Dublin’s first ever Trans Pride Parade will take place this weekend, which organisers hope will give momentum to the trans rights movement in Ireland.
The march comes soon after a report to the Government concerning the Gender Recognition Bill recommended that all children under the age of 18 should be allowed to change their gender if they have consent from both parents.
The report was written by Moninne Griffith, executive director of LGBT youth organisation "BeLonG To".
Last month saw the annual Pride Parade take to the streets of the capital, celebrating the LGBTI+ community and the increasing equality in Irish society.
On the parade’s website, organisers state that “The ‘T’ will no longer be silent”, and that the parade is “for trans people, organised by trans people, to address the struggles that Trans and Intersex people still face in Ireland.”
Organisations taking part in the march include Trans Pride NI, United Against Racism, the Abortion Rights Campaign, and Siptu LGBT Network.
A spokesperson for the event said: “We want to highlight trans issues like healthcare, transphobic violence, access to PrEP, etc as many people aren’t aware of these issues. We want to give confidence to the trans community and give them a space to have their voices heard.”
The protest also hopes to highlight the need for hate crime legislation that includes gender identity and the need for trans-inclusive mental health services, as well as issues around decriminalising sex work and the refugee crisis.
For the organisers of Trans Pride, Dublin Pride has forgotten its origins as a protest march against discrimination, and is now used as a marketing gimmick for businesses. The spokesperson insisted that Trans Pride won’t follow the same path.
“Dublin Pride has become a corporatised event and is far from its radical roots in protest. We wanted to organise Trans Pride as a protest that pushes trans issues to the forefront, instead of the voices of LGBT people being overshadowed by big businesses and corporate floats,” they said.
Trans Pride will take place on Saturday, July 28th. The March will start at 2pm outside Liberty Hall and will finish at Fairview Park where a rally will be held.