TCDSU attend Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin protest

Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin held a protest today in Dublin over media coverage issues

Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) attended the Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin protest today outside the Irish Independent’s office on Talbot Street. 

The demonstration began at midday, to protest alleged negative media attention towards the group.

TCDSU attended the protest in solidarity with Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin.

In a statement to Trinity News, TCDSU said: “We are attending the protest at the Irish Independent offices because trans rights aren’t up for debate.”

“In recent months, there have been attempts to introduce an anti-trans narrative in Irish media and it is putting our students at risk.”

It continued: “Good journalism holds power to account. Recent articles in the Irish Independent have reported transphobic opinions as fact — and these words are carried into verbal and physical attacks on the streets.”

In the past two months, the Irish Independent has published articles with headlines such as “The future will condemn us for pandering to the trans agenda”, “We think Ireland is a world leader on LGBTQ+ issues, but reality paints a different picture”, and “The identity question – new zealotry demands we deny evidence of our eyes”.

TCDSU’s statement to Trinity News continued: “News outlets that publish these opinion pieces are directly implicated in transphobic attacks and they need to be challenged.”


TCDSU emphasised the impact of these attacks on students: “Every student should feel safe walking home. Every student should have access to healthcare. No student should have to open a newspaper and see headlines that attack their right to exist.”

“Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union will always stand in solidarity with our trans members,” the statement concluded.

Last month, Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin saw thousands of people take to the streets in pride and protest. The group were demanding access to services for trans and intersex individuals, including the banning of intersex genital mutilation, free GP-led trans healthcare and sex education.

In a statement on Twitter, Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin thanked all who attended the protest, stating: “Thank you all for turning up and showing solidarity against the transphobic media attacks outside [Independent.ie].”

“We heard word they hired extra security guards due to our protest,” the statement alleged. 

The statement concluded: “Trans people aren’t going anywhere and we will continue to fight for liberation.”

Alleged media attacks on trans people have garnered continued criticism from LGBTQ+ groups, student unions and the general student populace over the last year. Earlier this year, Dublin Pride announced an end to their partnership with RTÉ over platforming “anti-trans rhetoric”.

In August of last year, an opinion piece on conversion therapy published in the Irish Times prompted a boycott of the newspaper led by the Trans Writer’s Union (TWU), who demanded that the Irish Times apologise for and withdraw the article, and “take practical, committed steps to adopting a trans-inclusive editorial line”.

Last year, Trinity News announced that it is proud to lend its support to the Trans Writers’ Union’s boycott of the Irish Times, which was relayed in an editorial. 

Shannon Connolly

Shannon Connolly is the Editor-in-Chief of the 69th volume Trinity News, and a Senior Sophister student of English Literature and Philosophy. She previously served as Deputy Editor, News Editor and Assistant News Editor.

David Wolfe

David Wolfe is a Junior Sophister student of History and Political Science. He is the current Social Media and Managing Editor of Trinity News, having previously served as News Editor, Assistant News Editor and copyeditor.