Dublin’s Trans and Intersex Pride organization has announced its fourth annual pride march, scheduled for July 8th, 2023. The march aims to raise awareness about crucial LGBTQ+ issues, including transgender healthcare and gay rights, and build a mass movement towards trans liberation.
The organization has also called for allies to join the event to fight back against the right-wing backlash, which has seen an increase in violence against trans people. Ireland has been ranked the worst country in recent reports on transgender healthcare in the EU, and the screening process for adults seeking life-affirming treatment has caused additional anxiety and mental stress.
Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin compared the lengthy and intrusive process of receiving gender-affirming care to the former anti-abortion legislation in the US. The organization has stressed the importance of bodily autonomy and described both issues as “two sides of a war against bodily autonomy.”
The rise in global attacks against LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans youth, has also been a topic of concern at the organization’s latest meeting. Far-right parties, according to Ollie Bell, frequently claim to be concerned about the “safety of children” while concealing their own political agenda. Bell discussed the numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting trans youth that have been passed in the US in recent years, as well as Tennessee’s drag law and Missouri’s emergency rule that restricts gender-affirming healthcare for trans adults in the state.
Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin has also criticized the low level of engagement of politicians and the biased trans coverage and transphobia in the media. The organization has stressed the importance of Pride marches being led by activist community groups, rather than companies that only claim to support LGBTQ+ people for profit.
The goal for this year’s Trans and Intersex Pride march is to “build a mass movement towards trans liberation,” and the organization is calling for queers and allies to support them in making this the largest Pride march yet. Let us come together to demand change, fight for equality and solidarity, and make our voices heard.