Referendum!

[springbrigid]

Anyone inclined to give an opinion? I am leaning towards a yes/no vote, the yes to remove what I see as sexist language in the constitution, the no because the government are so appalling in terms of providing services and rights to disabled citizens and I feel the clause is paternalistic and pushes care on families yet again

The Countess organisation was set up to deal with the many issues the introduction of SelfID has brought to our country. From their website "The Countess was initially established in 2019 to focus attention on the conflict of rights and child safeguarding issues emerging from the self-ID approach to gender recognition introduced through the Gender Recognition Act 2015." They focus on wider issues affecting women and girls in Ireland and the erasure of the word woman from our official documents and now potentially the constitution is one of those issues. I don't see them being in any way aligned with Gript, but as has been pointed out before, mainstream media in Ireland generally don't comment on the reality of the SelfID situation so Gript is one of the few sources that do.

https://gript.ie/the-correct-answer-to-confusion-tomorrow-is-no-thanks/?fbclid=IwAR38lgwB2Z9YLAgSgVGoppS0OPedZLNMEeAFKJVyaLxlV9DITx-cdOHgPkQ

Sorcha Nic Lochlainn from The Countess had this very informative article featured in Gript this morning @LifeInAHamsterWheel

I really appreciate all the efforts The Countess are making on a wide number of issues & have shared many of their articles (this one included) with my family, friends & on my social media networks.

https://www.thejournal.ie/roderic-ogorman-opens-international-womens-day-remarks-to-empty-dail-6318489-Mar2024/

An empty Dáil! Just what Roderic O Gorman deserves for her International Woman's Day speech?

How is he qualified to address girls, women & mothers when he cannot & will not answer "What is a woman???"

Women won't forget tomorrow that last year he had a Transwoman speaking on International Women's Day!

The tide is turning!!!!

The post after yours has them writing in gript, so I guess that's alignment?

An excellent article rooted in both lived experience and academic knowledge

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/orla-tinsley-care-referendum-vote-no-6318809-Mar2024/

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41346392.html

Gleefully enjoying all the articles on Roderic O Gormans empty Dáil. TDs appear to be voting with their feet.
Great to see this lack of support for him the day before we take to the polls!
A picture speaks a thousand words.
Humiliating for him to have to speak to an empty Dáil. They obviously have no confidence in him & are all trying to distance themselves from this woman hater.
What is a woman Roderic?????

@springbrigid that article wasn't written for Gript, they lifted it. I read it myself on the Countess website the other day. I was just giving you the background info on why the Countess (the organisation) was set up. But you seem to have your mind made up anyway 😊

The Journal,

Thanks, no thanks.

@Dublincailin I also linked The Examiner got balance 😊

I like this quote from the Dr Orla Tinsley article linked above.

Removing sexist language and replacing it with non-rights based language purporting to bolster carers while at the same time not providing them with any additional rights and infantilising those for whom they care is shameful.

This is absolutely powerful from the Countess. This amendment should not be touch.

When you read these words from 1937 compared to Roderic O Gorman's bringing a Transwoman to address us women on International Women's Day to this year trying to remove woman & mother from the Constitution. No wonder he was speaking to an empty Dáil.

What would this woman think? Writing back in 1937 not to alter a comma?
What a regressive society we are turning into.
These changes aren't progressive they are regressive.
At least all the people who drafted the constitution knew what exactly women & mothers are.
Our poxy government fail to answer what is a woman?

It appears that The Ditch have obtained information that Roderic O Gorman has refused to share with the public.

Hoping they reveal the contents before we take to the polls tomorrow.
What is O Gorman hiding from the electorate?

I suspect that if MSM (IT, Indo, Rte etc) had been more open to discussing issues like the removal of the word mother from maternity legislation, the imprisonment of men in women's prisons etc then The Countess would not got as far as the Gript channels.

When MSM and mainstream politician try to avoid discussion of issues that they have decided are either controversial or not worthy of attention/discussion, they push those with concerns to any channel that will give them a voice. It is a worrying outcome that comes trying to limit discussion to "the acceptable progressive agenda" of the moment.

If an issue is controversial (whether that is gender identity, immigration or whatever) the mainstream have to (in my opinion) hear what is being said and respond with cogent arguments if they are to challenge the narrative. Telling people they've no right to have those concerns or that they're "far right" and have no right to engagement is counter productive. Most of the people they're looking to silence are not "far right", but they are being directed to the most conservative of news channels, and in the worst of cases to actual right-wing movements.

In a democracy we have to be able to hear opposing views and engage effectively with them. That doesn't seem to be a popular approach right now.

@3timeslucky very well said. The said mainstream media that call Barbie Kardashian a woman 🙄

Every single comment that is not virtue signalling or upsets the snowflakes is immediately branded "far right".
There is nothing wrong with being conservative or mildly conservative just as there is nothing wrong with being mildly liberal or liberal.
The problem is there is no happy medium.

And there we have it!!!!
This is what Roderic O Gorman was refusing to reveal to the electorate. "Legal uncertainty". Well done to The Ditch for getting this vital information before polling day?

How did they optain it? Is there a snitch in the Dáil?! No wonder not one of them showed to to his "women's day speech"!!

Michael McDowell and David Quinnhave columns in national newspapers. The notion that there’s suppression of conservatives voices is untrue.

this is so untrue. ‘Stop silencing me’ says David Quinn in his weekly MSM column!

He is an utterly vile excuse for a human being.

I haven't seen David Quinn or Michael McDowell write on either of the issues I mentioned. My comments weren't specifically about the referendum though I get this is a referendum thread so easy to reasonably assume that's what I was talking about.

I think with a referendum there's much more effort to platform both sides and IIRC at least RTE is legally required to. When it comes to failings and consequences of the GRA ... not so much.

And yes that is for another thread!

https://www.ontheditch.com/attorney-general-advice/

Fair play to The Ditch obtaining the information Roderic O Gorman did not want us to know! At the ninth hour as well! No wonder he wanted it kept between him & his cronies. No way would it have passed otherwise.

I am sharing article from the Ditch everywhere at the moment.
Everyone needs to know what Roderic O Gorman wanted to be kept hidden from the electorate. Delighted it's been revealed!

And besides - for the key debate on national state television this week Maria Steen who isn’t even an elected representative nor a practising barrister was given a massive platform as the sole in studio representative of the nono vote. The propaganda that conservatives can’t be heard is patently false.

Here’s DQin trans issues https://www.independent.ie/opinion/david-quinn-lone-voices-are-being-silenced-as-trans-row-shuts-down-free-speech/a153211879.htmlDavid Quinn: Lone voices are being silenced as trans row shuts down free speech

but anyway, let’s focus on the referendum

I don't really think a single opinion piece means that the MSM coverage of gender ideology is balanced and tbh I'm not looking to change your mind if you think the coverage is balanced. I would just say that it isn't just about giving voice to conservative voices. None of the people I know who have concerns about gender identity ideology or the GRA are from the conservative side of the fence. Opinion pieces certainly can give voice to differing opinions (though if you look at the IT it would seem Breda is the token conservative in a sea of left leaning journalists). The general tone, adoption of ideological language, de facto inclusion of men in women's lists, avoidance of pieces on particular issues is much more significant.

But as you say ... the referendum. It'll be interesting. Both in terms of turn out and results. It is a strange situation that a change in the constitution can comeabout based on a small percentage of the electorate actually supporting the change. I wonder will it be as low as some predictions - ie as low as the children ref where it was about 33%. With that turnout and a close vote it would be a pitiful approval rating really. Result on Saturday?