David Young on PA Media reports ( Varadkar warns against turning gender equality vote into debate on trans issue 30 March):
Any attempt to turn the referendum on gender equality into a debate about trans issues would be tenuous and bogus, the Taoiseach [ Dusty - that’s the Irish prime minister, folks ] has warned.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar said there was need for a discussion about trans issues in Ireland but that the debate should have its “anchor in the centre”, rather than extremists shouting at each other.
On a visit to Co Wicklow, Mr Varadkar was asked about whether he was concerned about the “toxic nature” of the debate on trans issues and whether he felt it would influence the planned referendum on gender equality.
In line with the recommendations on gender equality made by the Citizens’ Assembly, people will be asked to vote on a series of amendments to the constitution this November.
These would involve including a specific reference to gender equality; widening the definition of a family beyond those families that involve a marriage; and replacing a reference to “women in the home” with a section highlighting the importance of care in Irish society.
“I really don’t think it should have any impact on this year’s referendum, it’s about women in the home,” the Taoiseach said.
“I’m sure people will try and make some sort of connection, but it would be a pretty tenuous and bogus one quite frankly.”
He added: “I think we do need to have a discussion and a debate about trans issues. There aren’t that many trans people in Ireland. They’re a small minority. A lot of them are very vulnerable people.
“I don’t like to see people talking about them as if somehow they’re a threat to others. They’re no more a threat to others than people who aren’t trans or straight people or gay people.
“I really hate that idea of them being targeted as people who are a threat to children or a threat to others. They’re no more threat to others than any other group in society and I really hope people will avoid straying into that space.
“But, you know, there are genuine questions that people are asking, you know there are parents at the moment who have trans girls and trans boys and they’re struggling to work out what’s best for their kids and there are people who have kids in school who have a trans kid in the class and a lot of this is new to people.
“And it’s kind of new to me as well [Dusty - does that mean you are not aware of the Gender Recognition Act 2015,Taoiseach] , even though I know people who are trans. So, you know, I think we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it, because if we don’t talk about it and anchor it in the centre, then the extremes will do all the talking. And they just want to shout at each other [ Dusty - no, Taoiseach, the anti-women activists want to shout at us - see Auckland].”
Dear Taoiseach
I think you are misleading us on this and I speak as an Irish citizen.
The Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality was established by Oireachtas [ the Irish Parliament] resolution in July 2019 to ‘consider gender equality and make recommendations to the Oireachtas to advance gender equality by bringing forward proposals’.
You will find the report of the Citizens Assembly here:
Article 41 of Bunreacht na hÉireann ( the Irish Constitution) as currently formulated, reads:
41.2.1 In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.
41.2.2 The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.
The alarming ( to say the least) proposal from the Assembly is ( at page 57) that:
The Assembly should recommend that this provision be deleted from the Constitution and further recommend that it be replaced with a provision relating to care that would not be gender-specific.
Equally alarmingly, the Assembly recommends that Article 40.1 of the Constitution should be amended to refer explicitly to gender equality and non-discrimination. The existing wording of Article 40.1 is:
All citizens shall as human persons be held equal before the law.
Which, as far as I can make out, involves writing women and the word ‘woman’ out of the Constitution.
Previously the Irish Government brought in gender recognition in 2015 by tacking a question about this to a referendum that was mainly about same sex marriage. That question went completely under the radar.
Please ensure that the Constitution is not altered to erase ‘women’ from it.
Yours sincerely
Dusty Masterson
I will be sending this message to the Taoiseach ( though I doubt whether I’ll get a response).
The devil will be in the detail , of course, and the recommendations will be coming out in the summer. This time we are ready, Irish Terven!
More good news from the States
Leah Willingham reports in Associated Press ( West Virginia governor signs ban on gender-affirming care 29 March)
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday signed a bill banning gender affirming care for children, joining at least 10 other states that have enacted laws restricting or outlawing medically supported treatments for transgender youth.
Catching up with Barry!
EDI Jester has been very busy!
There are 5 (!!) recent videos so I’ll just leave you to find them on his You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@edijester
One is about the Health Secretary’s recent missive to the NHS. I have just heard of an elderly man who was being asked pre-op questions at a private hospital by a nurse and was asked if he was pregnant! To be fair both the nurse and him collapsed laughing. She didn’t want to have to ask the question, of course.
The Platform
After Sean Plunket’s wonderful post- Auckland phone in, the obvious next step was to get KJK on which he has done and several women who were at the event phoned in. Do listen to it if you haven’t done so yet. Often very moving:
Sean Plunket ends by thanking KJK for giving them 45 minutes of her time and says: ‘She gave us more respect than our country collectively gave her.’
If you like this update please share with a friend. Until next time, Terven. This isn’t over yet! Please subscribe for free, like and share.
It sounds like he wants us to be re educated. It's new to us, is it. We don't know any better, do we not.