"Imagine a law that allowed white people to declare they are black or adults to declare they are children. There would rightly be uproar. Yet women are supposed to accept that any man can say he’s a woman, or be called a bigot."
The "hate crime" Bill before the Seanad today introduces an entirely new definition of “gender”, which defies the reality of there being only two sexes or genders. It sets a very dangerous precedent in our legislation if it is passed.
It doesn't matter whether or not a man is innocently seeking to use women's spaces or services or whether he has an ulterior motive. Women want the norms of privacy, dignity and our need for safety to be respected by Government. It's not "hatred" for women to assert this.