Jenny Maguire has been elected as the new president of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) in a landslide victory.
The co-organiser of Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin, who previously served as the LGBT Rights and Gender Equality Officer, beat her opponent Ralph Balfe, by earning 76% of the votes (1,795 in total).
Speaking to Trinity News following her victory on Thursday, February 29, Maguire said: “Thank you to everyone who voted for me, thank you to my campaign managers, thank you to my Nana and my mam and all my family.”
She added: “And thank you to every faggot, dyke and tranny, in Trinity College Dublin.”
View this post on Instagram
Maguire describes herself as a socialist who is “unapologetically left-wing”. She ran on a platform focused on student workers, housing and engagement, and pledged to take the students’ union in a radical direction.
When asked if she believes the students’ union should aim to be apolitical, Maguire disagreed, sharing: “My existence is political. It’s politicised by people who would rather have me not exist, and that is a weapon”.
During her campaign, she referenced how 40% of students work, and 49% work so they can pay their rent. Jenny Maguire promised that if elected president, she would create a college-wide campaign to educate students about their rights as workers, and she encouraged students to vote for her because of her experience working on policy changes and organising protests with over 5,000 attendees.
View this post on Instagram
The 22-year-old English studies student had to drop out and repeat a year of her degree while working and medically transitioning due to, “poor mental health supports, terrible communication from college, and so many antiquated and over-complex systems that aren’t helpful to anyone”.
Maguire said: “College hasn’t really worked for me, but I want to make it work for as many people as I can, and I think I’m the best person for it.” She added: “I want a college that actually works for the people that study, live and work within it. Completely and unapologetically.”
Her opponent Balfe, described as a “joke candidate”, promised to hire seagulls to force tourists off campus. He also pledged to replace the Campanile statue with a replica of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper located in Dubai.
Maguire previously endorsed Balfe’s candidacy and while celebrating her victory, she kissed Balfe to a crowd of celebratory applause.
© 2024 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally.
GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.