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Defending equality
• I WAS depressed after reading the letter two weeks ago in which the Rev PD Johnson defended Islington registrar Lillian Ladele for refusing to conduct civil partnerships (Registrar hounded over her deeply-held beliefs, January 18).
Of all places in the UK, I thought Islington would be the one where this kind of bigotry had died out.
However, it was such a relief to read a letters page almost entirely filled with robust and unequivocal defences of equality, particularly the letters from Andrew Pakula (Unity Unitarian Church) and MP Emily Thornberry (To see real persecution look at gay rights battle, January 25).
The one letter in defence of Ms Ladele (from Paddy Marsh) suggests that since there are 11 registrars, she should be allowed to skip her obligation to perform civil partnerships and pass it over to a colleague. What if the colleague says no? What if all 11 registrars say no? Are we to have no civil partnerships in Islington?
As Mr Pakula said, Ms Ladele “is required to carry out democratically elected legislation”. Ms Ladele’s personal views or morality are irrelevant. And as Ms Thornberry points out, would this registrar be permitted to refuse to marry divorcees? What about brides who are not virgins? Or couples of mixed religion?
Apologists for Ms Ladele come dangerously close to advocating a hierarchy of equality. We must resist this, and defend the equal rights we have fought so hard to enjoy.
RUTH ASHBEE
Ferntower Road, N5
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