The Irish Children’s Minister has declared that elementary-aged kids should be taught about being transgender in school.
Roderic O’Gorman, a member of the Irish Green Party, who serves as Children’s Minister in the three-party coalition government, said that school children should “absolutely” be taught about being transgender, in an interview with the Irish Independent.
When asked to clarify as to what age would be appropriate to talk about transgender issues with children, O’Gorman said it was “important that primary school children as well have an understanding of the diversity of our society.” Students in the primary school system in Ireland can be anywhere from ages four to 12.
Understandably, people online were shocked at the proposal. “What planet are these groomers on?” asked GB News commentator Leilani Dowding, with pseudonymous feminist Dr Em calling the suggestion “confusing for children,” noting that education should be “age appropriate, factual rather than ideological, and maintain strong safeguarding.”
What planet are these groomers on ??
— leilani dowding šøš ā®ļø (@LeilaniDowding) January 2, 2023
No, this is confusing for children. Education should be age appropriate, factual rather than ideological, and maintain strong safeguarding.
— Dr EM (@PankhurstEM) January 2, 2023
The Irish government has been working since 2020 on a plan to allow children under the age of 16 to legally become transgender, which O’Gorman said would provide a “clear pathway” on the legality of the situation.
O’Gorman also argued in favour of a “wider gender service” in Ireland, with Irish teens who think they’re transgender currently having to go to the UK to seek “gender-affirming care.” Both psychiatric and hormonal treatment should be available, O’Gorman said.
“The rights of trans people in our country canāt be up for debate. The discourse, particularly on social media, has become incredibly vicious towards members of the trans community in recent years,” he added. “No one wants to shut down free speech. But I think it is really important that dialogue is respectful and based on facts, I suppose, rather than based on just mere prejudice.”
However, according to an Ireland Thinks Poll from August last year, 70% of Irish people believe that children should not be allowed to legally change their gender, with another 64% believing that children should not have access to hormones or puberty blockers, regardless of parental consent.
@Independent_ie pls poll Q should primary schools teach kids about trans? I bet its as wildly unpopular as Roderics push to let u16s change legal gender, so why do it? Is Roderic aware of parents' constitutional rights as the primary educators of their kids? https://t.co/m6Pk0RsgF1 pic.twitter.com/29tSdUszIj
— Lou (@luluskip2malu) January 2, 2023
Valiant News reported last MarchĀ that the upcoming Irish census would not require anyone to pick a biological sex if they did not feel comfortable, and would instead assign them on a random basis, in a move designed to help transgender people.
This news and commentary by Jack Hadfield originally appeared on Valiant News.
