Sorry Irish women, we’ve been beaming GC ideas into your heads from the UK…

[NitroNine]

Ok, I wrote this whole post with the Examiner letting me read articles. They’re now all paywalled. I don’t want to delete it - hopefully it will still serve as a wee update on things in Ireland (I’d thought someone was going to start a thread for that but I couldn’t find it, I’m sorry it I’ve missed it); & if anyone’s an Examiner subscription they can obviously read the articles if they’ve missed them/perhaps share any key points they think are important? Feck knows what was going on with the paywall situation though.

☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️

…or, er, something?

I’m not sure what else the Taoiseach can mean, really, talking about “imported” culture wars in this article from June. He clearly doesn’t think you’re having these ideas all by your [wee] selves. Is he after thinking those of us with dual citizenship have come sneaking in & are stirring things up?

Interesting article though, with the whole “there was absolute transparency & we practically asked every single woman on the island of Ireland if she was ok with it & if they don’t remember now that’s probably their hormones” (I paraphrase) stance.

The Examiner had the option not to include this spectacularly awful quote from Alan Edge (a South Dublin independent councillor, who’s also campaign officer for the Ban Conversion Practices Campaign) in their article on conversion therapy last month, but apparently they thought this was a reasonable & appropriate thing for someone to say & them to print:
[When discussing conversion therapy] He draws an analogy with female genital mutilation "which seems barbaric to many people" and happens within a religious context.
To be clear, obviously conversion therapy is not in any way ok, & it can involve so-called “corrective” rape; but to not only select this particular comparator but also somehow manage to minimise the horror of it AND be racist is appalling. Yes, it’s an issue a white man went for “barbaric” when describing something done by & to black & brown people (I say people as apparently there have been cases of male doctors performing FGM) because that word’s absolutely been used - or rather abused - to denigrate them for centuries. Good to see Ireland following the UK’s lead on “we must stop this dreadful thing that we have no actual data on”. In fairness at least Ireland do seem to be trying to do some research; however, they’re clearly actively trying to hunt out people. And possibly seeking to legislate based on the experiences of people in the UK - sounding as if you actively hope people have undergone conversion therapy in the country that borders yours so you can use their trauma to push for legislative change in your country doesn’t really give the best impression. Would be interesting to know how your one would separate out conversion therapy for [supposed] homosexuality & conversion therapy for being transgender. The data the UK was working from didn’t separate out the two so part of the problem with the proposed legislation (as well as forcing psych professionals into affirmation only care for individuals exploring a trans identity) was it was potentially banning something that had never happened. (I’m not saying I disbelieve any trans person who says they’ve experienced it; I’m talking strictly about the data that was available - the failure to do actual research for the Bill was frankly deplorable; & the result of the government being determined to force through the legislation ahead of the conference they ended up having to cancel because it collapsed after Stonewall withdrew after the u-turns on banning conversion therapy).

It doesn’t seem to have occurred to Saoirse Mackin that Irish women probably aren’t too worried about their risk of encountering a Republican Congressman - or indeed any US politician - in the loo, so it doesn’t matter if they’re statistically more dangerous than trans women are. It’s not “demonising” them to report on crimes committed by them, including assaults in public conveniences. It is not unreasonable of women to want said facilities to be sex-segregated for their safety. The only acceptable number of assaults on women & girls is zero.

The Tánaiste wants IRFU to listen to the players they’ve “banned” 🙄 Holy Mother of God they’ve done nothing BUT listen! It was all the listening that caused this mess! And it’s not they’ve stopped listening, just they’ve stopped doing what those players & the TRAs are wanting.

On the plus side, The Examiner let Alison O’Connor express heretical views (& some good news) 😊

Bloody Brits putting ideas into our heads like getting our Minister for Health to finally meet with the Doctors who have been attempting to blow the whistle on what is happening to Irish children under Tavistocks care!

www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/stephen-donnelly-will-meet-doctors-over-hse-referring-children-to-uk-trans-clinic-41910508.html

I for one welcome our Terf Island overlords 😀I am very bloody grateful for the sunlight that has shone on us from the UK over this issue.

It is only because of the debates and pushback that is happening in the UK media that there is any real awareness or scrutiny at all about the fact that Self ID is already law in Ireland.

If it was left to the Irish media it would be swept under the carpet or ignored. I have never had so little faith in the Irish government or media to be truthful and transparent.

So that's what it is ! TENI must be right so. Us GC ppl are just Brit Imperialists. I'm even getting radio messages instructing me to join the Orange Lodge. They planted a micro chip in my fillings.

Cease and desist you Black and Tan feminists!

Can confirm broadcasts from Scotland to corrupt and defile the minds of Irish women are continuing.

Quite funny that they claim we are unduly influenced by Britain, when many of the senior level people in TENI and BelongTo are American imports.

Not to mention the who genderwoo ideology is an American import, funded by American billionaires. But hey ho...

As a GC Brit living in Ireland I wholeheartedly admit to spreading sedition in this topic far and wide!

I wouldn’t understand, I don’t have time for this. Besides I’m too busy making jam knitting Aran jumpers & dancing at the crossroads.

whenever I think of this GC stuff I squash it down with ‘what would Peig do?’

Honestly, you expect it on Twitter & Reddit but you’d hope the Taoiseach would Do Better. And indeed Educate Himself before opening his mouth. With Ireland’s history is it not time to Be Kind to women? Actually, perhaps that’s what Marc Ó Cathasaigh was so confused by when he weebled on about:
The importation of these debates exists purely to fuel a narrative that we, as a society, are being driven apart by our differences on social issues, that our day-to-day lives are riven with violence and upheaval because minorities are demanding more than their fair share and it is tearing apart our very social fabric.
Look around you. Is that an Ireland you recognise? Because it certainly is not the country I live in. The Ireland I know can have grown-up conversations about issues (not people’s ‘right’ to exist), while putting the dignity of those about whom we are conversing front and centre.
Leaving aside the nice conflating deflection of “minorities” I can only assume he wanders around in a happy wee cloud of white male privilege blissful ignorance. Ok, technically women aren’t a minority, but the idea of them having rights is still a bit of a shocker to some.
Oh & feck right off with this whole trying to shut women up with “you’re after debating/denying people’s right to exist” business that keeps being trotted out. Saying male people cannot play on female sports teams is not saying they don’t exist. Indeed, surely wanting to have these conversations is very much acknowledging they exist. What women are saying is that trans people are not, in fact, entitled to have everything they want.

@miri1985
I know. It’s shocking. And you’ve even got doctors pretending to be worried about the push to link up with some clinic in Belgium rather than build a service in Ireland that wouldn’t just dish out blockers & hormones. Sneaky sneaky.

@Farmageddon
It’s so depressing isn’t it? You’ve got TDs abusing their Dáil privilege to attack actual experts (Mick Barry absolutely savaging psychotherapist Stella O’Malley) & enthusiastically parroting TENI like IG influencers with a lucrative brand partnership while Irish women are still travelling. (Dearest monitors, am making no claim of financial impropriety, it is but a simple simile.)
Oh & the hypocrisy on “imported views” is enraging so.

@Abhannmor
Are you thinking pipes or drums? 🤔

Women seem to be quite good at telepathy. Think of all the poor men who's wives got the idea to divorce them from uppity women.

'whenever I think of this GC stuff I squash it down with ‘what would Peig do?’'

🤣🤣🤣 Well of course! It's what a think every time I have a decision to make

The HANDWRINGING on here this week by the Irish wokesters about the poor unfortunate rugby players who have been 'banned' from playing 🤦🏻‍♂️ just absolute cringe for all of them. Shows you clearly what they think of women. Extra special full body cringe for Leo Varadkar. The state of it 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

Sorry, when I say 'here', obviously I mean Twitter! 😁

As an Irish woman, beam away. We all need to stand together.

if I dye my hair blue will it block out the nasty GC beams?

Well I have this compulsion to march up and down shouting ' We will be heard' and 'Ulster is braddish' but not decided on my instrument yet.

Yes@Farmageddon there is a veritable army of Yanks and Brits here who were in the wrong body. Then they come to dear Inis Fáil where they ' feel so connected ' . But its hard to tell them from the natives as they have grand ould Oirish names.

Like Érin Raventooth or Morrigan Wolfbreath. The kind you'd meet at the GAA Club . Or perhaps collecting for the Tidy Towns Committee at the church gates.

Thank goodness for the women of the UK tbh, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have even known self ID was in my own country! and they certainly snuck that through on the back of the marriage equality referendum

Haha...seems to work alright!

How has self ID impacted women in Ireland. On a practical level. I am of the view that gender is a social construct but I am challenging myself a little because of debates I have had with friends.

Maybe try garlic?

Assuming that you are asking in good faith:

Ex 1. - bringing one of my DDs to a Harry Potter convention in Citywest Hotel, pre-Covid. The women's toilet had an A4 printed page over the "Women's" sign, with the words gender neutral over them.
The men's did not (I checked). I had, for that day, responsibility for 4 girls aged around 12/13. I was not happy as, I felt responsible for checking on them even when going to the bathroom. I also felt responsible for discussing the sign with them, so that they are exposed to an alternative point of view, before they make up their own minds.
Ex. 2:- the HSE, my national public health provider removed the word "woman" from the cervical screening information online (since restored). As it happens, in Ireland, we have an ongoing cervical screening controversy, due to mis-interpretation of test results which has led to some women going on to develop cervical cancer.
Ex. 3: My professional body, which is a healthcare profession predominantly women (guessing 90% female) decided to issue a policy statement, saying that "men can become pregnant too". I find this utterly bonkers.
Ex. 4: the GAA, is a community based sporting body, run by volunteers in the local communities, with amateur players, even at the highest levels of sports. These are girls and guys who are training 4 nights a week, with intensive coaching at a very professional standard. They have recently allowed a trans woman (i.e. born male, but identifying as female) to play on a women's LGB team, against another women's team. Placing the women on every other team they play against, at additional risk of injury.
Ex. 5: during Pride week, my son's all-boys secondary school (13-18yo) prioritised bringing a transwoman in to speak to them; rather than the more relatable and pertinent examples of gay men who could provide role models.

That's one single woman, with 5 examples off the top of my head. I could go on.

@SheeWeee
Careful, they’ll be having you extradited for that 😦

@VaddaABeetch
Torture Leaving Cert students for about 40 years? It’s ambitious, but I’m sure if you put your mind to it…

@Thelnebriati
Careful now, you’ll be having people arguing telepathy is “a pink brain thing” 😉

@Lottapianos
Oh yes. The poor TW who cannot play with men because with their reduced testosterone it isn’t safe for them to do so. Argued utterly seriously.

@Abhannmor
To be fair, if you dropped the latter for “never surrender!” you could just stick to the gender critical stuff. (And maybe get a big drum for funsies…) 🤷‍♀️
It must have been very distressing to be born in SUCH a wrong body - you know, wrong nationality & everything. And indeed mortal, for those that use fae pronouns.

@Jewel1968
The women of Limerick Prison are pretty impacted by the presence in what is meant to be a single-sex space of
Barbie Kardashian & other males who identify as female. When it talks about them “attacking” their care worker, that’s a polite/minimising way to say the woman had to be hospitalised after BK tried to gouge their eyes out & tore great clumps of their hair out. Further background here.

I was asking in good faith. The challenge I get is along the lines of - if it was going to happen it would happen anyway so good to be able to point to actual examples. My thoughts on the subject are usually along the lines of - what does it mean to be a woman - and that doesn't go down that well.

I think Irish women are capable of forming opinions by themselves.

"it's going to happen anyway" isn't how safe guarding works. That's like saying why bother police vetting people who want to work with children because if they want to abuse children they'll get to them anyway. You basically don't make it easier for people to access would be victims

Extra special full body cringe for Leo Varadkar. The state of it 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

God I know right? Mehole I'm long over, but there was a tiny smidgen of respect still there for Leo. All gone now obviously as it's clear what priority he puts on women's rights and opportunities. Let alone basic safety.