Words: Eva O’Beirne
Ahead of their protest in the capital on November 19, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin have issued a number of demands to improve the lives of trans and intersex people in Ireland.
Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin have called for “fit-for-purpose GP-led trans healthcare based on an informed consent model” and an “end to transphobia in the Irish media”, as well as the decriminalisation of sex work.
They have also called for the right for sex workers to unionise and an immediate overturning of all convictions relating to homosexuality and a memorial for the first Pride parade at Liberty Hall.
The demands come following the news that Ireland has been ranked the worst place in the EU for accessing trans healthcare.
Transgender Europe (TGEU), a network of more than 200 trans-rights organisations, found of 27 EU member states, Ireland had the worst provision of healthcare for trans people.
Ireland was joined in the bottom five by Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and Greece.
On the flip side, it was Malta, Spain, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands in the top five countries for the provision of trans healthcare.
The countries were ranked by six criteria, with Ireland scoring just one point out of a potential twelve.
The countries were ranked on the types of trans healthcare available, if a psychiatric diagnosis is required before hormonal treatment or surgery, waiting times, if any group is excluded or made to wait longer to access trans healthcare and the ages of those allowed hormones and puberty blockers.
Ireland’s one point was given for the provision of trans healthcare, but it scored worst in the EU on waiting times.
TGEU claimed that in Ireland, trans people could expect to wait “between two-and-a-half and ten years from requesting to see a specialist in trans healthcare to seeing one”.
Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin will be hosting their Trans Day of Remembrance Protest on November 19 outside the Dáil at 14:00.
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