First ever Trans Pride march to take place in Dublin
DUBLIN, IRELAND – JUNE 27: People take part in the annual Gay Pride Parade on June 27, 2015 in Dublin, Ireland. Gay marriage was declared legal across the US in a historic supreme court ruling. Same-sex marriages are now legal across the entirety of the United States. (Photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne/Getty Images)
Dublin is set to have its first ever Trans Pride march on 28th July, after organisers felt that Dublin Pride, which took place at the end of June, was not paying enough attention to trans issues.
They also feel that Dublin Pride has become too focused on corporations, and claim that the presence of large companies overshadows LGBT+ activists and groups.
One of the founders of Trans Pride Dublin, Thomas White, also sharply criticised the actions of a small group of anti-trans protesters who hijacked the parade at London Pride last weekend.
Thomas White, one of the co-founders of Trans Pride Dublin.
Speaking to PinkNews, White called their actions “shocking” and said that the protest highlighted “the urgent need for a Trans Pride that raises up the voices of our community to speak for ourselves.”
Trans Pride Dublin is being organised by three trans and intersex activists who decided to stage their own demonstration in Dublin following similar events in Brighton, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
One of the organisers, Ollie Bell, told PinkNews that there is a need to return to Pride’s roots as a protest.
“There should be a place where we can celebrate who we are and the gains we have achieved but there are still so many issues that need to be fought for,” Bell said.
“We think Pride should be reflective of the needs of the community rather than an advertising space for corporations.
“A lot of companies use Pride as an opportunity for corporate pinkwashing, with many having policies and practices that are harmful to the LGBTQ+ community.
“If Pride was organised in a more grassroots fashion which took feedback from the community into account that would be a good step forward, but we feel that the trans community deserves our own Pride regardless,” they added.
There has already been huge interest from Ireland’s LGBT+ community in the march, as well as other activists and trade unions, some of whom will be taking part on the day. The Facebook event has over 1,000 people signed up as interested or attending.
Ollie Bell, one of the founders of Trans Pride Dublin.
The theme for the first Trans Pride Dublin will be Bodily Autonomy, which was inspired by Ireland’s landslide vote in May to repeal a constitutional amendment which prohibited abortion in almost all circumstances.
The organisers say that bodily autonomy is also an extremely important issue for trans people.
Bell said that the vote was a victory for everyone who struggled against the “conservative establishment”.
“Many young people in particular now feel emboldened to speak out against oppression.
“We hope that Trans Pride will be the start of a radical movement for trans rights in Ireland,” they added.
The group hopes that the march will help draw attention to some of the issues affecting trans people in Ireland today, such as access to healthcare, legal recognition for non-binary and intersex people, transphobic violence and the need for better mental health services.
They are also calling for better sex education that caters for the LGBT+ community.
The news comes after Pride in London was overshadowed last weekend when a group of transphobic, lesbian protesters hijacked the front of the parade and led much of the march.
Alison Camps, co-chair of Pride in London, told PinkNews in an exclusive interview today that the protestors were “bigots” and said they “brought disgrace on themselves”.
