Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Three corporate sponsors have withdrawn funding from Cork Pride this year and there are fears that others may follow suit. Up to €140,000 in funding could be lost. A successful Pride is important in any year but it is more important than ever this year given the increase in physical attacks on LGBTQI+ people and the campaign to ban LGBTQI+ books in our libraries. The stated reason for the withdrawal of funding is straightforward economic pressure but in the US, corporations have been cutting back on LGBTQI+ friendly advertising to pander to a right-wing backlash. To the best of my knowledge, the question has yet to be asked here as to whether that is what is going on in this case or at least an element in what is going on in this case. I also think we should be told which corporate sponsors have withdrawn the funding.

Cork City Council and Cork County Council are providing a pathetic combined sponsorship of €8,000 to Cork Pride this year. This is not acceptable. It contrasts sharply with the €160,000 being provided to Dublin Pride by Dublin City Council. Big business has shown that it will prioritise profit over the needs of our LGBTQI+ community. The public sector must show that it has other priorities and that society supports our LGBTQI+ community. Cork City Council, Cork County Council and the State more generally must step up to the plate here, do the right thing and resolve this funding crisis.

I welcome the comments from the Minister about amending the Equality Act to include gender identity as grounds for discrimination that will be outlawed. I also welcome his comments that conversion therapy will be banned but the ban on conversion therapy must include a ban on the use of conversion therapy on trans people. That is a very important point.

Ireland is ranked lowest in the EU for the availability and accessibility of trans healthcare. The waiting list for Loughlinstown last year was six to ten years. There are also questions about the way in which young trans people are being treated within the system. Jenny Maguire, a 21-year-old transwoman, wrote to me and said:

For over three and a half hours, my psychological evaluation took place. In order to receive life-saving hormones, I needed to be diagnosed and dissected. The medicalisation of my gender opened up every fold and crevice of my life to evaluation and scrutiny, most of which had nothing to do with my gender. I was asked about masturbation. I was asked about my parents’ divorce. I was asked how I performed specific sexual acts. All of these questions made me feel completely dehumanised, and felt as though little care was being given to my wellbeing at that moment, besides a quick ten-minute break where I sat on a bench alone outside the clinic.

There is still genital mutilation of intersex babies in this State. That is still going on. This must end. For all of these reasons and more, I hope there is a major turnout for the trans pride protests in Cork on 1 July and in Dublin 8 July.

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