News & Events
You are here: Home » News & Events
29 OCT 2013
The Irish Times - Gender Recognition
Letter to the Editor 29/10/2013
Original Article here
Sir, – Last week a number of civil society organisations and individuals were invited to discuss the Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill 2013 with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection. While we welcome the development of the Gender Recognition Bill, and the opportunity to discuss these and other concerns with the Oireachtas Committee, we also want to be clear there are key areas where the human rights of transgender and intersex people are not sufficiently protected.
These areas must be addressed if this long overdue legislation is to adequately support transgender and intersex people. We are particularly concerned that the current draft of the Bill excludes under-18s. Transgender young people have reported they feel devalued and vulnerable in their schools and we are concerned the situation will be made even worse by the blanket exclusion of under-18s from the Bill.
We are also very concerned that applicants are not allowed to be married or in a civil partnership and that a doctor’s certificate is needed. A person’s right to self-determine their own identity must be at the heart of this legislation. Discrimination against transgender and intersex people is a very serious issue and this legislation must lead the way in challenging that. We hope both the Oireachtas Committee and the Government will take on board our recommendations and ensure we have new law that protects the human rights of transgender and intersex people. – Yours, etc,
COLM O’GORMAN, executive director, Amnesty International Ireland; Dr CAROL-ANNE O’BRIEN, avocacy co-ordinator, BeLonG To Youth Services; KIERAN ROSE, chairperson, GLEN; MAX KRZYZANOWSKI, director, LGBT Noise; BRODEN GIAMBRONE, director, TENI; LAURA HARMON, vice-president for Equality and Citizenship, Union of Students in Ireland,
C/o Fleet Street, Dublin 2.
Shortcut http://www.teni.ie/the_irish_times___gender_recognition