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Original poster

Guardian article on the GRA in Ireland

32 replies

ItsCoolForCats · 23/12/2025 16:10

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/23/ireland-gender-recognition-act-decade

From the article, quoting Kevin Humphries, a Labour politician:

“We were very fortunate in Ireland that we were able to do the legislation in an era of openness and progressive discussion,” he says.
In stark contrast with Scotland, where attempts by the Holyrood parliament to introduce a similar model prompted an explosion of grassroots opposition, the Irish process was relatively smooth.

Given that many people in Ireland had no idea they were voting for Self ID, which was tacked on to the marriage equality referendum (and definitely not transparently), the above is a very dishonest framing of what happened. And I'm not sure it would have gone so smoothly if there had been awareness of what people were actually voting for.

But I was heartened to read about an amendment stating that the act doesn't change sex for the purpose of imprisonment has passed its first stage. I wasn't aware of that. Hopefully there will be more amendments to follow.

And interesting that Libby Brooks refrains from using female pronouns for Barbie Kardashian, even though BK has a GRC and is legally female 🤔

‘For the first time, she could tell people who she was’: Ireland’s gender recognition decade

Ireland’s 2015 Gender Recognition Act was born in an era of optimism and consensus, but as gender-critical activism grows so does debate whether it can hold

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/23/ireland-gender-recognition-act-decade

OP posts:
nicepotoftea · 23/12/2025 19:00

The bill passed a matter of months after the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage, which created “a whole moment socially around LGBT+ equality”

Because nobody thought about the fact that T+ has very little to do with LGB unless you are homophobic.

JellySaurus · 23/12/2025 18:57

When attempts by [a] parliament to introduce a similar model prompt an explosion of grassroots opposition, isn’t that a massive clue to that government that the population may not support the legislation they are trying to push through? Makes the rest of that sentence sound even more like he is pleased to have deceived the electorate.

Slimy.

nicepotoftea · 23/12/2025 17:01

“There is a core of solidarity in Irish culture more generally that cuts across those lines of class and gender and doesn’t find itself entrenched in them as much as it does in Britain,” she says.

Or in other words 'feminism? What's that for?'

nicepotoftea · 23/12/2025 17:00

The Movement for Marriage Equality in Ireland, argues that mainstream Irish feminism has historically been more inclusive

In that it includes men?

I think the accurate analysis is that Ireland has historically found it difficult to enforce safeguarding boundaries and protect women's rights.

Original poster
ItsCoolForCats · 23/12/2025 16:42

MarieDeGournay · 23/12/2025 16:31

The GRA was debated fully in the Irish parliament - well, I use the word 'debate' loosely, as every single party, right across the spectrum, without exception, spoke in favour of it, the only negative seemed to be 'what about the children?' because the act didn't cover people under 18.

In the run-up to the GRA, TENI Transgender Equality Network Ireland, took on the self-appointed role of experts on gender at parliamentary committees etc. Everybody from politicians to doctors deferred to them and took their 'expertise' at face value. 'No debate' - not that debate was supressed, but that TENI acted as if guided step by step by the Denton's document. [see below]

Interestingly TENI is still using the discredited WPATH as an authority re transgender healthcare. But they'll get away with it because they are still 'the experts'.

There's a good analysis of the Denton's document here:
Analysis of the Dentons Document: A How to Manual - Women Speak Tasmania
'In 2019, a guide produced by global law firm Dentons with activist partners revealed how trans rights were advanced across Europe. The strategy? Incremental reforms, political gatekeepers, friendly media, and avoiding open debate on controversial issues like children, prisons, and sport.
Far from grassroots change, the document shows a carefully managed campaign designed to frame self-ID laws as harmless “paperwork updates” while sidelining public scrutiny....'

What do you think of this claim, Marie?

"Una Mullally, the author of In the Name of Love: The Movement for Marriage Equality in Ireland, argues that mainstream Irish feminism has historically been more inclusive".
“There is a core of solidarity in Irish culture more generally that cuts across those lines of class and gender and doesn’t find itself entrenched in them as much as it does in Britain,” she says.

Are there a better class of feminists in Ireland than those grassroots bigots across the water?

OP posts:
MarieDeGournay · 23/12/2025 16:31

The GRA was debated fully in the Irish parliament - well, I use the word 'debate' loosely, as every single party, right across the spectrum, without exception, spoke in favour of it, the only negative seemed to be 'what about the children?' because the act didn't cover people under 18.

In the run-up to the GRA, TENI Transgender Equality Network Ireland, took on the self-appointed role of experts on gender at parliamentary committees etc. Everybody from politicians to doctors deferred to them and took their 'expertise' at face value. 'No debate' - not that debate was supressed, but that TENI acted as if guided step by step by the Denton's document. [see below]

Interestingly TENI is still using the discredited WPATH as an authority re transgender healthcare. But they'll get away with it because they are still 'the experts'.

There's a good analysis of the Denton's document here:
Analysis of the Dentons Document: A How to Manual - Women Speak Tasmania
'In 2019, a guide produced by global law firm Dentons with activist partners revealed how trans rights were advanced across Europe. The strategy? Incremental reforms, political gatekeepers, friendly media, and avoiding open debate on controversial issues like children, prisons, and sport.
Far from grassroots change, the document shows a carefully managed campaign designed to frame self-ID laws as harmless “paperwork updates” while sidelining public scrutiny....'

soupycustard · 23/12/2025 16:30

Most of this stuff everywhere has only been 'accepted' in that its imposition has been done by stealth and then supported by screams of 'no debate'.