Trinity Students Protest For Better Trans Healthcare in Ireland Following EU Report

Ailbhe Noonan Editor

Anumber of students gathered outside front gate to protest the lack of trans healthcare in Ireland and to witness a trans flag being dropped from two of the windows near front gate.

The group, including Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Gender Equality Officer Jenny Maguire, Chair of DU Gender Equality Society (DUGES) Leah Downey and incoming TCDSU President László Molnárfi, held a number of signs highlighting the issues facing the trans community with regard to access to healthcare.

The group also shouted chants including “trans healthcare now”, “trans rights, human rights”, and “what do we want, trans healthcare, when do we want it, now”.

Speaking at the protest, Maguire stated that “the attempts to silence the trans community in the media will not succeed”, adding that the community and its allies must “stand loud and proud”. Another student highlighted the discrimination faced by trans people in accessing gender-affirming healthcare, stating that “my own mother got a testosterone prescription before I did”.

Adding to this, Maguire stated that “this just highlights the dis- crimination in healthcare as decisions are often made for [trans people], as if they can’t make informed decisions for themselves”, followed by a chant of “informed consent now”.

“Keep fighting, keep tweeting, keep emailing your local TDs, in Ireland the politics is smaller than you think. Do anything you can because we’re not being taken seriously in a healthcare crisis that is disproportionately affecting some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society”, Maguire finished.

In an email statement to The University Times, TCDSU stated that they are “disgusted at the current state of gender-affirming healthcare for transgender people in Ireland”.

“Recently, Minister Stephen Donnelly accepted Trans and Intersex Pride’s view that waiting times to access gender-affirming care in this country are unacceptable”, they continued.

“Although we welcome the Minister’s acceptance of this fact, this issue goes beyond an estimated 8-10 year waiting list”.

They also highlighted a number of issues including the fact that a study conducted by Transgender Europe

Three candidates from across Ireland will contest the presidency for the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) –Patrick Curtin from the South Eastern Technological University Waterford Students Union (SETUWSU), Sai Gujulla from the University of Galway Students’ Union (CMLOÉG), and Asha Woodhouse from University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU).

Four of the races including the presidential race are to be contested, with the remaining six – Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Equality and Citizenship, Leas Uachtarán na Gaeilge, Vice President for the Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) Region, Vice President for the Southern Region and Vice President for the Dublin Region – uncontested.

Other than the race for President, the contested elections include Vice President for Welfare, Vice President for Campaigns and Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs.

Two candidates from Trinity are also running in the elections. Zaid Al-Barghouthi, a fourth-year law student and the current International Students Officer for Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) is running for Vice-President for Campaigns.

Al-Barghouthi is also the current Chair of the Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) Implementation Group and previously served as the Trinity Hall Junior Common Room (JCR) International Officer.

Al-Barghouthi faces three other candidates for the position – Aoife Hynes from Maynooth Students’ Union (MSU), Kieron Portbury from Queens University Belfast Students’ Union (QUBSU) and Christine O’Mahony from Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU).

PhD candidate and member of the Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO) Committee Seathrún (Jeffrey) Sardina is running for Vice President for Postgradu - ate Affairs.

Sardina was one of the founders of the PhDs’ Collective Action Union (PCAU), serving as the group’s President and then Vice President after stepping down from the presidency due to increased work obligations. He now serves on the PWO Committee following a merger with the Postgraduate Workers’ Alliance of Ireland (PGWA) to form the PWO.

Sardina also served as this newspaper’s Chair of the Editorial Board, having previously served as the paper’s Irish Editor and as a staff writer.

Other candidates for the role include Muhammad Mubashar Saeed and Muhammad Sayyam Afzal, both from DCUSU. Vice President for Welfare will see Colette Murphy from DCUSU running against Sarah Behan from USI’s Coiste Gnó. Bryan O’Mahony from SETUWSU is to run uncontested for the role of Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Kimberley Austin from St. Angela’s College Sligo Students’ Union (STACSSU), Kelda McManus from Munster Technological University Students’ Union (MTUSU) and Nathan Murphy from DCUSU will run uncontested for the roles of Vice President for the BMW Region, Vice President for the Southern Region and Vice President for the Dublin Region respectively.

Alicia Lewandowska from SETUWSU will run uncontested for Leas Uachtáran don Ghaeilge while James Curry from the Technological University of Dublin Students’ Union (TUDSU) is running uncontested for Vice President for Equality and Citizenship.

Sardina has stepped down from his role as Chair of the Editorial Board for the duration of the campaign period.

(TGEU), a network of trans organisations across the EU, ranked Ireland last in an assessment of the quality of trans healthcare and the “invasive and unnecessary” procedures and questions asked to trans individuals in order for them to access healthcare as well as the lack of healthcare for people under 18.

“We urge Minister Stephen Donnelly to consider the urgent need to recess transgender healthcare in Ireland and to listen to the trans communities’ call for an informed consent model that is led by GPs in local communities”, they added.

They finished: “TCD Students’ Union exists to defend all of its members. This year’s Gender Equality Week is unapologetically trans inclusive because none of us are free until all of us are”.

“Today’s demonstration aims to highlight that the fight for trans rights in Ireland is far from won. If you want to help us build on this campaign, please reach out to the Gender Equality Officer at genderequality@tcdsu. org or the LGBT Rights Officer at lgbt@tcdsu.org.”