2013 Election Special

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

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2013 ELECTION SPECIAL

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Ents President Openness Nominations Manifesto

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2

Upbeat campaigns a welcome shot in the arm

CONTENTS Page 3 The Presidential Race Presidential correspondent Fionn O’Dea reports on the efforts of the three candidates vying to be the chief representative of Trinity students next year.

Page 4 The Education Race Hannah Ryan reflects on the happenings in the Education race, and posits that while Jack Leahy may be opening up a lead in the polls, there is still much to play for.

Page 6 The Ents Race Carl Kinsella focuses on the very entertaining Ents campaign, and the singificant shifts which have resulted from Shmeesh’s exit from the contest.

Page 7 The Welfare Race Rebecca O’Keeffe reports on the progress of this year’s sole candidate for the position of Welfare officer, Stephen Garry.

Page 8 The Jokers in the Pack Shauna Cleary looks at the impact of mock campaigns in this year’s elections.

Page 9 The First Important Step on a Long Road Eoin Silke implores you to vote Yes in the upcoming referendum on gender identity and expression.

Page 10

Owen Bennett Editor

An apology to, and article of response from David Quinn, Director of the Iona Institute.

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he weekend came just in time.

Campaigners begin the opening week of SU elections like greyhounds out of their traps; be they Freshers getting their first taste of SU elections, or fourth years coerced by their friends into putting in a shift opening doors for people (after all, what we all want in a sabbatical officer is in fact someone who’ll open the doors to the Arts Block all day). By Friday, however, student fatigue set in: passers-by became harder to convince to stop and talk, and campaigners became harder to motivate. In what looks set to be a relatively tightly-fought race, the candidate who has best maintained momentum, whoever that may be, may very well lead TCDSU next year.

The eve of campaigning coincided with the release of an admittedly early poll by The Campanile Electoral Study (CES) – a student-run initiative – which painted Tom Lenihan as the early frontrunner on 34.93%. His fellow competitors, Lylas Aljohmani and Rosa Langhammer, were virtually indistinguishable on 22.96% and 22.82% respectively. The candidates were at pains to dismiss these results, citing “early days” as justification for avoiding complacency or becoming disheartened. Results established by CES polls must be taken with a pinch of salt due to their online, unrepresentative nature. What is interesting, however, is how polling has altered since. A second CES poll placed Lenihan in a more commanding lead, with Langhammer opening up a gap ahead of Aljohmani in 3rd place.

A poll run by this newspaper late last week revealed consistency with the later CES poll with a perhaps more reliable breakdown. 42% of the 200 students surveyed in the Arts Block, Hamilton and in D’Olier St signalled that they would vote for Lenihan. Langhammer, however, is only 6 percentage points down on 36% with

Page 5 The Communications Race Conor Bates brings you up to date with the Communications race, set to be this year’s tighest election.

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Presidential correspondent Fionn O’Dea reports on the efforts of the three candidates vying to be the chief representative of Trinity students next year.

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Shaking hands and kissing babies

The University Times

light-hearted twist to these elections.

Th is reality can only be welcomed as sabbatical elections in the past have tended to function as cut-throat affairs, disillusioning for many students. While much is at stake for the fourteen candidates, we must not lose sight of the fact that these are two weeks which should be celebrated. We have before us fourteen of our peers, fourteen young men and women who are willing to go to tremendous lengths and make significant sacrifices to take on the mantle as the leaders of the students’ union in this college.

We must also appreciate the efforts of the campaign teams, and their willingness to put in hours of work to assist a friend or acquaintance in running for election.

However, one must also note that the same generic buzzwords appear to be once again defi ning the election period. ‘Change’, ‘transparency’, ‘accountability’ and ‘openness’ are words we grow tired of hearing.

These words represent the flawed idealism which is exhibited by many of the election candidates year-on-year.

Unfortunately, it never seems to be realised that many competent sabbatical teams have sought and failed to foster greater degrees of such superficially achievable features. In that context we must greet the promises of our election candidates with a degree of apprehension. There is no silver bullet to fi x the ‘problems’ of the students’ union.

Or maybe I am just becoming cynical.

Writing in these pages last year, the then editor of The University Times lambasted what he saw as a poor and uninspiring field of candidates that voters in the SU sabbatical elections were being asked to pick from. The editor bemoaned the lack of a campaign of comparable brilliance as that of the now legendary joke candidate Aaron Heffernan, a candidate for the Students’ Union presidency who captivated an electorate and ultimately pulled out of the contest for fear of winning in 2010/2011. ¯his year, I cannot but entertain a diametrically opposed analysis of election time to my predecessor.

All fi fteen candidates, now whittled down to fourteen after the withdrawal of Conor ‘Shmeesh’ Gleeson, have conducted themselves excellently.

Many, but understandably not all of the candidates, have prioritised policy over personality, a desirable state of affairs which should never be taken for granted in these elections.

Moreover, each campaign machine has sought to inject as much hype and intensity into their efforts as humanly possible. There have been a record number of election videos released this year, with a number succeeding in clocking up thousands of hits on YouTube and Vimeo. Election stunts have become a defi ning feature of these sabbatical elections, with many candidates seeking to use hype and humour as the vehicle to drive serious policy discussion.

Th is newspaper’s assertion before the elections that the inclusion of two joke campaigns was likely to vastly increase student engagement with the election process appears to have borne true. The campaigns of Cameron Macaulay and the much-missed Shmeesh have added a more inviting,

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Aljohmani on 17%. All in all, the results point to a two horse race between Lenihan and Langhammer, the latter with the more to do.

The three candidates divided their time between the Arts Block, Hamilton, D’Olier st etc. as well as making off-campus trips to St James’s, each with the hope of scrounging the allimportant votes that will make the difference. Unsurprisingly, the candidates each ran stunts in the attempt to capture more attention amongst the masses. Aljohmani’s team drew a crowd, performing a musical number on campus based on her policies.

Later in the week we saw the introduction of a large, balloon version of the candidate. Langhammer – each day of the week stressing a different point of her manifesto – brought a large wooden board, painted with an image of herself to campus for students to pose with, putting their faces through the hole left where the candidate’s face should be. Lenihan – who had to shrug off unwanted attention from the national press midweek due to comparisons made to his family’s political background – proved a hit with a portable putting green, allowing students to test their skills.

Other opportunities for candidates to impress students came during the traditional Dining Hall hustings as well further hustings hosted by Q Soc and by Fine Gael (the latter not attended by Lenihan). A good campaign video, meanwhile, can do a lot to capture to attention of the student body.

Lenihan’s video ‘It’s Time for Tom’ has garnered over 7,000 views on youtube but, short of showing the candidate off in his trademark Tiger Onesie, did little to get his policies across. Langhammer’s video, itself reaching over 2,000 views on youtube, attempted to get across the message of “genuine change”. Aljohmani’s video, unfortunately for the fi fth year Medicine student, failed to capture quite the same

attention but did talk viewers through many of the candidate’s manifesto points.

A clean, largely uncontroversial campaign, the race for TCDSU President appears to have churned out two likely candidates. Each of the three

Lylas Aljohmani.

Rosa Langhammer

Tom Lenihan.

candidates have performed strongly, in the end it will likely all come down to who had the bigger campaign team, who handed out more manifestoes, shook more hands, kissed more babies. Simply, whoever had the the more eye-catching campaign.

Photo: Lily McKillop

Photo: Owen Bennett

Photo: Shauna Watson

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Leahy beginning to pull away Hannah Ryan reflects on the happenings in the Education race, and posits that while Jack Leahy may be opening up a lead in the polls, there is still much to play for.

Despite deciding to contest these elections at the eleventh hour, John Curtin has orchastrated a very organised campaign. Photo: Shauna Watson

W

ith extensive changes to be expected in Trinity over the coming years, including a reformed admissions scheme and an ever-increasing student contribution charge, the question of who will fill the Education officer position is of significant interest to students, and this has been reflected in the race thus far. Pivotal issues such as Christmas exams, off-campus representation and library opening hours have been cropping up across the board, with promises of education clinics and skills seminars also featuring.

Campaign presence diminished and dispersed somewhat as the first week drew to a close, from a Monday morning which saw the Arts block teeming with [mainly] first-years clad in garish t-shirts, grasping manifestos

their way through an election period before will find this understandable: pledges of clinics and “increased accessibility” have been churned out year after year and a disenchanted, disconnected student body has witnessed few of these policies actually brought to fruition. The resultant scepticism is not helped by races which feature little variety between candidates and only slight innovation in the formulation of strategies. This year, however, the Education race has produced three quite dissimilar candidates.

With a questionably punned campaign tagline “Don’t vote blind, vote Curtin”, John Curtin has focused his stance on the fundamental issues of library modernisation, Christmas exams, exchange programmes and in-

Jack Leahy, who has attempted to target different voter segments with a broad range of policies, currently leads the polls. Photo: Shauna Watson and positively radiating enthusiasm, and it is not difficult to spot the cynics among the older student population.

Anyone who has dodged and glared

creased accessibility. He has also stated his desire to extend the service of the Education Officer out to Halls, by setting up an education clinic there,

and wants to support students studying abroad – a subject which he has personal experience with, having spent last year on Erasmus in Paris.

It is indisputably vital for the Education officer to direct a large part of his attention towards first years and the needs of Erasmus students, as Curtin says, but as yet there appears to be little about his platform that is truly novel, and this may be what is required to secure the position. According to the recent opinion poll conducted by The University Times, Curtin is currently placed second in the race, with 27% of student votes. Whether he can successfully increase this during the voting period may seem dubious, but as the poll surveyed a mere 200 students

effectively outline what should be the general aim of the next two or three Education Officers. This week the student body was introduced to Harrison, the plush mascot of the campaign, and an encouraging polling result of 44% may yield a victory if Leahy can sustain his impressive online and Arts block presence.

Finally, Eric Tebay’s campaign is premised on his long-term involvement with the Students’ Union, acting as this year’s EMS faculty convenor which he says is the same job as the Education Officer’s, but on a “smaller scale”. Having allegedly decided to run for the Education position in first year, Tebay promises to set up clinics in Halls and other off-campus ar-

All to play for in this year’s tightest race Leanna Byrne Conor Bates Communications correspondent

W EMS faculty convenor Eric Tebay commands a strong lead among Hamilton voters and is focusing his campaign message on his experience in different branches of the Students’ Union. Photo: Shauna Watson this result does not reflect the entirety of student opinion.

Jack Leahy’s health-science-specific policies have particularly impressed students in the Biomed building, with plans to introduce a more practical and accessible reading room, and he has also pledged, if elected, to support nurses and midwives against unwelcome government action and improve the opening hours of the John Stearne library in St. James’ Hospital. In other areas, he has proposed strategies to enhance the experience of Irish speakers in college, to advocate the introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms, and to organise seminars on workplace discrimination.

Indeed, the scope of Leahy’s campaign seems to have been steadily widening throughout the week, and while he covers a larger range of issues than Curtin, his policies are nevertheless ambitious. However he does

eas and proposes the creation of a Facebook page for the Education Office. Tebay’s campaign stunt, featured around campus throughout the week, consists of a cut-out of a teacup which reads “Vote Eric for Education, he’s my cup of Tebay”, with which students can have their photo taken. Finishing last in the poll with 17% of votes, his success seems doubtful but, again, this represents only 200 students and perhaps Tebay’s wealth of SU experience can push him ahead in the next few days.

With voting kicking off on Monday and Halls Hustings yet to take place, the Education race remains marginally open; Leahy’s victory, though apparently likely, is by no means a foregone conclusion and it remains to be seen whether Curtin, his chief opponent, can close the gap between them before Thursday.

ith the highest number of candidates battling for votes, the communications race was always going to be a close one. True to form it has been hotly contested, with the candidates all revolving their arguments around a number of policy issues. The three main issues, which are at this stage the veritable constants of any communications race, were the gap between the SU and its students, the development of The University Times and modern media, and the accountability of the Students’ Union and UT. Rising to the fore, as it does so often, is the seminal issue of the disconnect between students and their union.

Ricky McCormack’s campaign seems largely focused on this problem. McCormack has spent his days canvassing in lecture theatres in order to showcase his proposal of weekly communication clinics to combat this issue. Students have appeared to react positively to this, as he took the lead in

RIcky McCormack

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Tommy Gavin the UT opinion poll. Matt Taylor and Leanna Byrne have both addressed the issue in their discussions with students, and although they have received positive feedback, McCormack still fared better. Perhaps the specific reference in his manifesto gripped the students more than the somewhat ethereal commitments made by the other two candidates. One of the more striking policies in this race is Tommy Gavin’s online SU forum. Gavin has stressed that the forum would be free to implement and free to use, but as a latecomer to his manifesto it appears to lack the reach of the other candidates’ policies.

On the issue of the future of The University Times, and modern media, it was again Gavin who proposed the most radical changes. The suggested movement away from the current UT format, to a digital-first newsroom and bi-monthly publication has drawn some criticism, but Gavin has rebutted it, citing successful American college newspapers which have done the same. Byrne unveiled a prototype app for the UT, while Taylor proposed a similar development.

Both promises of apps were met with interest from students. Byrne also promised the inclusion of ‘student relevant supplements’ in next year’s University Times, while Taylor’s dedication to a full Irish language page has encouraged strong support from Trinity’s Irish speaking population.

McCormack is the only of the four candidates who has not held an editorial role in the UT, and as such his credentials were questioned at hustings.

Again though, the students present, and the wider audience, seemed to respond well to McCormack’s assertions that he was more than capable of taking on the mantle of editor.

The issue of SU transparency and accountability, and its potential conflict with the editorial independence of The University Times was an issue that was raised a number of times on the campaign trail last week. In this frame it is hard to really know who performed best, as each of the candidates affirmed their commitment to an open SU and journalistic integrity. Taylor and Gavin provided the most substantive approaches to editorial independence, in the form of an

Matt Taylor

editorial board and a formal code of practice and ethics, respectively.

This is a campaign that has exuded positivity. No sanctions from the EC on any candidate, no negative campaigning and most importantly lots of engaging policy and substantive, implementable promises. In terms of the student reaction, and if you trust the opinion polls, Ricky McCormack holds a lead over Matt Taylor, 37% leading 29%. According to the poll, conducted last Thursday and Friday, Byrne ranks third on 19%, with Gavin bottom of the pile on 9%. With a reasonable proportion of 6% not yet sure, it’s really quite tough to know who has made the biggest impact on the undecided minority. In theory, if you stick with the UT poll prediction, it appears that Taylor and McCormack have mobilised the majority and look set to duel it out for the much coveted position. In practice, that six percent could have a decisive bearing on the final outcome.

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Ents candidates Cian Mulville, Sean Reynolds and Cameron Macaulay at last Wednesday’s LGBT hustings.

Photo: Owen Bennett

Shmeesh’s withdrawl alters Ents landscape Carl Kinsella Ents correspondent

T

his week’s campaigning came to a close with one more twist in the plot and one fewer name on the ballot. Having originally asserted his intention to ‘launch a serious side to [his] campaign’, Conor ‘Shmeesh’ Gleeson surprised students by bowing out of the race despite being hot on the heels of forerunner Sean Reynolds. In an official statement released on Friday, Shmeesh cited problems with the fundamental laws of physics as a key stumbling block to his promise of a 36-hour study room, and the reluctance of ‘the administrative and journalistic factions of the college to take a bribe’.

Levity aside, Shmeesh’s withdrawal represents a vast change in the landscape of the Ents race on account of his emphatic endorsement of Sean Reynolds. This week’s second Campanile Electoral Study is consistent with the poll released by The University Times, identifying Reynolds as the hot favourite with over 50% of the vote in both polls (once votes for Shmeesh had been removed). The CES have confirmed that had Shmeesh’s votes

been included, Reynolds would have maintained a lead of 41% to Shmeesh’s 28%, leaving competitors Cian Mulville and Cameron Macauley struggling to make up the numbers, only inching their way into double figures.

As he finds himself second in the polls, it is fair to say Cameron Macaulay’s campaign went from strength to strength over the course of the week, and he will no doubt be pleased with the positive response to his humorous videos which satirized both the campaigns and promises of typical Ents candidates. Macaulay’s campaign has appealed to students to the extent that he fought his way to 23% of the vote in the UT poll, leaving Cian Mulville trailing behind. One must assume Macaulay’s popularity relies heavily on the lovable character he has created, as it could be argued that his campaign promises (eg. ‘Top Trumps’, ‘Mumford!’ and ‘Rivaldo’) leave much to be desired. Second in both polls, it would be foolish to rule Macaulay out of the running but maintaining ‘The Doubler’ (his recently-announced attempt to run for the offices of Ents and Welfare simultaneously) will see Cameron spread very thin over the coming week.

From Reynolds’ point of view there is much to celebrate. Despite heavy Electoral Commission sanctions for arousing the wrath of the Halls warden by transporting six busloads of students from Milltown into the City Centre on Monday, Reynolds’ campaign has not stuttered. His chief serious competitor Cian Mulville has done much by way of interacting with as many students as possible, visiting both lecture halls and society rooms but there seems to be one question mark too many over his head. Mulville’s involvement with the muchmaligned ‘Frat’ (an organisation the SU itself is mandated to oppose) sets him directly at odds with the position he would potentially hold. One going in search of an explanation for his 11% poll numbers need look no further than his involvement in the Frat and in the past, Midnight Promotions, institutions who have both come under widespread criticisms in Trinity College over the past year. Rightly or wrongly, it seems as though students have turned their affections towards a candidate whose prospective tenure would carry fewer complications. According to the polls, this candidate is Sean Reynolds.

However, the race is far from over.

The Campanile Electoral Study was eager to clarify that there has been some gamesmanship at play with regards their online polls, highlighting the fact that one particular individual completed the survey ’31 consecutive times from the same IP address in 18 minutes’. This offers hope to both Mulville and Macaulay and will ensure that Reynolds will has a nervy week ahead. Much is made of the canvassing done the week before the ballot boxes sit atop desks across campus, but all that really matters is who can drag more people to the polls between Monday and Thursday. There is enough time for Mulville or Macaulay to up their efforts and seal a sweet goodbye to the Ents race, pipping Reynolds to the post and perhaps benefitting from those voters who held them as second preference to Shmeesh. As things stand however, the polls suggest a Valentine’s Day massacre in favour of Reynolds on the 14th.

Despite running in an uncontested race, sole Welfare candidate Stephen Garry has taken every opportunity to push his policies.

Photo: Owen Bennett

Garry set for sweeping win

Rebecca O’Keeffe Welfare correspondent

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he sole Welfare candidate Stephen Garry and his team had a busy last week on the campaign trail and he is happy with how the first week went. ‘Overall it’s been a great week and I look forward to continuing the momentum in the coming days’. Although he is the only Welfare candidate he has shown that he wants to prove to the electorate that

the provision of education and training programmes to ensure that ‘those who find themselves in a position where they need to provide support are well equipped to deal with the situation’.

His manifesto sets out clearly his aims to cover many areas of student welfare and he is driven enough to see them all through; ‘I will strive for a holistic approach to well-being, focusing on mental health, physical health, and practical concerns such as finan-

“Garry is set to beat RON easily given his wealth of college involvemen in many aspects of student welfare” he is fit for the role. He has a number of new initiatives he hopes to bring in, including ‘Cycle to College’, ‘Don’t Walk Home Alone’ and an online chat service. He has also stressed that each and every campaign he will be running is of equal importance.

These will be put into action through

cial and accommodation issues.’ This will be carried out with campaigns such as a gym buddy system and various workshops he has lined up in conjunction with college staff and outside bodies.

Naturally, candidates in uncontested races can suffer from a lack of

motivation and can struggle to generate the same degree of interest associated with tightly-fought contests.

However, over the course of the first week of campaigning, Garry attended hustings and various debates to put across the main points of his manifesto. He attended the abortion debate and he feels it is important that he remain neutral as he wants to students to feel they can approach him whatever the issue may be but he looks forward to hearing the result of this important issue.

Garry is set to beat RON easily given his wealth of college involvement in many aspects of student welfare.

Not only that, but Garry has the experience to back this up. He was Welfare officer in Trinity Halls and he is heavily involved in S2S. In addition to the qualifications he has, over the week the electorate has seen how much of a genuine, approachable and caring character Stephen is making their decision in this vote an easy one. Students’ appear to be reacting positively to Garry’s campaign, with the candidate polling at 92% in last week’s University Times opinion poll.

‘“I will strive for a holistic approach to wellbeing, focusing on mental health, physical health and practical concerns”’

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The jokers in the pack

“A first step in the broader fight against institutional transphobia” Alongside the sabbatical elections, the SU will be holding a referendum on gender identity and expression. Here, Eoin Silke implores you to vote Yes to the constitutional change

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To Shmee or not to Shmee?

Photo: Owen Bennett

Shauna Cleary looks at the impact of mock campaigns in this year’s SU sabbatical elections.

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ollowing the drama and excitement of the 2010/2011 Ents race in the Students’ Union elections, hopes were high that equally thrilling campaigns would be run in last year’s race. However, as a shoein candidate, Dave Whelan’s victory lacked the intensity and drama that necessarily accompanies contested elections. This year, to whet the appetites of the apathetic student body, Trinity College has witnessed the rise of the mock campaign. With five dramatic days already completed in this year’s race and the bowing out of viral sensation Conor ‘Shmeesh’ Gleeson, we examine the response of the student body to the performance of the two joke candidates so far.

When Shmeesh stepped forward as a candidate in this year’s elections with 2011/2012 JCR President David Egan as his campaign manager, it was widely accepted that it would be a campaign that would need a superb (and serious) competitor to beat it. Shmeesh’s rise to Ents glory was significantly encouraged on the first day of the elections when his campaign video “Just Shmayin’” became a viral phenomenon and was picked up by sites such as JOE.ie. With a hilariously strong performance at hustings

on Tuesday, Shmeesh looked set to pose a threat to the frontrunner candidate Sean Reynolds. Sitting on just under 11,000 YouTube hits and 4,000 Facebook likes, it came as a shock to all when Shmeesh bowed out of the election race on Friday morning, stating in a letter to The University Times, “I would like to take this opportunity to endorse Sean Reynolds for the position, his experience and ideas make him the only man for the job.”

With the departure of Shmeesh from the race, all eyes turned yesterday to fellow joke candidate Cameron James Macaulay. The “29-year-old Business and Arabic” student has entertained the electorate over the past week, although failing to gain the national popularity of the Shmeesh campaign. With an equally comical performance at Tuesday’s Dining Hall hustings, Cameron gained the upper-hand on Shmeesh after he was the only mock candidate to make an appearance at the LGBT hustings on Wednesday. Deeming his would-be appearance as “inappropriate”, Shmeesh cast an enormous amount of pressure on his rival to perform well at the event. With a well-received response from the audience, Cameron put forward his opposition to weeks

celebrating rainbows and queues, instead proposing to spend more time highlighting LGBT issues.

The first Campanile Electoral Study poll last Sunday night revealed that although lacking on the considerable lead of Sean Reynolds, the two mock candidates performed significantly better than Reynolds’ fellow serious contender Cian Mulville. With a total of 34.71% of the vote, Sean Reynolds held just a 3.2% lead on the accumulated total of the two mock

his plans to run a dual campaign for Ents and Welfare. Deeming Stephen Garry’s uncontested race to be “undemocratic”, Macaulay has vowed to put an end to the evident “Garry tyranny” and has proposed welfare policies such as “pinning condoms to notice boards.” Speaking about his ex-opponent Shmeesh, Macaulay has reaffirmed his position as a “serious” candidate and empathises with Shmeesh’s inability to withstand the “prolonged period of the campaign.”

“Macaulay has proposed pinning condoms to noticeboards” candidates. A UT poll carried out on Thursday and Friday showed that students who have shown a complete disinterest in the entire election process were more likely to show support for Macaulay and Shmeesh over Mulville and Reynolds. Shmeesh’s departure on Friday morning came just after the release of the second Campanile Election Study results which showed he had gained support from the previous study. With 28% of the original 1131 votes, his absence shows 16.02% of the support for Macaulay, 11.06% for Mulville and 57.26% for Reynolds.

With Shmeesh out of sight and only one week left in the election race, Cameron Macaulay has announced

With voting getting underway in Trinity Hall on Monday evening, Thursday night will underline the opinions of the student body on the need for mock campaigns in the election process. Undeniably, the participation of two organised and highly entertaining mock campaigns has injected life and humour into this election period, offering a respite from the cut-throat seriousness which has defined SU elections in the past.

ometimes it can be hard for caring people to understand transphobia, the deep-rooted intolerance and discrimination towards transgender people. After all, why should it matter to society how a person experiences or expresses their gender? Transgender people are for the most part just like non-transgender people: they go about their everyday lives, working, studying, meeting friends. And yet transgender people live daily under the spectre of ridicule, violence, and murder; of being turned away from jobs; of being denied healthcare.

To be transgender simply means to be someone whose gender identity or gender expression differs from conventional expectations based on the sex assigned to them at birth.

This rather complicated-sounding idea is really quite simple. Most people have a deeply felt sense of what gender they are, be it male, female, or some other gender (many societies have a “third gender”, for example).

This is their gender identity.

Society considers certain characteristics – certain ways of dressing, acting, speaking – to be masculine or feminine. This is a person’s gender

expression, how they manifest to the world their internal sense of gender.

For some people, gender identity, gender expression and the sex they were assigned at birth all “match up”.

In my case, I was assigned male at birth, I identify as male, and I usually act in a way society considers reasonably masculine. But for a significant number of people, things are not this simple.

Transgender is used to describe a wide range of experiences and people.

Probably the most familiar to many people is the transsexual experience, but it can also encompass crossdressers, drag performers, genderqueer people, and gender variant people.

But whatever a person’s experience of their own gender, it is clear that everyone deserves respect, and everyone deserves to be free from discrimination.

This referendum represents a small change to the SU constitution. It adds “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the grounds the SU does not discriminate against, placing these alongside age, disability, sexual orientation, and many others. But without these kinds of formal protections, transgender students are open to

discrimination in future. Trans people have long been invisible in society.

They should not be invisible to our institutions.

A recent Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey was a stark indicator of the difficulties faced by transgender people in Ireland. It showed that 78% of trans people in Ireland had considered suicide and 40% had attempted suicide at least once.

It is hard to know exactly how many trans people experience violence in Ireland. Transgender people are not protected by any hate crime legislation, and statistics are not kept on the number of reported transphobic crimes. The majority of these incidents go unreported in any case, as many trans people do not feel confident in the Gardaí.

We rely instead on anecdotal reports of violence, like those given in the Supporting LGBT Lives study, in which one trans woman describes a vicious assault which left her cheek bone fractured in four places. Recently, delegates visiting Ireland for the European Transgender Council held in Dublin were physically and verbally attacked. An attacker also spat in the face of one of the delegates. Research from the UK suggests three quarters of trans people have experienced harassment of some kind.

Trans people in Ireland cannot legally change the gender on their birth certificate, a situation which leaves Ireland as one of the only remaining countries in the EU that does not

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afford legal recognition to trans people. This situation was ruled by the High Court to be incompatible with Ireland’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

While the current government has committed to introducing gender recognition legislation, this has been repeatedly delayed, and the proposed form of the legislation has been heavily criticised by organisations representing the interests of trans people.

Trans people also experience many difficulties in the healthcare system.

In one US survey, 19% had been refused medical care on the basis of their gender identity. In Ireland, there is still no HSE policy for trans people, meaning that trans people may receive inconsistent service, and may not be fully informed of the treatment options available to them.

We can secure a better future for everyone, transgender and cisgender alike, if we take to heart the principle of respect for all people. That may be something simple like respecting a person’s preferred pronouns (he/she/ etc.), or it could involve lobbying your TD to get the best possible gender recognition legislation.

Revising our guiding documents to be inclusive of transgender people is a good first step in the fight against institutional transphobia. This is why your Yes vote in this referendum is so important.

Eoin Silke is the campaign manager for the Yes side in the Gender Identity and Expression referendum.

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The gay marriage debate: who is really spreading hatred?

Two articles appeared on our website on the 5th January entitled “Queerly Beloved” and “What Lies Behind the Facade”. These articles contained defamatory material in relation to David Quinn of the Iona Institute. Mr. Quinn is a well respected commentator on religious and social affairs, and we unreservedly accept that it was entirely inappropriate to refer to him as a person whose “character is questionable” or to imply that he is a rascist or that he formed a “bigoted hate group” or that he supports or is in any way associated or linked with the Ugandan “Kill the Gays Bill”. We unreservedly apologise for the hurt and distress caused to Mr. Quinn and his family and colleagues at the Iona Institute and we welcome the opportunity to allow him a right of reply as appears below.

David Quinn Director, Iona Institute

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hich is the most divisive issue in Irish society today?

Is it the abortion issue or same-sex marriage? I wouldn’t like to have to choose but without a doubt both are extremely divisive and inflame passions like few others.

It is highly likely that in a place like Trinity College support for both legalised abortion (in some limited way at least) as well as same-sex marriage is very widespread if not overwhelming.

Those opposed to either might well keep their views to themselves knowing the reaction they are likely to get if they voice dissent. The reaction is likely to be both vitriolic and extremely abusive. Dissidents are quite likely to be accused of being anti-women if they oppose abortion or of ‘hating’ gay people if they oppose same-sex marriage.

This sort of vitriol is particularly pronounced on social media such as twitter. I know this from personal experience. Other high-profile Catholics such as Senator Ronan Mullen know it as well.

Here are just a few examples of what has been said on twitter about Senator Mullen.

‘Ronan Mullen is simply vile. Sorry excuse for a human’. ‘My mam just called Ronan Mullen an absolute cabbage f**k’. ‘Ronan Mullen looks like he survived an abortion. Maybe that’s

what’s wrong with him’ Is this funny? Substitute Ivana Bacik for Ronan Mullen in the above sentences, imagine it came from opponents of abortion, and see if it is.

Countless more examples of the vitriol directed at those who hold ‘traditional’ views can be found on social media. It is much harder to find equivalent amounts of equivalent abuse being directed at those who are prochoice or pro-gay marriage.

Last month this newspaper decided to get in on the act. It carried two articles attacking both myself and the organisation I head, namely The Iona Institute.

The Iona Institute was described as a ‘bigoted hate group’. I was effectively denounced as a racist and it was even said that I am of ‘questionable character’. My crime? I don’t believe marriage should be redefined.

(An article in The Trinity News in the meantime dismissed my concerns as of no consequence and quotes the editor of this newspaper as saying that I was upset because The Iona Institute had been called ‘discriminatory’!

The defamatory allegation that I am a rascist, that I formed a ‘bigoted hate group’ or that I was apparently a person of ‘questionable character’ did not even get a mention! ) None of the above accusations are even remotely fair comment and are simply a blatant attempt to discredit the holder of views the authors hate.

The irony here is that the same people making accusations of 'hatred' are themselves spreading hatred.

What especially galled the writers of the two articles is that The Iona Institute had the temerity to produce a 90 second animated video on the matter. I invite anyone to watch it and judge whether it really deserves such condemnation. It is to be found on the homepage of The Iona Institute website (www.ionainstitute.ie) I also challenge anyone to find anything that is genuinely offensive on our website, unless the mere expression of disagreement on this issue is offensive, and course in the minds of some, it is.

Fortunately the editor of this newspaper has since apologised by email for any the grievance caused by the two articles. The apology is accepted although his misleading comments

to Trinity News entirely undermines this apology.

So, is it possible to have a civilised disagreement on gay marriage? The evidence suggests not. You will receive very little abuse if you support gay marriage. On the contrary you will receive mostly praise. But you can expect a huge amount of abuse if you don’t, of the sort described above.

Here is my own position on gay rights. I supported the decriminalisation of homosexual acts when this

“So, is it possible to have a civilised disagreement on gay marriage?

The evidence suggest not” took place and I said so in one of the first columns I ever wrote.

I have supported partnership rights for same-sex couples since the mid1990s, long before most commentators or politicians pronounced any opinion on the matter. I also support adoption rights for same-sex couples under certain circumstances. Hardly the views of a ‘homophobe’.

The one thing I don’t support is a redefinition of marriage. Why not? It is because I believe that the institution of marriage (as distinct from each individual marriage) is child-centred, not adult-centred, and exists mainly to enshrine a particular ideal, namely the ideal that every child should be raised by a loving mother and father.

Gay marriage advocates deny that this is the ideal. They say the ideal is to have loving parents as distinct from a loving mother and father.

Obviously to have loving parents (or a loving parent) of whatever sex or sexuality is far better than to have bad parents.

However, is it really so outrageous – an irrefutable example of ‘hated’, ‘bigotry ‘and ‘homophobia’ – to believe the best thing of all is to be raised by your own loving mother and father?

After all, what the ‘loving parents’ line logically means is that there is no real difference between mothers and fathers, that their roles are entirely interchangeable and that they bring nothing distinct as men and women to the raising of children.

Given that most of society very much supports the idea that men and women bring distinct and complementary qualities to the worlds of business and politics, this is a very curious line to take.

The ‘loving parents’ formula also involves a denial of the importance of the natural ties. It logically follows that if all you need are loving parents, then those parents don’t need to be your own parents. But this is also a very curious line to take in light of the fact that many adopted children in later life seek out their natural parents.

You can of course take the view that having loving parents is just the same as having your own loving mother and father, and therefore take the view that sexual complementarity has nothing to do with the nature of marriage.

However, to condemn as ‘homophobic’ anyone who believes that having a loving mother and father is best, and that sexual complementarity is an essential part of the nature of marriage, is a simply a bullying attempt to close down the debate.

It used to be said, and it is still said sometimes, that it is impossible to have a 'calm and rational' discussion with opponents of abortion because they resort to name-calling and accusations of 'baby-killing' so quickly.

The shoe is now well and truly on the other foot. It is now increasingly impossible to have a calm and rational discussion with supporters of legalised abortion or gay marriage without the insults being hurled and your good faith being immediately called into question.

This is shameful behaviour and has nothing whatever to do with free and open inquiry. It is a deliberate attempt to shut down debate.

David Quinn is Director of The Iona Institute. He is also a columnist with The Irish Independent and The Irish Catholic.