thuirt i ann an sgrùdadh oifigeil gum bu chòirear a bhith nas fhaicealaiche mu bhith a’ toirt seachad leigheis dha daoine òga airson an gnè atharrachadh.

Coltach ris a’ mhòr mhòr chuid dha daoine eile, tha mi an amharas, chan eil cus eòlais agam-sa air a’ chuspair, ach tha e soilleir gu bheil cunnartan an lùib a’ ghnothaich seo ann an eanchainnean òga a tha fhathast a’ fàs agus a tha fhathast a’ lorg àite san t-saoghal, agus an iomadach cuideam a tha ma choinneamh sin.

Le m’ aineolas mar a tha, tha mi ro thoilichte fhàgail aig eòlaichean mar Dr Cass, ach ‘s cinnteach gun urrainn dhan deasbad mu thimcheall a bhith air a chumail ann an dòigh nas bàidheile agus gun a bhith cur às leth dhaoine gu pearsanta.

Tha e reusanta gu leòr an dà thaobh dhen seo fhaicinn, agus tha mi an amharas gur ann mar sin a tha a’ mhòr chuid againn – mothachail gum faodadh cunnartan a bhith lùib atharrachadh ghnè, gu h-àraid ann an òigridh, ach aig an aon àm, gabhail ris gum faodadh barrachd a dhèanamh airson taic a chumail ri daoine a tha a’ faireachdainn gu bheil iad glaiste anns a' bhodhaig cheàrr. Chan eil rian nach eil sin duilich gabhail ris agus bu chòir truas a bhith riutha.

Le cho ìosal ‘s a tha poileataigs ann an Alba air a dhol, ‘s dòcha gum faodadh dùil ris an deasbad air atharrachadh ghnè a bhith cho suarach, le gach taobh a’ slàraigeadh air a chèile, agus e buileach nas miosa ma bheir thu sùil air cuid dhe na tha a’ dol air na meadhanan-sòisealta.

Ged a tha faireachdain làidir air gach taobh, bu chòirear a ràdh – gu socair – gur e an dearbh fheadhainn a tha a’ fàs cho fiadhaich mu dheidhinn, an aon fheadhainn a tha a’ deanamh na h-uimhir a' chroin, agus tha sin cho fìor mun argamaid aca fhèin agus a tha e mu dheidhinn càil sam bith eile. Agus tha sin fìor air gabh taobh.

An là às dèidh dha Dr Cass nochdadh air beulaibh na comataidh, ghabh Iain Swinney a-nall mar a’ Chiad Mhinistear, le gealladh gun toir e air adhart poileataigs ùr nas coibheile agus nas còire.

Le bhith ag ràdh sin, cha robh mòran choltais fiù ‘s air a fhèin gun robh e cinnteach gun seasadh e. A’ cuimhneachadh mar a bhiodh e fhèin ag èigheach, ‘s a’ bualadh a bhoisean, is a' crathadh a mheuran ri taobh Nicola Sturgeon, ‘s dòcha gu bheil adhbhar a bhith teagmhach.

Ach tha cothrom ann cùisean ùrachadh agus ’s e sin a tha an sluagh ag iarraidh agus a’ cur feum air.

Ach chan eil fhios am am bu chòirear gealladh ro mhòr a chur air.

English-language version:

Anyone tuning in to the evidence that Dr Hilary Cass gave the Scottish Parliament’s health committee on Tuesday would have been forgiven for feeling bewildered by the portrayal of her in some quarters as a narrow-minded zealot interested only in the pursuit of her own prejudices. She came across as reasoned, reasonable and knowledgeable, which her professional background would rightly indicate.

But in the fevered atmosphere of Scottish politics, where being able to shout the loudest seems the most important characteristic, anyone, it seems, is fair game. The deliberate attempts to cast aspersions on her professional reputation came after a study in which she questioned the impact of medical interventions such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on young people. The study covered England and Wales but is equally relevant in Scotland, hence her appearance at Holyrood.

Like 99.9 per cent of the general public, I suspect, I am entirely unqualified to offer any view on the process involved in gender realignment, except to note the rather obvious pitfalls it could potentially present in minds that are still developing and still exploring their place in the world, while exposed to all sorts of external and internal pressures.

I’m quite happy to leave it to Dr Cass and those far more qualified than I, but surely the wider debate can be conducted in more of an atmosphere of cordiality and understanding. It is, in effect, possible to see it from both sides at once and I suspect most of general public do – recognising that gender realignment can carry real dangers, especially among the young, while understanding that more needs to be done to support those who believe they were born into the wrong physical form, which must come with no end of turmoil and misery.

Given the backdrop of where Scottish politics has descended and the sensitives involved in the gender debate, it was probably inevitable that it would become highly polarised, with the extremes of both sides accusing each other of prejudice and much worse if you delve into the darkest recesses of what constitutes debate on social media. It should be pointed out – gently – that they are only damaging their own cause.

The day after Dr Cass appeared in front of the health committee, John Swinney was sworn in as First Minister, promising a much kinder and more gentle form of politics. Mind you he didn’t even appear himself convinced it would last and, given his previous penchant for petulance as Nicola Sturgeon’s megaphone back-up in Holyrood, maybe with good reason.

But there is an opportunity for a reset and it is what the wider public desire and deserve. I wouldn’t go betting the family silver on it ever happening, though.