ONCE upon a time here in Britain we valued free speech and even where there was disagreement, there was mutual respect and tolerance for differing views.

Looking at the papers and the comments on the Echo website we now seem to live in an age where the attitude is 'my view is right and the only one and how dare anyone disagree'.

This is evident locally in such issues as cyclist v motorist, cycling on the sea front and dogs. Nationally, the Brexit debate is a good example.

Another area is marriage and sexuality. Dare to express a conservative view on these issues and you are labelled 'bigoted' or '...phobic'.

Faith Eckersall's View from the Hill is a classic example. There are those of us who take the view that your sex is determined by your chromosomes at birth but recognise that a very small minority of people suffer from gender dysphoria and deserve sympathy, understanding and medical help.

They have the right not to face discrimination or bullying.

What we are very uncomfortable with is the way that the transgender agenda is being forced upon us.

Parents should be told if their daughter is to share changing or sleeping facilities with a boy who says he is a girl and have the right to opt out.

We have the right to say that we do not wish to share a changing room with someone born of the opposite sex but who is or has transitioned, to say it is wrong to allow men who identify with women to enter women's refuges, to say that to encourage children as young as four to consider transitioning or even to allow a man to legally change sex simply by saying he is a woman, and vice versa is wrong. These rights are gradually being eroded thanks in no part to articles like Faith's.

So Faith we are not living in the 14th century and know the world really isn't going to end because of this issue. You may disagree with our views but we have the right to hold and express them and they do not make us transphobes. So get over it.

R F COOPER

Laidlaw Close, Poole