The ICCL has left the building

In mid-December the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) which describes itself as Ireland's "largest and oldest independent human rights organisation" published Know Your Rights, A Guide for Trans and Non-Binary People along with TENI, the Transgender Equality Network Ireland and ShoutOut:

Rights for me but not for thee

The ICCL is helping to intimidate the rest of society into being afraid to challenge a privileged self-appointed caste to have their own way irrespective of the rights of others, especially those of women and children.

Women's Space IrelandWomen’s Space Ireland

RTE covered the launch on 11th December but it wasn't until January 16th that The Irish Times got around to publishing its report on the guide and then gave it front page placement no less:

This was just two days after Enoch Burke had been released from prison to allow him time to prepare for his Disciplinary Appeals Panel hearing

"The judge said Burke had raised 'substantive' and 'credible' issues against the panel, and was directing that Burke be released from prison for “one reason and one reason only, interest in the administration of justice” and so that he has time to prepare for his case against the DAP."

But although the online version of the same story pointed out that the authors of the report included transactivist lobby groups TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) and ShoutOut this was omitted from the paper edition for some reason.

Pat Leahy tweeted about his story but didn't respond when asked why no comments had been sought from women's groups in the intervening period between the guide's publication and his story being published in The Irish Times:

Since then there has been more criticism of the ICCL guide such as this letter in The Irish Times the next day:

New Guidance From ICCL Is An Activist Wishlist With No Legal Standing

The ICCL guide, entitled “Know Your Rights: A Guide for Trans and Non-Binary People”, which was published by ICCL with funding from IHREC, is dangerously one-sided and presents opinion as fact…

The CountessThe Countess Team

Anger at media report on guide on schools and pronouns - Gript

The guide claimed schools must use preferred name and pronouns of trans students - a claim critics say is not backed by policies guiding Irish schools.

GriptNiamh Uí Bhriain

SARAH RYAN: The legally dubious NGO trans rights guide - Gript

It seems the ICCL, TENI and ShoutOut are as willing to mislead trans youth about the law as they are about their biology.

GriptSarah Ryan

The Department of Education on Pronouns in Schools: - Gript

Gript asked the Department of Education about the ICCL’s new ‘Trans Rights Guide’ and its claim that schools “must” use students’ preferred names and pronouns. Here’s what it had to say:

GriptJason Osborne

Gript reported of the GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) "Being LGBT in School" which includes some worrying aspects regarding "social transitioning" by a school despite the warning in the Cass interim report and the suggestion that an "affirmative" approach by a school is legitimate despite Article 42 of the Constitution:

"Explaining the Department’s approach to the use of preferred names and pronouns in schools, the spokesperson cited the 2016 resource, saying that there 'there is nothing to preclude a school from using a student’s preferred name in day-to-day interactions, regardless of the name used officially on the school register'."

"The Department’s 'child rights-based,' affirmative approach that takes the student’s welfare as its primary consideration, indicates that parents’ preferences for their children are secondary to the child’s preferences, an interpretation perhaps supported by the phrasing that parents/guardians should be consulted 'where possible'."

Last month the Department told Women's Space Ireland that

"This resource is currently under independent review by Maynooth University, and it is intended that an updated resource, in line with best practice, will be issued to schools once the review is complete."

Who decides what is "in line with best practice"?

On January 9th the ICCL announced that it was leaving Twitter/X (as did the IHREC a day earlier.) Despite the clutching at pearls over Grok one person responded:

Thankfully yesterday we learnt that our judges have demonstrated their independence and ability to sift reality from spin in two cases involving girls in care in which being "transgender" has been raised.

So perhaps we can now begin to be hopeful that the harm done by activists grooming schools and other organisations will be seen for what it is and children may be spared being misled and put at risk by this ideology.

In the meantime, schools and employers need to be wary of relying on a guide written by activists which carries a disclaimer on each page. Unfortunately as Colette Colfer says

"...my sense is that the instructions outlined in the piece will be taken as gospel by teachers, principals, employers, administrators, and will inculcate fear, conformity, and censorship. Thoughts?"

Perhaps that's what was intended.

As a postscript this morning we learnt in another story from Pat Leahy that the Department has confirmed that there's no obligation on schools to use preferred pronouns as stated in the ICCL guide.