Any Irish feeling a bit isolated...

I got the pm too and my job prevents me from doing anything like this (obliged to be politically neutral publicly) I am going to start talking to people though and trying to get the word out there. Also when this runs on Prime time it will get a lot of coverage which hopefully will open the debate in the right way -depending how it’s covered of course

I'm a brit living in Ireland, I've been here for nearly 20 years and have a 12 year old DD. She is already dealing with the trans issue with friends. One friend has taken on a male persona, another has a very pragmatic mother who said 'fuck that'. DD and her (non trans) friends seem to be treating it as a phase and go along with the new identity while making it clear they don't really believe it (a bit of gentle ribbing happens).

I've kind of come out as GC locally lately and I've managed to peak trans several people using what is happening in the UK, followed up with..'of course we already have self-id here..' So many people don't know.

I'm in the mid west if anyone wants to meet up in the Limerick/Galway area but I would be willing to travel to Dublin if a people don't mind a brit joining in. DP was just saying the other day that I need a hobby that gets me out of the house...

It makes me sad we are all so scared (me as much as anyone). It just shows how toxic the debate is.

Nor me. I gave it some serious thought but the idea of being on telly for anything genuinely horrifies me. I'm an extremely private person and you couldn't pay me enough money to go on camera and speak at length about the weather or my favourite socks. Going on primetime to speak about gender critical views is a whole level beyond that.

I've seen Posie's youtube rant and it's pretty clear she has no time for reasons like mine, or reasons to do with fear of losing your job or getting a hard time from family. She's exceptionally fearless, though. I think it will be difficult to find someone similarly fearless to go on tv in Ireland where society is so much more tightly knit (i.e.: everyone is only 2-3 degrees of separation from everyone else).

Actually ladies, I can't do it. Just too fearful of the day to day where I currently am.

Ok, so I'm good at public speaking and I have been on the TV and radio before, many years ago!!! I'm just fearful as I am in the process of applying for a job in psychology which is very much front line and I am worried that they will blacklist me.

So, what to do.

I'm certainly not the woman for that job. I'm terrified of public speaking!

I cry when I’m really angry. Not a good look.

I’d love to have the confidence to speak publically about this, but I couldn’t stop myself from getting in a flap and sounding like a hysterical pearl clutcher.

Coming back to this thread after receiving Nettles PM. I'm definitely not the person for primetime. Public speaking is not my forte. I would definitely balls it up.
Not sure if anyone here is brave enough, but it would be great to get a strong articulate voice to present the facts.
I was thinking about how to present the issue for a broad audience in Ireland. In the UK debate a lot of counter arguments claim the gc side is just hysteria and scare mongering. That claim will be even stronger in Ireland given that the legislation has already passed and there is no evidence of the sky falling in. No high profile cases. Just pondering really.
I think the impact on confused kids who may desist and sport are hugely important and should resonate well.

Thanks Nettle, I was beginning to question myself.

Nettle's thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3382826-A-callout-to-Irish-Feminists

Sounds like Prime Time have contacted Posie directly, but not put out anything public, is that it? I checked their FB and Twitter earlier today too.

Somehow I wasn't expecting things to go head-to-head in Ireland quite so soon.

I have PMd people on this thread. Im not a journalist myself, far from it. just the messenger of the messenger!

From Posie
RTE's Prime Time current affairs programme is looking at the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act and would like to speak to Irish women who broadly agree with me (Posie). It would be great if more women were heard in Ireland as there so far it is assumed there is no opposition.
I have an email address, so you will need to PM me

I don't see anything on twitter either. Anyone have any rte contacts??

I can’t see anything on the website Mother - I don’t even remember where I read it now.

I happened across a copy of the IT Saturday mag today but I haven't had a chance to read the article yet. I'll gird myeto do it later. I'm very cross though that Jennifer O'Connell has written it. She recently had a piece on raising 'gender neutral' children and someone tweeted her about the clear difference between sex and gender and she seemed to understand.

Not heard about the prime time piece. Anything on the rte website about it?

Apparently Prime Time is going to be talking about the GRA and they are looking for gender critical women, has anyone heard about this?

Of course I agree Second. After I read your quote I went back and read the full article. It just made me so sad for them (that may sound patronising, it isn't meant to). There has to be a better answer than a lifetime of medication and elective surgery to cut off healthy tissue. There just has to be.

I know, Anonymous, I gritted my teeth to read it. Unquestioning adoption of the lingo by journalists is bad enough, but I think we have to listen to these young people to analyse all the messages society gave them growing up that made them feel not right as they were.

The person I quoted from above couldn't have short hair as a girl, it seems. It reminds me of my GNC sister, she went ahead and just had short hair, didn't shave her legs etc. And hell yes did they make her life a misery for it, boys, girls, it's the whole of society policing this crap. So I'm not in any way saying the person in the article should have just gone ahead, it's too painful for some people.

On a slight tangent I'm much more gender-conforming myself, but how much of that was a free choice either? As a teenager I saw what was meted out to my sister so yeah.

I saw that article SecondRow. I got as far as ‘assigned female at birth’ and was so annoyed I couldn’t read any further.

I've decided to "do something" and registered to go to the guides inclusion training next month. I'm going to need to do some serious research before I go and serious bravery when I get there so if anyone has any thoughts or references they can throw my way, I'd greatly appreciate it.

www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/ireland-s-trans-children-i-didn-t-know-what-trans-meant-i-just-felt-that-i-was-a-woman-1.3636882?localLinksEnabled=false

In the Irish Times today. A young trans man, only 20 now, on hormones for over a year, says about his pre-transition self:

“I feel like she was my twin sister, and we share the same memories. When I look back, I feel like I’m standing beside her in a memory. I miss her. In a funny way, I’d love to sit down and have a chat with her. She’s in me now, and we live in each other. She would have wanted it the way it is now. But I think it’s sad that no-one is going to know her.”

@MotherForkinShirtBalls not Datun but definitely inspired by her