On Saturday, July 13, thousands of people took to the streets of Dublin for Trans and Intersex Pride 2024. Through chants, speeches, banners and more, activists and allies protested against the rise of the far-right, the state of trans healthcare in Ireland, and the ongoing devastation and violence caused by Israel in Palestine.
Participants assembled at the Garden of Remembrance at midday, before marching to Molesworth Street where a set of powerful speeches took place. Speakers included Palestinian activist Yaffa As, who told the crowd to “Let out that rage that we are worthy of releasing. Make sure that these buildings start shaking to know that we will not stop until we are all liberated.”
Joining Yaffa on stage were representatives from Trans and Intersex Pride, as well as from Neuro Pride Ireland, Queer Asian Pride Ireland, Queer Intifada Ireland, Trans Kids Deserve Better, Transgress the NGS, Intersex Ireland, Red Umbrella Film Festival, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Trans Healthcare Action.
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Trans and Intersex Pride 2024 took place despite an increasingly hostile climate for members of the community. Organisers were forced to change the event’s start time from 2pm to 12pm as it clashed with an anti-migration march also scheduled that afternoon in the city centre.
“We took this decision to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our community and protect against potential violence from the far-right,” the team said.
Trans and Intersex Pride had reportedly been “threatened time after time,” but organisers defiantly stated: “We are not going to be forced off the street or back into the closet. We are marching today against an emboldened far-right and for trans liberation!”
To keep the weekend’s momentum going, Transgress the NGS held a protest on the morning of Monday, July 15, in response to Karl Neff commencing his role as the HSE’s Clinical Lead for Transgender Services. Neff, also the Lead for the NGS, was appointed without members of the trans community being consulted, and activists have expressed concerns about how the model of care will be developed under his guidance.
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