Summary
People Before Profit campaigns for full equality for LBGTQ people.
- We want:
- Full equality for gay or bisexual men donating blood. This means ending the twelve-month celibacy rule that currently exists.
- Hate crime legislation to deal with homophobic and transphobic attacks and proper recording of data on such attacks.
- Extension of gender recognition act to 16-18 year-olds.
- Access to gender-neutral toilets in schools, workplaces and public buildings.
- A third gender option for non-binary people on all official forms.
- Legislation to make anti-retroviral drugs such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis, free.
- Legislation to allow all LGBTQ people fleeing persecution to live in Ireland.
- Free gender care through an Irish NHS, including services like psychotherapy, counselling, speech and language therapy, hormone therapy, hair removal and gender reassignment surgery.
- Restoration and improvement of funding for mental health and addiction treatment services.
- Proper funding for LGBTQ organisations and resource centres.
- Compulsory, age-appropriate sex education that deals with issues around gender, sexuality, safe sex, consent and contraception.
- Anti-bullying initiatives for schools, youth groups, sports clubs etc.
- LGBTQ awareness training for workplaces, community organisations, sports clubs etc.
- Full support for marriage equality in the North.
Introduction
People Before Profit is strongly committed to supporting LGBTQ people in their struggle for full equality. In 2015 the majority of Irish people voted in favour of the same-sex marriage referendum after a hugely positive ‘Yes Equality’ campaign. The government also passed the Gender Recognition Bill to enable Transpeople to achieve legal recognition of their gender and provide the relevant documentation (birth certs, passports etc.) to reflect this fact.
People Before Profit recognises the enormity of these steps, in particular the hugely positive response to the referendum and its overwhelming support. In the wake of the referendum, a consensus emerged in political and media discourse that the LGBTQ rights movement was now finished as full equality had been achieved.
However, a number of legal and social issues remain, while homophobia and transphobia are still significant problems.
In the interest of achieving full equality for LGBTQ people in Ireland, People Before Profit will advocate in the following areas.
Legislative Changes
- An end to discrimination around donating blood. Currently, gay or bisexual men must remain celibate for 12 months in order to give blood. This discrimination has no basis in scientific reasoning. Ireland should follow countries such as Italy, Spain and South Africa by establishing full equality in this area.
- Hate crime legislation should be introduced to deal with homophobic and transphobic attacks. This should include the recording of data on homophobic and transphobic attacks. Transphobic attacks are currently not recorded so there are no figures on the number of attacks happening.
- Extension of the gender recognition act to 16-18 year-olds. Schools should also have guidelines/training provided for cases where they have transgender students in terms of uniform policies, bathrooms etc.
- Legislation to create a third gender option for non-binary people on all official forms. This is already available in Canada and Australia.
- Legislation to make anti-retroviral drugs such as Pre-exposure prophylaxis, free. HIV infection rates have increased 35% since 2011. We need the implementation of a substantive anti-HIV campaign including making PrEp through the HSE. The current cost can run up to €400 per month as the drug is not available here. This is preventative medicine which studies published by groups such as ACTUP show can reduce the chance of infection with HIV substantially. Studies also show the cost of preventative anti-retroviral drugs is cheaper than treating increasing numbers of HIV infections.
- Legislation to allow all LGBTQ people fleeing persecution to come to Ireland without extremely intrusive vetting procedures. Ireland should become a safe haven for those being oppressed for their sexuality or gender abroad.
Resources and Education
Despite the huge progress made in Ireland in the past 25 years, depression, suicide and addiction rates among LGBTQ people are still significantly higher than among the general population. Isolation is also a serious issue, especially in more rural areas, and among older LGBTQ people.
Legislative changes will therefore not be enough. People Before Profit recognise that simply eradicating homophobia and transphobia will not make up for the decades of oppression and repression suffered by the LGBTQ community.
As well as these legal changes, there needs to be real societal change to eradicate homophobia and transphobia from Irish society. People Before Profit will therefore campaign for
- Free gender care through an Irish NHS. This should include services like psychotherapy, counselling, speech and language therapy, hormone therapy, hair removal, gender reassignment surgery etc. At present many trans people must go abroad to access more affordable surgery.
- Restoration and improvement of funding for mental health and addiction treatment services.
- Proper funding for LGBT organisations and resource centres.
- Compulsory, age-appropriate sex education that deals with issues around gender, sexuality, consent and contraception. There should also be a focus on safe sex practices so young gay and bisexual men do not expose themselves to unnecessary risks.
- Anti-bullying initiatives for schools, youth groups, sports clubs etc.
- LGBTQ awareness training for workplaces, community organisations, sports clubs etc.
- People Before Profit is a 32 county organisation. We support full equality for LGBTQ people across the islands including marriage equality in the north.
