To fight back against the right-wing backlash and organise the biggest Irish LGBTQ+ march yet, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin announced their fourth annual pride march for July 8th. Starting at 2 p.m. in Merrion Square, the march will highlight important LGBT issues such as transgender healthcare and gay rights.

The topic has become even more important to discuss in recent years as violence against trans people has increased. Queer people, for example, usually have to wait more than a decade before receiving gender-affirming care. Adults seeking life-affirming treatment in Ireland often face additional anxiety and mental stress due to the Irish screening process.

In recent reports on transgender health care in the EU, Ireland was ranked the worst country. As a result, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin decided at their latest meeting that this year's march should prioritise the issue.

 

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Since the process of receiving gender-affirming care is a lengthy and intrusive one, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin compared it to the former anti-abortion legislation in the US. At their latest meeting on Saturday, April 15, they described both issues as "two sides of a war against bodily autonomy."

Since 2022 is recognised as the most violent year for queer people living in Europe in the past decade, they also addressed the increase in attacks against LGBTQ+ people at Saturday‘s meeting. They also highlighted that the number of hate and violent crimes against queer people in Ireland is worrying.

In their speech, Ollie Bell discussed the rise in global attacks as well as the numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting trans youth that have been passed in the US in recent years. Bell brought up Tennessee's drag law, which affects anyone dressed in gender nonconforming clothing. They also mentioned that Missouri passed an emergency rule that severely restricts gender-affirming healthcare for trans adults in the state.

We will catch you all at Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin on 8 July 2023! @DubTrans organisers Ollie and Conor are working hard to deliver a fantastic march for all 💪 pic.twitter.com/oy68qMbcwS

— Irishfurries (@IrishFurries) April 15, 2023

Bell stated that encouragement from far-right parties is also contributing to the rise in attacks on LGBTQ+ people. According to Bell, these people frequently claim to be concerned about the "safety of children" while actually concealing their own political agenda.

In recent years, far-right extremists have actively worked to remove children‘s access to inclusive sex education library books. For example, a group of anti-LGBTQ+ people went to Cork‘s Grand Parade Library in March and destroyed copies of the sexual education book This Book is Gay. There have also been many lies spread about the content of the book, claiming it celebrates paedophilia and sexualizes children.

The low level of engagement of politicians as well as the statement of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that trans activists are "extremists" and trans women do not belong in women's prisons were discussed in the meeting. The biassed trans coverage and transphobia in the media were also discussed.

Anti-fascism needs to be a MAJOR part of Trans and Intersex Pride 2023. The far-right are a massive threat to trans people and the gains we've made in the past few years. We need massive solidarity on July 8th to fight for progress and to fight against the reactionary far-right https://t.co/OJeEv512Ee

— Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 (@DubTrans) April 18, 2023

With the nearing end of the meeting, the organisers revealed the poster for this year's Trans and Intersex Pride march. They also expressed how Pride has become a far cry from the protest it once was. The organisers noticed how important it is that Pride marches be led by activist community groups, as there are a number of companies that claim to support LGBTQ+ people for profit.

This could refer to companies like Apple, The Coca-Cola Company, and many others that often show their support during Pride Month or only one day a year.

Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin is asking queers and allies to support them in order to make this the largest Pride march yet. On Twitter they stated that the goal for this year is to "build a mass movement towards trans liberation."