Northern Ireland is a unique UK territory in that it does not recognise same sex partnerships under the law in any way.  The Stormont Assembly saw emotional debates on the subject, as well as impassioned protests from both sides outside, before the unionists voted the motion down.

Northern Ireland is an area that has had to deal with discrimination of various sections of its society for generations and so it is a shame to see this motion fail.  I, for one, had hoped the assembly would want to push the country past this kind of segregation of rights but sadly that is not the case.  Religious leaders asked assembly members to vote the motion down and so far it looks like they have prevailed.

In term of the future of the motion, Amnesty International has said they may well challenge the collapse of the move.  Their NI programme director, Patrick Corrigan said

states may not discriminate with regards to the right to marry and found a family, on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity

John O’Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project health organisation added

This will be won slowly so we appreciate every vote that we got. We are disappointed with the outcome. It has always been a difficult march towards equality here but we will continue to fight the good fight.

Related posts:

1. North’s Alliance Party supports marriage equality
2. Same-sex marriage proposal rejected in Northern Ireland
3. Kerry County Council supports same-sex marriage

Welcome out brother!

At last the NBA has an out athlete, congratulations to Jason Collins who, at 34, has come out whilst still playing at the top level.  Collins did an interview with Sports Illustrated, which will be published on May 6 2013, in which he declares himself a proud gay professional athlete.  This makes him the first openly LGBT playing in a major American team sport.

Our All Star

Born in LA, Jason has raised right to the top of his sport playing for New Jersey,  Memphis, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston and Washington and winning accolades along the way and appearing in two NBA Finals.  However, although not a regular starter or an all star, Jason has broken through and made a very powerful statement

I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m black and I’m gay

Fantastic!  Jason joins the ranks of cricket player Steve Davis, ex rugby star Gareth Thomas and GAA player Donal Og Cusack, but for the American audience this move can’t be overstated, in a country of jocks, this is massive.

Collins says he began thinking of coming out back in 2011 when there was an NBA player lockout, the season was delayed and Jason had some time to think.  Arriving at this place in time, on the cover of Sports Illustrated, makes a bold statement to the world of sports and hopefully he is the first of many to put their hand up and declare with pride that they are gay athletes that kick ass on the court.

Out pro in American sport

Bold

Jason mentions that the Boston Marathon bombing made him stop and realise that there might never be a perfect time to come out and that you just don’t know what is around the corner.  He decided to come out now and it’s empowering for everyone to see.

I love this quote

I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue

We can all relate to that I think.  I am so pleased for him and for all of the kids and adults alike who will have to stop and think about the stereotypes they follow blindly now that Jason has taken this step.  Lets hope that the next time he walks on the court he gets the support and respect he deserves.

Related posts:

1. Maltese form Gay / Trans Council
2. Holding Out for a Hero
3. Coming out to the team

The ruling Labour government in Malta are looking into the prospect of introducing civil partnerships for same sex couples. Their leader made this promise in January before the election, he also said at that time that his government would introduce identity legislation for trans people.

Interestingly, they have decided to get the views of LGBT people in this process of producing change – how novel of them.  The government will go about this by use of a consultative council set up by Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli.

Joseph Muscat

Court

All of this came about after the government dropped its case against a 31 year old who went to the European courts after she was refused the right to marry.  It was the first reading of a bill that would allow trans citizens the right to undergo gender reassignment in order to marry a person of the same gender, that has lead to this council being formed.  So who exactly makes up the council?  Well, participants are LGBT activists and the heads of various voluntary organisations, they will be chaired by Cyrus Engerer.

Labour leader, Joseph Muscat, also said he will appoint a minister for civil rights and equality in the country which would imply that these are not just steps being made to make the country seem like it is moving in the right direction but that rather his government are committed to ensuring the rights of all citizens are upheld into the future.

He said:

We have waited too long to move ahead and give these persons their rights. We truly want Malta for all and want everyone to feel that Malta is theirs

By saying that this isn’t about tolerance but rather embracing us all as equal human beings, Muscathas has hit the nail on the head.  Malta should be for all of it’s citizens a safe and dignified home and the same goes for every other country including our own.

Related posts:

1. Trans* equality activists protest Minister’s speech
2. Cork City Council votes unanimously in favour of marriage equality
3. Kerry County Council to vote on same-sex marriage

Christmas is a time for giving, which can be wonderful, but let’s not pretend that it doesn’t also come with its own set of headaches. It’s wicked expensive for a start, plus we all know at least one or two awkward people who it is next to impossible to buy for. If you are anything like me you will end up searching high and low for weeks before saying “fuck it” and ending up buying them a selection box at the till. No one leaves this situation happy; you get the guilt of seemingly putting no thought into their gift, and they get another selection box to add to the pile.

Empty calories and no karma

It’s in the bag!

So, this year, I have a proposal for you to avoid the embarrassment of lackluster gift giving. Most of you will be familiar with TENI from all the good work they do to further trans* rights in this country. What you may not know is that they are running out of funding. This is a big shame, because obviously money for these things doesn’t grow on trees, and without it they can’t continue to do all their (incredibly important) work.

No calories and squillions of karma points!

So how does this fit in with your present buying predicament? Well, this year they have had the very bright idea to start selling Trans Activist Gift Bags! It’s a genius plan really. For €20.13 you get a TENI t-shirt (which is pretty styling even by itself), a years membership to TENI and a trans* activist wrist band (just like all the cool kids wear!) And for an extra tenner on top of that you can get a copy of ‘Touching the Surface: Trans Voices in Ireland.

Sweet

Pretty sweet deal right? It’s the perfect gift for those of us who would maybe like to be more active, but due to family and work and such we just don’t have the time. It’s also perfect for the people in your life who would like to be a better ally. And every purchase is helping keep TENI going, so you know that’s good Christmas karma. So go on, give them a go. Tis the season after all.

You can purchase your TENI gift bags here

Related posts:

1. Christmas crafts
2. Crafty Christmas: easy presents to make when you’re broke
3. TENI News: Trans Health Forum

This just in from one of our newest Gaelickers, Ariel Silvera:

It isn’t always easy to review an anthology which contains several authors, especially when, rather than a unifying genre, the book has a unified theme.

In the case of The Collection, the first publication from Topside Press, the great variety of identities, backgrounds, writing styles and literary genres, makes it a complex task to simply sum it up. In short, it’s a collection of stories with transgender protagonists.

Topside took on this complicated challenge by assembling a number of vastly different, confident voices to be part of the book:

There are stories about revisiting hometowns after transition, an Asian trans woman dealing with her clueless cis lesbian friend, a genderqueer person confronted with horrid prejudice due to being neuroatypical and seeing ghosts.

There’s the lovers deciding if they will move in together while, on the other side of the world, a scientist wonders if in another quantum universe, he is making love to his fellow scientist rather than to his wife.

The trans woman who becomes a professional speed eater as a way out of her humdrum small town. The Victorian scientists who attempt to build a machine to see into the deranged mind of the homosexual. The trans woman in the future who, fascinated by a writer, meets a trans woman who came of age in our present time, exposing an evolved future trans community where mentoring is commonplace and ‘going stealth’ is unnecessary.

If these quick summaries sound exciting, well, that’s the point. This is, indeed, a vibrant tome, bursting with new ideas and just plain old good writing.

There are many shining moments of good prose, as well as awkward, explanatory smatterings which act as a running trans 101. But, even at its worst, the book feels like something special, unique.

We are seeing the teething pains of a new literary movement, of a community taking itself seriously, with a writing that is less confessional and more descriptive. We’re witnessing the coming of age of this new trans-lit movement.

There are downsides, however. I couldn’t help but notice many of the narratives take place in or around New York City, which feels hardly representative of the sheer size of the North American trans community. Another problem is that, despite an ‘international search’ of over a year, as touted in the press release, all 28 authors are from the US and Canada.

Admittedly, it is difficult to expand the remit of a project like this. And yet there is a pattern of American trans activists and artists purporting to speak for all of us, which is exacerbated due to their prominence in English-language writing.

Kate Bornstein and S Bear Bergman proved, in 2010, that it is possible to break that barrier and look beyond. I trust Topside Press will do so in the future, maybe in the next iteration of The Collection.

• The Collection will be available simultaneously in hardback, paperback and electronic format on 16th October, 2012 and can be pre-ordered online.

 

• Topside Press: web / facebook / twitter / tumblr

 

• Related news: 4th European Transgender Conference in Dublin this weekend!

Related posts:

1. Trans Sexual Health Seminar
2. TENI News: Trans Health Forum
3. Rally for Recognition! LGBT Noise trans rights demo in DCU!

Stone Butch Blues (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Being at a loose end for a good read, I started asking friends what would be on their “essential reading” list. The same title kept coming up over and over again, “Stone Butch Blues”  by Leslie Feinberg. My confession that I hadn’t yet read it caused my dear roommate to actually sprint from the room to retrieve her well-loved copy from her bookshelf, placing it solemnly into my hands as if handing me a rite of passage.

I think everyone knows the feeling of being lost between the pages of an amazing book, but I laughed to break up the seriousness of the moment. After all, when do you expect to be simply handed something that will change your life so profoundly? I embarked on this journey with the scarcest of details about what the story contained, and I can honestly say that, for me,  I don’t think any novel will quite measure up to the emotional rollercoaster contained within these pages.

This fictional account from Feinberg takes inspiration from zer life. The story is an unflinching portrayal of the life of Jess Goldberg, intertwining stories from colleagues, friends, and lovers; men, women, he-shes, butches and femmes alike. Jess “comes out as a young butch lesbian in the pre-stonewall gay drag bars of a blue-collar town” in the 1950s, with their life story laced around profound historical moments, such as the Stonewall riots, the rise of unions, and feminist liberation.

There is an element of aching loneliness in the characters struggling with the complexities of a transgender existence, their gender expression, identity and sexuality; an experience that anyone who has ever felt ostracised or different will resonate with. It is ultimately a wrenching story of survival, giving context to the oppression and alienation felt by those in our community, and those suffering from the criminality of homophobia.

From page one you are welcomed into the brutal reality of Jess’ life, as it opens with a letter full of the raw honesty and familiarity you expect when writing to a lover. The seat-belts are securely fastened, the barrier down, and the rollercoaster has started along the tracks. From that moment you’re caught, locked into this journey however it unfolds.

Many tears were spilled on this journey, and more than once, I was brought to uncontrollably sobbing, forced to put the book down so as not to drench the pages. Set around the time of the stonewall riots, I emoted with those who lived during this integral part of our history. However you just need to look at the news to realise that for far too many people, this is still their present; they’re fighting it every day. To quote a line from the novel, “Imagine a world worth living in, a world worth fighting for”.

Sometimes you need to look at the achievements of those before us to find the passion to keep fighting for what we all deserve. This novel re-awakened that spark in me.

For me, Stone Butch Blues is not just essential reading, but essential to own and have on your bookshelf. There has never been a better time to buy as spring 2013 heralds the release of a special 20^th anniversary edition, with the dedication and proceeds going to the CeCe McDonald campaign. I won’t share any more details; instead I urge you to read and feel that spark ignite in yourself.

Trigger Warning: This story is rife with abuse and homophobia/transphobia.

Related articles

• Leslie Feinberg Arrested in Solidarity with CeCe McDonald (queerd.com)

Related posts:

1. Emigration Blues
2. Review: My Animals & Other Family
3. Review: A Kick Against The Pricks

We bring you another installment of our regular brew, with headlines from the past few days. What do you think? More importantly, what’ve we missed? To the comments!

Ireland

Out for the Weekend launched in Kilkenny this weekend!

The annual Pride event on the banks of the River Nore takes place from 24-26th August next, and there is plenty to look forward to. Now in its third year, the festival is offering up an even more diverse line up of performance, art, theatre, music and symposiums to cater to everyone of all ages, genders and persuasions.

Festival organiser Alan Slattery told the Kilkenny People:

I felt there were no gay events happening in Kilkenny that sustained any kind of momentum. Instead of standing by, I decided I wanted to organise an event that might become a focal point of Kilkennyʼs cultural calendar.

Sneak peek!

The Irish Times ran a feature this weekend on issues affecting trans people in Ireland – especially the total lack of any recognition of gender identity.

It’s over a year now since the official release of the Report from the Gender Recognition Advisory Group (GRAG), which was launched by Social Protection Minister, Joan Burton. Orla Tinsley reported on what progress has been made since then, and how are Irish trans people are coping in the absence of legal recognition.

Earlier in the week, TENI headed to Waterford for the launch of Touching the Surface: Trans Voices in Ireland. Take a look at some pics here.

In September, Ireland will have the honour of hosting the European Transgender Forum at Dublin City University.

The ever fabulous BeLonG To published their Impact Review 2011 last week.

The publication looks at the number of young people availing of BeLonG To’s services, the development of LGBT youth groups across the country, the campaigns and projects rolled out over the last 12 months and the impact BeLonG To is having beyond our shores.

You can browse the Impact Review here!

It was a sad day on Friday for the Irish queer internets, when the ever-idiosyncratic angryPotato.net forum went offline at 6pm.

The work of our very own Mistress of the Code, angryPotato has been a fixture for over seven years. The Spud shall be missed!

Is the Tánaiste ruling out legislating for marriage equality?

Deaglán de Bréadún writes in The Irish Times:

The Tánaiste reiterates his view that gay marriage is “the civil rights issue of this generation” and adds: “I actually don’t think there is any big deal about this – that is where Irish society is. People do have a sense of live and let live.”

‘So if the issue is that important, why not deal with it through the Dáil rather than long-fingering it at the convention? “This isn’t long-fingering it, the intention is that the convention will have the list of items that it has been asked to address . . . within a year,” he replies.

Perhaps Eamon Gilmore is simply waiting to be able to say that marriage equality is deemed important by the Constitutional Convention? Yet, does – or should – equality require approval?

What do you think?

World

Speaking of equality, progress seems to be under way in no less than three countries around the world.

Scotland is due to introduce marriage equality – by 2015?

Elsewhere, the government of Viet Nam is considering marriage equality, among other forms of recognition for same-sex couples.

While in New Zealand – where civil unions are available to same-sex couples – the parliament there is expected to vote on a private member’s bill to introduce marriage equality. Since it was introduced, the country’s prime minister, John Key, has expressed his support for the measure:

You go through all the merits of the argument and look at what people put up; but my view is that if two gay people want to get married I can’t see why it would undermine my marriage with Bronagh.

In less enlightend parts of the world, things aren’t looking so optimistic.

Ukraine has seen an anti-gay bill re-introduced to the parliament there.

Meanwhile, France24 reports that across the border in Russia, 73 people have been prosecuted to date under St Petersburg’s anti-gay law.

Fluff

Kylie goes gay – albeit fake gay – but we knew that already.

In other not-really-gay news – but for realsies – Gillian Anderson says she isn’t 100% gay. She doesn’t tell us what she is – but then should she? Is it really necessary to pidgeon hold anyone into a neat category? Even “queer“?

Sport

Did you see, did you see?!

One of the athletes at London 2012 has actually commented on Gaelick!

Team GB’s sitting volleyball captain, Claire Harvey, popped by to say hello (and put us in our place a little bit!):

Great to be included on here… Such a dodgy photo though : ) single though, just not sure mainstream articles deal with that well : ))) sprouts will of course always be my dirty little secret!

Knock me over with a feather and colour me star-struck.

And more in “Did you see?” news: Did you see the lesbian kiss during the Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday?

During a love story montage, Ceremony director, Danny Boyle, chose to include a split-second clip of the famous kiss between Beth Jordache and Margaret in Channel 4′s Brookside.

Unsurprisingly – or perhaps suprisingly – the nano-second of sapphic action has generated high praise and criticism from various quarters.

How are the out athletes faring in London? SB Nation is keeping track.

And what about Ireland’s women?

In badminton last night, there was good news, when Donegal’s Chloe Magee defeated Hadia Hosny of Egypt in two straight sets. Magee faces Pi Hongyan tomorrow in the second and last of her group stage matches, to see who will be among the 16 players to go through to the next round.

Sycerika McMahon came third in her 200m medley heat this morning, setting a personal best of just over 2 minutes 14.76 seconds in the process. Apparently setting personal bests in the Olympics is very rare – so kudos to McMahon! Sadly, however, her time wasn’t fast enough to finish in the top 16 swimmers to go through to tonight’s semi-finals. Keep building!

Annalise Murphy is currently leader in her sailing event (laser radial) with a time of 49 minutes 11 seconds. Get in! Watch that space to see if she can hold her lead.

Meanwhile, Hannah Craig is in third place in her canoeing event (kayak K1 slalom) with a score of 117.07. This is also an ongoing event, so we’ll have to wait until later today to know the final standings.

There was disappointment for Ireland’s swimmers yesterday, too, with Gráinne Murphy and Melanie Nocher unable to progress to the next stages in their respective events. Murphy, who is struggling with glandular fever, pulled out of this morning’s 200m freestyle heat to concentrate on Thursday’s 800m freestyle event.

It was also a difficult day on Saturday for Lisa Kearney, when luck was with her opponent in the -48k judo event. Kearney, who is a world silver medallist, won a bye through to the second round of elimination bouts. There, she and NAME ended their fight on level points, to go through to a sudden death round.

Also, it’s Hope Solo’s birthday today!

Why not send your Happy Birthday wishes by gazing at hundreds of photos of the US goalie? Or just this one:

Related posts:

1. Suppa Earl Gae: Pride Special
2. A Suppa Earl Gae
3. A Suppa Earl Gae

From Paula of Random Ramblings and Musings, who took a look at our latest poll and had a thing or two to say about it! Her article, which is reproduced with her kind permission, was originally posted here.

I spotted this poll on gaelick during the week and the question intrigued me so I cast my vote and made a note to check back at the end of the day and see what the results looked liked.

I was surprised to see that 48% (the figure has since changed slightly) of those who responded had gone for the ‘don’t be ridiculous, of course’ option.

I tweeted the link, just to see what others thought of it, and replies ranged from men obviously did the voting to they’re just being greedy and wondering whether a gay man could enjoy sex with a woman.

Here’s the thing though, I was one of those who ticked the ‘don’t be ridiculous, of course’ box and my surprise had been at the fact that I wasn’t the only one.

Controversial I know and I’ll probably get some stick for it especially in light of recent posts that I’ve written. But bear with me on this one because I DO think it’s possible for a woman to enjoy sex with a man and still be a lesbian.

Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about dating men or gentle love making where you whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears. If that’s the kinda thing you’re into then you are, most definitely, bisexual as far as I’m concerned.

I’m talking, solely, about when the desire is so strong that there’s nothing else to be done but rip each other’s close off and fuck, like there’s no tomorrow, right there on the kitchen table. You had a need, that need was fulfilled it seems pretty clear to me that enjoyment would be had.

You can’t help who you are attracted to and if the feeling is mutual then I say work away, have at it and share your kinky side or whatever it is you’re into. You’re both consenting adults after all!

I am under no circumstances saying that women are wired to automatically enjoy sex with men or that this applies to all lesbians. But depending on the lesbian, the man and the situation I can see how it could happen.

On the flip side I also think it’s possible for a woman to enjoy sex with another woman and still be straight. Actually I know this one is true rather than just thinking it!

I’ve been in that situation and yes a great night was had by us both but the following morning we went our separate ways. It was just sex, the fulfilment of a need, and then we both moved on. And no she hasn’t since come out of the closet (I know some of you are thinking it!).

Sex is sex, if the mood calls for you to be shown a good time, by whoever, and fucked senseless while talking dirty and wearing nothing but a pair of killer heels then who am I to judge.

Where things cross the line, for me at least, is if it goes deeper than purely acting on that physical attraction. If it’s more than just a good seeing to you’re after and particularly if you find yourself becoming attached to the other person in more emotional ways and/or you wish to turn it into something more relationship-like, then I do think you’re bisexual.

Equally I would say the same if you found yourself wanting to jump the bones of more than one man.

In both these circumstances it has become more than just the scratching of an itch, so to speak, and that’s something entirely different as far as I’m concerned.

Sex is sex! Relationships are relationships! Love is love! If you want all three of these with a member of the opposite sex, when you’d previously only wanted them with the same sex, then yes…I would say you are bisexual. If, however, it’s just a once off fuck fest that you’re looking for then I think it’s entirely possible for a lesbian to enjoy sex with man!

Related posts:

1. 23rd September: “Celebrate Bisexuality Day”
2. Julie Bindel

Morning Gaelickers! Hope you are all refreshed after a weekend of rest and relaxation. I am having tech rage with my lovely alarm clock. The stoopid thing decided to reset itself this morning, how does a clock do that? Its a fairly fancy one with an ipod docking station and all that jazz. The really sad thing is I am unsure how to reset it as the lovely wife usually has the knack when it comes to things like alarm clocks and remote controls. I know, I know, really bad. She’s off on a work trip for 2 weeks leaving me to fend for myself with alarm clocks and tellies

News! Let’s start with this because if you haven’t seen it already on our FB page, you really should watch it. Its a beautiful speech that Republican Representative Maureen Walsh made when the bill was passed in Washington approving same-sex marriage.

Its just wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbmbdWK6338

You can read the full text here

Warms the cockles of your heart eh?

Continuing with the uplifting theme, HuffPo annouces
Australia Gay Marriage: Parliament Proposes Bills Lifting Ban On Same-Sex Unions

CANBERRA, Australia — Two rival bills that would lift a ban on gay marriage in Australia have been introduced into Parliament weeks after the ruling Labor Party lifted its opposition to same-sex unions.

Hawaii celebrate civil unions with Ho’olei at Grand Wailea Celebrates Hawaii Civil Unions With a Maui Getaway Sweepstakes

The Washington Post reports For transgender Pakistanis, newfound rights

It’s never been easy being a sexual minority in Pakistan, but transgender citizens, known here as eunuchs or “hijras,” are getting a surprising amount of judicial protection and newfound civil rights.

Also posted on our FB page during the week: Lesbian mums give birth to half-siblings just five days apart with help from gay sperm donor

How caute are the happy family? They are uncannily alike though! And yes I am linking to what appears to be the Mirror’s site. I do advise you read the story there, do not look anywhere else, and click away as fast as you can.

Another amazing Mom! Aren’t Mom’s great?

A mom defends her gay son after attack at his Ohio school

After the attack, the school principal actually said to Zach, “I don’t have any other problems with any other gay students in this school. The problem seems to be with you. What can we do to change you?”

I was actually speechless when I read the above. The Principal?!

Back to HuffPo, some images Something To Celebrate: 12 Of The Best LGBT Moments Of The Week February 5 – February 11

And finally, maybe you’re sick of seeing them or maybe this is the first time you’ve seen them? Very cute pics of new parents Beyonce and Jay-Z found at their
tumblr account. I dare you not to say, “Aw..!”

I’m off to figure out how my alarm clock works now. Thank Xena kettles and toasters are straight forward

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As you may or may not have read this week, it seems that under current travel regulations in Canada, transgender individuals can be prevented from merely boarding a plane. In a recent post, I wrote about the violations of every day rights faced by T* identified people, and this is a prime example.

This story was first reported by Christin Scarlett Milloy who highlighted the relevant section of the Identity Screening Regulations:

5.2 (1) An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if
(a) the passenger presents a piece of photo identification and does not resemble the photograph

(b) the passenger does not appear to be the age indicated by the date of birth on the identification he or she presents

(c) the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents

Damn it Canada, you used to be cool! This revelation comes hot on the tails of the widespread confusion over marriages of same-sex couples performed in Canada (for more see CanuckJacq’s post ) The current conservative government seems to be doing their best to remove any sort of “LGBTQ heaven” image that Canada has. These travel regulations were set in place by the Conservative Minister of Transportation, Denis Lebel, and the full set of regulations can be rea here (.pdf). As you can see, they further state:

(2) Despite paragraph (1)(a), an air carrier may transport a passenger who presents a piece of photo identification but does not resemble the photograph if

(a) the passenger’s appearance changed for medical reasons after the photograph was taken and the passenger presents the air carrier with a document signed by a health care professional and attesting to that fact

With that section they are demanding that a Trans* person carry a medical document with them when they travel, which is a pretty unfair onus of responsibility to be putting on anyone-travel is stressful enough without having to remember a doctor’s letter, or more to the point, without the added stress of having to go to see a doctor to obtain the relevant document, which will probably also cost a lot of money, just for the appointment. And what then of the T* people who would not be able to obtain said documentation?

As Christin Milloy also points out in her blog post, summing it up better than I could ever hope to:

So for non-operative transgender persons, for gender nonconforming (genderqueer) persons, and for the vast majority of pre-operative transsexual persons, it is literally impossible to obtain proper travel documentation marked with the sex designation which “matches” the gender identity in which they live.

This is obviously a ridiculous situation for people to be left in, and even though there’s be no reports that anyone has been stopped so far, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a worrying precedent. It’s my second “Is this real life?” moment in under a week… I’m going to hide under a duvet now, wake me up when the world makes sense again.

There is a petition that you can sign if you want to take action.

Related posts:

1. Targeting trans women, or the pathetic pastime of increasingly irrelevant wealthy people
2. Report on Dublin Trans Health forum
3. Trans* equality activists protest Minister’s speech

• This just in from Irene Greene, an Applied Psychology student at University College Cork:

For my final year project I’m conducting research into the effect online support has on the well-being of transgender individuals.

Research in general populations regarding the effectiveness of online social support has found mixed results, but very little research has been carried out looking at the impact of social support on groups such as the transgender community.

We’re interested in examining whether online social support may positively affect the well-being of transgender individuals, as it may provide some people with a greater sense of support than they experience offline.

We hope that this study will lead to a better understanding of the impact of social support on the general well-being of members of the transgender community.

I have a short survey which should only take 15 minutes to complete. It is important for the study to get a large number of respondents in order to achieve reliable results.

If you are willing to take part, you can find the survey here.

Related posts:

1. Online Survey on Hate Speech
2. Targeting trans women, or the pathetic pastime of increasingly irrelevant wealthy people
3. Report on Dublin Trans Health forum

I was never in the Girl Scouts, not really my thing as a kid. It involves being social and talking to people, not the forte of this card carrying geek. My sister was in it though and her daughter now proudly tells me all about her various badges every time I visit, it’s beyond cute. 

Traditionally the organisation is about teaching girls to think beyond the traditional role of the woman by imparting leadership skills and greater respect for themselves.

With this in mind I was delighted with the response the organisation gave to a recent debacle in Colorado.  A 7 year old girl, Bobby Montoya, who was assigned male at birth, was refused membership.  After consideration the group then changed their stance, in a press release they said

Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization…if a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.

Well done, it’s never to late to do the right thing.  However, true to form the Christian right have had a most distasteful response to this progressive stance.

A boycott of the cookies sold by the Scouts was called for by, Taylor, a 14 year old girl in a rant that doesn’t bear repeating.  She takes this opportunity to promote a group called the Honest Girl Scouts – how’s your blood pressure there? Though the roof yet? I mean come on, get over yourself. She talks about a “true all-girl experience”. Your ignorance is showing Taylor.

It gets worse! The notion that trans girls are “boys passing themselves off as girls” in order to hurt the girls is deeply unsettling. What are they saying, that Bobby, who is going through a level of self discovering and expression that is nothing short of inspirational at such a young age, is somehow trying to incite violence against women. Come on! What’s next, a campaign saying that the Girl Scouts are leading kids towards homosexuality? Give me a break.

Taylor is 14, lets hope she grows up and learns a little about life. However, I don’t have any hope for the fundamentalists behind her type of rant. Sadly, they are intent of using this brave little girl in Colorado as some kind of target.

Well done to the Scouts in Colorado for not allowing the exclusion of this brave girl and lets hope many more troops follow suit.

Related posts:

1. International Transgender Day of Remembrance 2012
2. 4th European Transgender Conference
3. Review: A Montreal Girl

The basic premise of the series is that, due to the recession, two men have to present and pass as women in order to gain employment because ZOMG IT’S A “MANCESSION” LOOK WE’RE SO HILARIOUS. They actually use the term “mancession” and blame the fact that they don’t have jobs on women… In the show, they are told that the pharmaceutical company will only hire women, as the doctors want to “nail” them more. (I really wish I was making this up, believe me.)

On account of how offensive and damaging the show could be to the general public’s perception of trans* people, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) urged a boycott and took out a full page ad in Daily Variety condemning the show. In a statement, the Acting President of GLAAD Mike Thompson said:

This show could contribute to the high levels of job discrimination that transgender Americans face and will give license for people to mock and ridicule those whose gender expression might not fit with what society considers the norm

and that

The media should use this as an opportunity to address the huge number of inaccurate or offensive images of transgender people in news and entertainment today. [http://www.glaad.org/workit]

This is all the more poignant when you go on to read in the same statement that currently in the US, members of the trans* community can be legally fired in 34 states, that 97% of self-identified transgender people reported being harassed or abused at work and 26% reported losing their jobs simply because they are transgender. In Ireland, things aren’t much better. Research from Mayock et al (2009) found that out of 46 trans* identified respondents, over 80% had been verbally insulted, and over 39% had someone threaten to ‘out’ them. The 2009 NLGF Burning Issues Survey found trans* identified respondents stated ‘Equal rights at work’ as their top issue of concern. Harassment and discrimination both in and outside of the workplace is the simple every-day reality faced by trans* people the world over; yet ABC has chosen to make a complete mockery out of this oppression.

The debate began when someone posted a link to an article condemning Work It, adding a comment saying how offensive the show was. On a page that is full of self-identified LGBT Activists, you would naturally assume that most members of the group would be outraged by the mere existence of such a show. Disappointingly, this was far from the case. The first few comments were people basically saying “Ah sure, stereotypes are hilarious, it’s only a bit of fun, people shouldn’t be so sensitive”. I bit my tongue and waited, as I was curious to see where the conversation would go.

I looked at the thread in disbelief for a couple of hours, as comment after comment defended the show and thought Work It was not offensive to trans* people, because it’s only “two guys pretending to be women”. Some group members trudged up comparisons with films and programmes of eras past, justifying that if something like this was funny before than it is harmless now. Others even implied that Work It might even be a platform from which to inform the public about trans* issues sensitively. I found it interesting that the conversation on this activists’ forum page focused more on a debate over if Work It was indeed offensive, rather than a discussion of how it offends, or the best way for us, as LGBT Activists, to take action.

This image sums up perfectly why we shouldn’t need a group to prove to us why something is offensive or oppresive:

Thankfully, the voice of reason soon appeared in the form of Sinead Dolan (author of this post ). After trying and failing to get the others to understand why this show was dangerous to the trans* cause through a serious of well reasoned posts, she came out with this statement, which I think summed up this issue in a brilliant and succinct manner:

This show is about men actually living their lives as women, which is a totally different thing. They are going to be using the same techniques that trans people spend literally their whole lives trying to perfect, and make them into The Biggest Joke. Imagine if you were trans, and had spent years working on the makeup, and the walk, and the voice, and the way you move, literally every tiny thing your body does is a learned skill, a way to make the world see you as you see yourself. Now imagine that ABC has taken all those tiny things that are so, so important to you, to your actual survival, and is using them as the butt of every joke in one of it’s sitcoms. That’s not only offensive, it’s wildly irresponsible.

And that right there is really the crux of the issue in my opinion. Whether intentionally or not (and that’s really not the point here) ABC has created and written a show that is essentially taking the piss out of some people’s actual lives.

To the people who watch the show who are thinking “ah sure it’s grand, it’s only a bit of fun cos stereotypes are hilarious” – well, they’re not. Being the butt of someone’s jokes is never funny, particularly when it is compounded by oppression and discrimination in a similar vein in
your daily life. And the people who think that it’s all ok because the show is “only” making a mockery of drag queens/cross-dressers, well guess what? IT’S STILL NOT OK! Drag kings and queens, cross-dressers and transvestites, as well as people who identify as transsexual, transgender, genderqueer or any other variety of gender identity or expression, are all part of the trans* umbrella and the wider LGBT rainbow. We are all part of the same community, and no one individual’s reality is less than another.

Last night, I forced myself to watch Work It. Sitting through an episode was like an endurance sport, and I honestly wanted to weep by the end of it. I quickly realised how this programme relies on sexism, racism and homophobia alongside its transphobia in order to get cheap laughs at the expense of those of us with marginalised identities. Less than one minute into it, there was a rape joke. The protagonist of the piece apparently regularly compares a prostate exam to the pinball scene in ‘The Accused’ (which if you haven’t seen it, is one of the most horrific rape scenes I have ever seen in a film) in conversation with his wife regarding medical checks. Stay classy, Work It. After hearing that “joke”, I knew it could only get worse. And it really did. Next we had the friend who was bitter towards women for causing the “mancession”, and later a lovely racist joke with “I’m Puerto Rican, I’d be great at selling drugs”. All the women that work in the office are portrayed as total airheads (obviously, because women working in an office isn’t real work). They also make jokes about everything from sexual harassment to someone being a lesbian…because clearly, as she is a lesbian, one of the protagonists can now feel free to hit on her. UGH. Fucking hell, HOW DID THIS SHOW GET GREENLIT?! It is honestly the most offensive show I have ever seen. And I used to watch Family Guy!! Emphasis on the used to part of that…

I’d love to get a good discussion of this issue going here. It’s a sad fact of the LGBT movement in Ireland that so often we ignore the inequalities faced by T identified people of the acronym. And that’s to say nothing of the invisibility of bisexual people, but that’s a whole other discussion we need to have.

The LGBT movement is never going to progress if we don’t fight for the rights of the entire community. We’re either a community or we’re not, we’re either activists or we’re not. We need to wake up and realise that we can’t *just* fight for the rights of lesbian and gay people, we have to fight for equal rights for all. The roots of homophobia and transphobia are the same, in the end we have a shared experience in the LGBT community of breaking gender role stereotypes. Whether we do this through our gender identity or expression, or through our romantic and sexual relationships, we are all punished by wider society for breaking these norms. We will never eradicate homophobia as long as there is transphobia. After all, it was the trans* members of the LGBT community that kicked off the entire global LGBT rights movement in Stonewall over 40 years ago. Without them, where would we be today?

The last couple of years have seen some great leaps forward for the Irish trans* rights movement, when LGBT NOISE started campaigning on trans* issues. A trans* activist spoke at the March for Marriage, raising awareness about the Gender Recognition legislation, and how trans* people are being excluded from Civil Partnership legislation. It seemed that people were finally recognising that the trans* community has stood in solidarity with LGB efforts in Ireland for ages, and realising that we all need to work together to combat transphobia and homophobia. I was hopeful that the situation was improving, that people were coming on board, educating themselves and properly putting the T in LGBT – but then this discussion happened.

I need your help, and your suggestions. What can we do, as an LGBT community, to address this problem? How can we counter the apparent apathy among so many LGB people towards trans* issues? And, most importantly of all, what can we do to educate people on trans* issues?
For information on being a good trans* ally, please see:
http://web.mit.edu/trans/allies.html
For more information on trans* issues in Ireland, visit:
www.teni.ie
To begin exploring the concept of cisgender privilege and how it operates, check out:
http://takesupspace.wordpress.com/cis-privilege-checklist/

Related posts:

1. Julie Bindel
2. Trans Sexual Health Seminar

• Here’s another article from one of our new writers, Tole. Enjoy!

As a young gay (and by young, I mean, fresh off the train, wearing short pants, clutching my suitcase with a wide eyed stare as I entered an unknown village), I had great expectations that I would soon be charming women every night of the week and giving off the impression that I was some type of modern day Casanova.

So when this did not come to fruition, I was greatly surprised. It took me a while to figure out the root of my failings, but when I did, it came down to a number of crucial things:
 

• It appeared I had an inability to converse with people, something I had hitherto excelled at.
• When I did speak, it was often nonsensical and delivered at a very high pitch so that it seemed I was interested only in communicating with seagulls.
• Anybody I did manage to talk to with any motive of intent, was already coupled up or proved stranger and more high pitched than I was. And I couldn’t be dealing with that sort of competition.

So a chance purchase of an L Word box set (which I figured would surely teach me everything I needed to know) also happened to contain three months free membership for an online dating site. This little card gave me some hope that I could navigate the world a bit better from the comfort of my home, where I had control over my actions, free of occasional squawking noises and the like.

So, I now had the opportunity to be an ever dashing charmer with an unlimited amount of messages to woo these potential suitors with. No “soz babes I’m outta messages, if you fancy a chat add me on msn-smiley face, lol” woes for me.

However, the stress of it all proved too much after a while. The excellent banter back and forth only for it stop abruptly, the occasional drink with somebody who turned out to be incredibly boring, or bumping into that hot girl you took seven hours composing a two line message to, only to never hear anything back. My nerves quite simply weren’t able for it. And so I hung up my online lady killer boots which to my shame, never managed to get all that dirty for a finish.

Having upped my social skills a tad since then (I don’t come off as wanting to live my life on a beach anymore), I recently found myself back online. It may have been exam time. It may also have been the month I discovered a love for the unnecessary filing of all my photos in order of the number of people present in them. But if I was to be at my computer ‘revising’, I thought somebody should at least be entertaining me while I did so.

And it certainly was entertaining for a while, as I discovered that many of the same lovely faces were still online. Yet like a solid old man’s pub, they had refused to move with the times. Many of them were still “just out of a relationship, only looking for fun” (which to be fair, is always a bit of a winning statement), “still really new to this, not sure what to say” (really? But it’s three years later), while the amount of people (“new age kids” I like to call them) who spell their names with both letters and numbers was astonishing.

Of course, there were also a few gems of people in there, fun and witty. However, for the most part, it would seem that we all sat around logged in, yet not saying much. I mean, I can’t prove this for definite, just that the masses didn’t seem to be messaging me, which I found strange, given that I had personally awarded myself 4/5 stars for my new profile.

Whatever about communicating with people in real life, I’ve always found that online, you have time to think, to open and reply to a message with a great answer, and if not great, at the least, relatively engaging.

Some of the profiles provide great material to start a conversation, plenty of interests and quirks that can arm you with something slightly original to say. But yet, a lot of people continue to open with ‘Hi, how are you?’. Given that we live in Ireland, surely it’s only natural that a response to this would also include a comment on the weather, followed by an inquiry into the health of the person’s ailing grandmother and before you know it, everybody has lost interest.

I gradually became more annoyed by these messages. I just couldn’t bring myself to reply to them. And so, I asked that, if people were feeling charitable enough to message me, then dear Jesus, make it worthwhile and something that I might actually respond to.

It has kind of worked, I think. Or else I just come across as so demanding that the ‘hi how are you lol’ people, a wily bunch, know I’m probably not worth the effort. But I’ve had some good banter with a few people and have progressed towards ‘friendly acquaintance’ stage.

And just so you know, things online move like this these days:
 

• As usual you chat, and this can range from a few hours, days or weeks.
• You then become friends on Facebook to prove that neither of you is insane/a murdering kidnapper.
• You may find out that you have a few friends in common, but that you are not in fact related. Good to go.
• You maybe meet for a drink and get on well. Excellent.

This is surely the holy grail of online dating. You arrange to actually meet the person. Anything that happens after that is either terrifying or pleasant (it can always go either way to be honest).

The important thing is, that if you plan to while away a number of hours online, then make yourself interesting (although don’t lie about it. If you’re boring, then that’s just how it is), be engaging and if you are really so concerned about the person’s health, or how their weekend went, think how overly concerned you’ll be about them if you actually end up meeting and liking them. Better to open about their penchant for Anne Doyle and the vigil they now they keep for her by their bedside.

Sounds like a winner to me.

Related posts:

1. Online dating
2. Putting my heart online
3. I have a hang up: Online obsessives

Here are some of the most popular non-Gaelick links from our Facebook page this year. Lovely!

16. Women have US Navy’s first same-sex homecoming kiss

They’re gorgeous, they’re confident, and they wear amazing uniforms. They’re Officers Gaeta and Snell, and they were the first same-sex couple to have the Navy’s traditional “homecoming kiss” since the repeal of DADT. They’re the new this.

As well as the Beeb’s story, there was the video, as well as the original story and pics from The Virginian-Pilot.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta (23) and her girlfriend of two years, Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell (22) share the traditional dockside “first kiss” since the US ended a ban on gays in the army.

Aren’t they only gorgeous?

15. Amber Heard: Staying in the closet in Hollywood is a horribly detrimental lie

We do love Amber Heard here on Gaelick. (At least, some of us are obsessed.)

14. Billie Jean King and Martina Navrátilová respond to Margaret Court’s homophobic rant

13. Gay couple being told they will become grandparents

12. In memory of Sonia Pierre, human rights defender

Sonia Pierre was a prominent human rights defender of African descent from the Dominican Republic, who founded and served as Director of the Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women (MUDHA). Sonia passed away at the age of 48 from a heart attack on 4 December.

11. Same-sex partnerships from abroad to be recognised in Ireland

This brings to 32 the number of jurisdictions in respect of which Ireland recognises same-sex relationships as civil partnerships, as of 25th December 2011. Of these 32 jurisdictions, 18 provide for marriage equality.

This means that (despite The Journal‘s headline) if you are validly married under the law in any of these 18 places, your marriage will be downgraded by Ireland to a civil partnership.

Happy Christmas.

10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSzXAw_9kCk

and Sofia Vergara shoot a CoverGirl ad

9. “What’s goin’ on”

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM6xbW1DZyM

Silverman’s It Gets Better message is to adults: antigay adults. Blunt and to the point.”

7. Gay Agenda planning

From the Recruitment Committee: We are facing an uphill battle. The world’s population has reached 7 billion. This means that we will have to work hard to not only maintain our strength at 10 percent of the population, but each current member will have to recruit at least three new members to reach our target goal of 11 percent in 2012. (Remember our long-range plan: 16 percent by ’16!)

6. Recently, a Michigan mayor wrote on Facebook, “I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there”. This woman stood up with her wife and her two children and spoke directly to the mayor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBHBBlmfas

was magnificent.

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO8HEWjP-18

Cho feat. Tegan & Sara: “Intervention”

4. The primary reason why cats will never develop a system of organised religion

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc0liHubCf8

Cat

2. Ah, the Burke family, of ..somewhere in Mayo

1. From Jack to Jackie: “Why I had a sex change at 16”

“I do feel guilty sometimes,” says Jackie “because my mum’s gone through all this with me and I know people judge her and think she’s done the wrong thing. But I just couldn’t wait for it to happen. She and my dad have been brilliant. When they both came to terms with the situation they helped me so much. I owe them my life.”

Related posts:

1. BREAKING: Tánaiste makes historic statement on marriage equality
2. Zappone & Gilligan launch fresh legal challenge for equality
3. BREAKING: Minister Shatter makes commitment to children of same-sex couples

20th November, is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

A Ceremony of Remembrance to mark the GID/TG Year of Hope 2011 takes place tonight, 19th November, at the Unitarian Church in Dublin at 8pm.

To coincide with Transgender Day of Remembrance, journalist Rebekah Curtis wrote for Reuters:

“I knew I was transgendered as far back as memories go,” said the 76-year old, formerly called John, who works at Australia’s Gender Center for people with gender issues. “Four years of age or so.”

Since her 1930s childhood, the lives of transgender people have improved dramatically in many countries. But discrimination remains widespread. Hundreds of transgender people are killed every year and many live in constant fear of attack.

“Transgenders often suffer violence, physical and social, from their families, including spouses, parents, children and siblings,” Cummings said.

She spoke to Reuters ahead of the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on November 20 which commemorates those who have been killed because of their gender identity.

Founded after the 1998 murder of transgender woman Rita Hester in Massachusetts, the day now has a global following.

In the first nine months of 2011, 116 transgender people were murdered globally, according to Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM), a project coordinated by non-profit association Transgender Europe.

Their research indicates there have been at least 681 reports of murders in 50 countries since 2008

• The above is an excerpt from an article which was first published by Reuters on 16th November, 2011. Continue reading the article in full here.

• A Ceremony of Remembrance to mark the GID/TG Year of Hope 2011 takes place tonight, 20th November, at the Unitarian Church in Dublin at 8pm.

Related posts:

1. 4th European Transgender Conference
2. Ireland to adopt EU law on victims of crime including hate crimes
3. Trans* equality activists protest Minister’s speech

Attention bisexuals, leslies and transfolk! There’s plenty a-happening to keep you occupied this weekend, so I thought, “What better than to present all of that information in one handy post?” (Plus, I decided to call it a BLT Sandwich. And I’m not even sorry.)

So, here it is. (If I’ve left anything out, pop it in a comment or email!)

Friday, 4th November

Dublin

• Surprise WAR at Andrews Lane Theatre. Doors 10pm. Follow the link to find out how to get in for free or for cheap. Admission is “€8 if you are a schmuck.”

• Bunny’s Hutch at PantiBar. Starts 10pm. Free.

Dundalk

• “Queer Conversation”: Dundalk Outcomers mixed night. From 8:30pm until 10:30pm.

Galway

• GOSSIP monthly meeting. From 7:30pm until 9:30pm.

Saturday, 5th November

Cork

• Claiming Our Future Ideas: “An Economy for Society”, Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall. Registration 10am. Enquiries to richie@claimingourfuture.ie. More info here.)

Donegal

• Breakout LGBT youth group. 2pm to 4pm. Contact lgbt@donegalyouthservice.ie or 085 7411 607.

Dublin

• Parent and children group at Outhouse. From 3pm to 5pm. All parents and their children welcome. Contact Fidelma: (01) 865 0093 or fidelma@outhouse.ie

 

• The Big Deal at Project Arts Theatre and panel discussion, “We are family”, with TENI.

 

• In4Squash/OutInIreland Winter Squash Tournament at West Wood Club, Leopardstown, Dublin 18. 10:30am until 5:30pm.

 

• Dublin International Gay Social Group (D.I.G.S.) evening in Havana at 7:30pm.

 

• Wet and Wild Sports Club : Karting at Kylemore Karting. Starts at 6pm.

 

• Dublin Front Runners at the Phoenix Park from 10am. More information: dublinfrontrunners@gmail.com

 

• Strand Street Cabaret at Foam Café. Doors 8pm, Show 9.30, €15 for tapas, dessert & a glass of wine.

 

• The Panti Show at PantiBar from 10pm.

 

• Mother’s Mix at Copper Alley. Doors 11pm. €5 in before 11:30pm.

Dundalk

• AIM Youth Group. 1pm to 3pm. Contact youth@outcomers.org or 086 162 5030.

Galway

• TENI Transgender Awareness Workshop at shOUT!. 4pm to 6pm. Email shout@youthworkgalway.ie

Limerick

• My LGBT Young Adults Group (18-25 years). 12noon to 2pm. Contact mylgbrss@gmail.com or (061) 310 101 / 085 285 0107.

 

• Rainbow Teens (14-17 years). 12noon to 2pm. Contact mylgbrss@gmail.com or (061) 310 101 / 085 285 0107.

Sunday, 6th November

Cork

• OutLook Film Festival web / fb / web

Dublin

• BeLonG To Sundays. 3pm to 6pm. Contact info@belongto.org or (01) 670 6223.

Waterford

• Chill Out youth group. 2pm to 4pm. Contact chillout@wstcys.ie or 086 858 9865.

No related posts.

“>The Big Deal at Project Arts Centre from 306″>projectarts on Vimeo

• What? The Big Deal
• Where? Project Arts Centre
• When? Until 5 Nov 2011 at 8:15pm
• How much? Tickets €16/14/12

Dear Cathy,

It’s 10.30pm on Tuesday night. I have just finished your recent email. You are now on the way to recovery. You are here now as you should have been and will be until the day you die. So whilst I struggle slowly onward and upward, you are already there.

Love Deborah

Following the hugely successful premiere of The Big Deal at The Kilkenny Arts Festival 2011, Una McKevitt (Victor and Gord, 565+) brings us an extraordinary real life story of two women who knew from a very young age that they were born into the wrong bodies.

Scripted from original material provided by the contributors – including journals, poems, songs and interviews –The Big Deal charts the incredible personal gains and losses each has made to become the women they have always been.

Gaelick’s HAL spoke with Una McKevitt about the play.

HAL: So, tell us all about the play.

Una: The show presents the real life experiences of two women and charts the personal gains and losses each has made to become the women they have always been. The show is performed by two actresses, Una Kavanagh and Shani Williams.

The two contributors have provided all the text in the play, both kept diaries whilst undergoing gender re-assignment surgery detailing the physical and emotional journey that entailed. The diaries were a departure point for the production but through interviews each contributor has also shared details of their lives before surgery; how the different challenges they have encountered and how their relationships with their loved ones; parent, siblings, partners, children; have shaped their lives.

Our work in this production has been to try and express theatrically the stories the contributors have shared with us and, in turn, with the audience. The contributors are close friends, this friendship is an important feature of the play, and both women have made a decision to share their stories anonymously to protect the privacy of both themselves and their families.

HAL: Where did you come across these women’s stories? When did you think “This will make a good play”?

Una: The contributors are friends of mine and knew of the work I do in documentary theatre. We often spoke together of the theatrical possiblities of a journal that includes correspondance between them and thisispopbaby gave us the opportunity to present a work in progress during their Queer Notions Festival at Project Arts Centre in December 2010. With the help of An Arts Council grant we were then able to develop this work and premiere it at The Kilkenny Arts Festival 2011.

HAL: Without giving too much away, can you tell us their stories?

Una: Whilst we do present details of the physical surgery the women went through during transition, the real heart of the play lies in the details of the women’s friendship and the impact their transition has had on their relationships with their families.

It is also a personal account of the resilience of the human spirit and the profound significance of personal realisation which is something we believe everyone can relate to.

HAL: Did you talk to other trans* people when getting the play together? Do you feel any pressure to represent the trans* community here, as there is very little representation out there?

Una: We wanted to present the stories of two individuals rather than attempt to make a statement about the wider transgender experience and so the personal histories in the show are particular to the two contributors.

We hope through this microcosm we are presenting a story that resonates with anyone who has come through difficult challenges in their personal lives.

It is of course important to us that this production reaches out to the transgender community here in Ireland and we are following the matinee November 5th with a panel discussion ‘We Are Family’ chaired by TENI director Broden Giambrone to highlight the different supports in place for Transgender people and their families.

• The Big Deal runs at the Project Arts Centre until 5th November. Tickets are priced at €16/14/12.

More information:

• The Big Deal at The Project Arts
• “>The Big Deal on Vimeo
• Una McKevitt on Gaelick
• Una McKevitt’s blog
• Una McKevitt on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Singlehood needs YOU!
2. Absolut hoot: Fringe Festival delights
3. How to deal with a very public coming out

Previously, we looked at the family home and finance and immigration and legal procedures. Today in the final of our Missing Pieces articles, we examine the issues affecting parents and children, as well as other miscellaneous issues.

• Parent and child

The findings of Marriage Equality’s audit reflects the concerns already raised by the Ombudsman for Children over the Civil Partnership Bill. Marriage Equality describes “a legal vacuum affecting children being raised in same-sex headed families”.

25 differences in relation to the legal relationship between a parent and their child are identified. For example, adoption: same-sex couples cannot jointly adopt, even though individuals may be considered for adoption regardless of sexual orientation.

Another example relates to guardianship and custody: it is not possible for same-sex couples (or a partner of a same-sex couple) to apply to the courts for these.

An additional example is maintenance: all children, including non-biological children, of married couples are covered by maintenance rules, but this is not the case for children raised by same-sex couples.

Marriage Equality states that there is a deliberate omission of existing provisions in family law which recognise non-biological children (for example, step-children) as dependent children, within married families.

The organisation supports the view of the Ombudsman for Children, who has drawn attention to the serious consequences for children that this approach will have and that this differential treatment of children under the Civil Partnership Act – especially when compared with the relationship between children and step-parents under Irish law – could violate international human rights instruments, to which the Ireland is party.

• Miscellaneous

The final section of the audit covered all remaining provisions identified in the review of existing legislation. 17 differences were found, and focus mainly on the age of majority and administrative provisions in relation to the making and keeping of records by the State.

On the age of majority, the report highlights that, as civil partnership is only available to people 18 years and over, the rights which flow to a person under the age of 18 and who is married, are not accessible to young LGBT people in the same situation (for instance, being able to apply for a passport in their own name without a guardian’s signature).

Also revealed is the fact that civil partners do not have the same rights under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), a serious issue particularly following the death of a partner. For instance, a bereaved civil partner cannot apply under FOI to correct personal information, unlike spouses. (See also Office of the Information Commissioner.)

• Some notes:

- A “Constitutional Convention” is due to take place next year to look at various constitutional issues – including, perhaps, the concept of marriage?

- The Supreme Court has yet to rule in the Zappone and Gilligan case, due to be heard later this year.

- Marriage Equality is due to release a separate report on the Social Welfare Code and the differences between civil partners and married spouses next year. Due to the extensive legislation and rules which govern Social Welfare, a separate audit and report is needed.

- MarriagEquality: Website / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube

• Previously:

The Family Home and Finance

Immigration and Legal Procedures

Related posts:

1. Zappone & Gilligan launch fresh legal challenge for equality
2. BREAKING: Minister Shatter makes commitment to children of same-sex couples
3. The Children’s Referendum proposals and equality

Yesterday, we looked at the family home and finance. Today, we examine the issues of immigration and legal procedures.

• Immigration

A key factor in immigration procedures generally is the fact that decisions are made largely on a discretionary basis (i.e. under non-statutory administrative procedures by the Minister for Justice or his officials), rather than based on legislation. In effect, therefore, those in civil partnerships are reliant on discretion due to the absence of legislative immigration provisions relating to civil partnership.

The findings of the Marriage Equality report highlight the gap between official policy – that civil partners will be treated equally to spouses for immigration purposes – and the legislative reality, and reveals over 22 differences in treatment under immigration law and regulations.

Legislation: Only two sections in the Civil Partnership Act relate specifically to the immigration status or entitlements of civil partners:

The first concerns diplomatic immunity, and extends such immunity to civil partners.

The second provision relates to refugees. Under the Refugee Act, a person who is recognised as a refugee has the right to apply for family re-unification. The Civil Partnership Act allows such persons to make an application for family re-unification in relation to a civil partner.

(This is somewhat curious, I think: typically, family re-unification applications relate to family members who are not in Ireland. Ireland’s Civil Partnerships can only take place under Ireland’s jurisdiction, however. So how could it arise that a refugee in Ireland would have a civil partner abroad? Unless the person has entered Ireland for the purposes of the civil partnership ceremony and (maybe) has subsequently left? Or perhaps the couple has been married/partnered/unioned already in another jurisdiction and are seeking to have that recognised by the State as a civil partnership? Is that likely? But I digress..)

A person who does not meet the criteria of being a refugee, may nevertheless qualify for what is called subsidiary protection. (For instance, a person may not be persecuted for a particular reason, but may still be at risk if they return to a situation of armed conflict.) As with recognised refugees, a person who is eligible for subsidiary protection may apply for family re-unification, including their spouse. Notably, this right has not been extended to include civil partners.

So, if I’ve got this correct, this leaves us with the following situation regarding people who are entitled to international protection: heterosexuals can apply to have their spouse join them in Ireland if they are a refugee or have been granted subsidiary protection; homosexuals can apply to have their civil partner join them in Ireland if they are a refugee, but not if they have been granted subsidiary protection.

Lawyers, sharpen your quills!

Ministerial discretion: Apart from the issues of diplomatic immunity and recognised refugees, in all other immigration matters (including the above subsidiary protection issue), the equal treatment of civil partners depends on the exercise of discretion, rather than legislative entitlement.

A significant finding of the audit is the failure to include civil partners in the definition of ‘qualifying family members’ under EU free movement regulations. This may mean the Irish government is in breach of their obligations under this EU directive. (The EU directive is implemented into Irish law by regulations.)

Furthermore, in the event of divorce or annulment between a non-EU and EU citizen, under the same EU directive family members retain their right of residence. The regulations in Irish law are silent, however, when it comes to the dissolution of a civil partnership.

This potentially means that, an ex-civil partner of an Irish citizen is liable to deportation upon the dissolution of their registered civil partnership, and is reliant on discretionary immigration policy to ensure that is not the case.

As a result of the approach taken to deal with civil partnership immigration issues through the exercise of discretion, rather than by amending immigration legislation, the Marriage Equality report highlights that civil partners are left without the protection and certainty of the law.

• Legal procedures

The audit of legal procedures covered a broad range of legislation, including: the formation and dissolution of marital relationships; minimum age; recognition of foreign marriages; gender identity; and testimony during legal proceedings.

The audit uncovered 62 differences between the treatment of married and civil partner couples. Many of the differences have symbolic significance as well as legal and practical implications for same-sex couples who have registered a civil partnership.

Engagement: There is no equivalent legal status to engagement for civil partners. This means that provisions within the Family Law Acts governing disputes in relation to gifts and property of an engaged couple who end their relationship have not been extended to same-sex couples planning to register a civil partnership.

Minimum age: Someone under the age of 18 can marry where they acquire a waiver from the court. There is no provision under the Civil Partnership Act for a person under the age of 18 to acquire a court waiver to enter into a civil partnership.

Foreign marriages and civil partnership: Unlike marriage law, there is no provision allowing the courts to recognise foreign civil partnerships and same-sex marriages. Instead, that power is reserved for the Minister for Justice: the Civil Partnership Act allows the Minister to designate certain classes of relationships entered into abroad as having the same legal effects as an Irish civil partnership. There is no obligation on the Minister to recognise a class of foreign relationship, however; rather (and this is comparable with the situation regarding immigration and discretion), the Minister has a power to do so using statutory instruments (i.e. secondary legislation).

The effect is that if the Minister has not included a certain jurisdiction in the statutory instrument, then a couple seeking recognition of their foreign marriage/partnership/union from that jurisdiction will have to wait until (or, if) the Minister does include it at a later stage.

In any event, a foreign same-sex marriage will only be recognised as a civil partnership (as, for example, in Canada, Spain or the Netherlands, where there is full marriage equality).

Trans* rights: Currently in Ireland there is no legal mechanism to recognise a person’s preferred gender identity other than the gender that was recorded for them at birth.

The Gender Recognition Advisory Group (GRAG) – established to advise the government on gender recognition legislation for Ireland – has recently published its report and proposes establishing a scheme for legal recognition, however.

Disappointingly, their proposals include a recommendation that applicants who are married be excluded from the scheme. This means that an already married transgender person will be required to divorce their spouse before they can have their preferred gender legally recognised.

Likewise, any transgender person who is in a registered civil partnership will need to dissolve their civil partnership, if they wish to apply under the scheme.

Read more about the GRAG report here.

Interestingly, Marriage Equality notes, GRAG stated that registered civil partners acquire less protection from registering their partnership than spouses acquire from civil marriage: In outlining their argument to exclude a civil partner from the right to apply to be recognised in a different gender, it stated that “such a scenario would effectively result in a State-recognised opposite-sex relationship that does not benefit from the full protection afforded to marriage”.

Separation and dissolution: While married couples have the option of executing a separation agreement, obtaining a judicial separation, or obtaining a divorce, the Civil Partnership Act makes no provision for civil partners to apply to court for a judicial separation.

This means that, while civil partners can execute a deed of separation, if no agreement can be reached they have no choice but to apply for dissolution of their registered civil partnership.

In practice, separated opposite sex couples do not always opt for the finality of a divorce and prefer instead to legally separate. This may have to do with the economic dependency of one partner on the other or where children are involved, to avoid further distress or change for them.

Whatever the reason, judicial separation provides these couples with a mechanism to legally sort out the issues surrounding their separation; this is not available, however, to civil partners who wish to separate.

Period of separation: Civil partners must be living apart for 2 of the previous 3 years in order to apply to dissolve their partnership, whereas spouses must be living apart for 4 of the previous 5 years to apply for a divorce.

Marriage Equality’s report notes that while this is not equal treatment, it may be more sensible treatment and partly helps to make up for the lack of option to apply for a judicial separation in the Act. It reinforces, however, the greater importance afforded to marriage by the Irish State, with more onerous criteria to be met in order to dissolve a marriage when compared with a civil partnership.

Mediation requirement: To obtain a divorce there is a constitutional requirement for the married couple to consider mediation, and divorce legislation obliges solicitors to advise clients about what mediation services are available.

There is no such requirement in respect of civil partners who wish to dissolve their partnership and therefore no such obligation on solicitors, again demonstrating the greater importance afforded to marriage by the State.

In fact, when the Civil Partnership Bill was making its way through the Oireachtas, the then Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, justified this difference in treatment by reference to the risk of “upsetting the constitutional balance” and to “maintaining a distinction between marriage and civil partnership”; he did not elaborate on that, beyond referring to (though not specifying) advice received from the Attorney General. He stated that the government was “erring on the side of caution” by taking this approach.

Children: An example of the almost total lack of provisions relating to the children of civil partners emerged in this section under the laws governing dissolution. (Marriage Equality dealt with the overall issue of parents and children separately, however. See our next article on issues relating to parents and children.)

Criminal trials and the giving of evidence: Legislative provisions relating to the giving of evidence in a criminal trial highlight serious differences in treatment of the marital relationship versus civil partnerships.

A legal principle exists that spouses cannot be compelled to testify against one another. Two main justifications for this are: the principle of unity, i.e. the principle that for some purposes (although not all) husband and wife were considered as one by the law; and that there is a public interest in avoiding discord within the marital relationship – a recognition that testifying against one’s spouse, particularly if compelled to do so, would risk disharmony within the relationship.

These provisions have not been extended to civil partners, meaning that a civil partner may be compelled to give evidence against his or her partner, despite the potential problems this may create between the couple.

Next:

• Parent and Child, and Miscellaneous Provisions

Previously:

• The Family Home and Finance

Related posts:

1. Zappone & Gilligan launch fresh legal challenge for equality
2. Trans* equality activists protest Minister’s speech
3. BREAKING: Minister Shatter makes commitment to children of same-sex couples