Yesterday, May 16, a group of campaigners gathered outside the constituency offices of members of the Northern Irish Executive in Belfast to protest against the recent attack on trans rights. The action was taken in light of the UK Supreme Court Ruling on the definition of ‘woman’, which excludes trans women, and the ban on puberty blockers.
The demonstration took place outside the constituency offices of Michelle O’Neil (Sinn Féin), Emma Little-Pengelly (The Democratic Unionist Party), Mike Nesbitt (The Ulster Unionist Party) and Naomi Long (The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland). Campaigners gathered to protest recent statements and actions from members of the Northern Irish Executive that are directly impacting the country’s trans community.
ROSA organiser Keighley Duffy stated: “Executive Ministers like Paul Givan have welcomed the UK Supreme Court ruling and said that new guidance will be produced supposedly to ensure schools adhere to the ruling, which is not even directly applicable in Northern Ireland.”
She went on to explain, “Attacks on trans rights have increased internationally but also here, for example with the ban on puberty blockers by Westminster and Stormont. MLAs had a chance earlier this week to reverse the decision to ban puberty blockers for trans youth – but it was not taken.”
View this post on Instagram
Another ROSA activist, Ann Orr, added: “This attack on rights is just another in a long list we are seeing internationally. From politicians to courts to the far-right, there is a concerted attempt to roll back on our rights. These actions are important to show that we will not accept that.”
Ollie Bell, from Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin, added: “We are taking this action to underline that decisions by politicians do have consequences – and they are responsible for that. Puberty blockers save lives. They are essential health care and should be easily accessible.”
ROSA is now calling on all who support people’s right to bodily autonomy and who stand with the LGBTQ+ community to join them for the March for Trans Rights on Saturday, May 17, 12.30pm at Writer’s Square to march to City Hall.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.