Letter: Gender questions

I was puzzled by the headline of your article, "'Respect' for new UK Scrabble champion" (2 November). Respect? You don't appear to have accorded Mikki Nicholson much.

Most male-to-female transsexuals self-identify as women and prefer female pronouns and titles. Did you ask Nicholson which she preferred? If you did ask, then I apologise.

However, the article focuses heavily on Nicholson's gender - is it really relevant to her Scrabble victory that she is a transsexual? That she has not had gender confirmation surgery?

Inquiring minds may well want to know, but it's a highly personal detail, and is it any of our business?

Of course it's worth reporting on the pink wig and the PVC dress; it gives the article colour, and people are always fascinated by transgender issues, so it's worth letting us know that Nicholson was born a man.

In my opinion, however, the article would have been much better and more respectful if it had referred to Nicholson as a woman, and her trans status was given the same prominence as her fear of phones.

Iba Brayne

Queens Crescent

Glasgow