AS MANY as a thousand people took part in a rally in Dublin City Centre over the weekend as part of the second annual ‘Trans Pride’ event.
A yearly march designed to raise awareness of the rights of the Transgender community, the event began in the Garden of Remembrance on Saturday afternoon, July 6th with the march moving on to Merrion Square.
The march was held on the anniversary of Marsha P Johnson’s death.
Johnson is famous for participating in the Stonewall rebellion, a protest which sparked a global movement for LGBTQ liberation.
As part of the march, those gathered in Dublin were asked to remember Johnson as the fight for improved trans rights continues.
The corporation-free protest was set up to highlight the discrimination many trans people feel they still suffer when it comes to accessing services like healthcare.
Protesters campaigns for free trans healthcare based on the informed consent model, and better legislation for non-binary people.
They are also campaigning for an end to violence against the transgender community.
They're off!#TransPrideDublin pic.twitter.com/7Uejc5jTjO
— Tom Douglas (@TomDouglas95) July 6, 2019
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger told the Press Association:
“Attacks on trans people are on the increase, trans healthcare in this country is not provided on the public health service, and housing is hitting people who are trans who are not accepted by parents, we want to bring all these struggles together.
“There are a number of things that the Government haven’t progressed, we were promised changes to the Gender Recognition Act, huge waiting lists on healthcare, people are going abroad for surgery, we’re exporting healthcare.
“The Sex Education Bill, why is that being left languishing?
“We need LGBT+-friendly sex education in our schools, maybe we wouldn’t have some transphobic attitudes in society if we did.”
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