Bi+ Ireland joins the Trans Writers' Union boycott of the Irish Times

Bi+ Ireland has joined the Trans Writers’ Union boycott of the Irish Times. The Trans Writers’ Union demands that:

1. The Irish Times withdraw and apologise for their recent conversion therapy article, published August 9, 2021
2. The Irish Times take practical, committed steps to adopting a trans-inclusive editorial line

We fully support these demands and in our roles as Bi+ Ireland volunteers we will not share Irish Times articles from the Bi+ Ireland social media accounts; speak to or write for the Irish Times, and when we issue press releases they will not be sent to the Irish Times. We ask that you, our community members, support us in taking part in the boycott by not sharing content from the Irish Times in our community group. 

Transphobia has no place in Ireland and it is unconscionable that the Irish Times has taken an anti-trans editorial stance. The lives of trans and non-binary people should never be up for ‘debate’. 

​In recent weeks we have seen an increase in anti-trans activity globally, including; the UK government’s decision to exclude transgender people from a ban on conversion therapy; the implementation of anti-trans legislation in multiple US states; attacks on trans and non-binary people taking part in sports, and the exclusion of non-binary people from our census.

​We have also seen an increase in violence against LGBTQIA+ people in Ireland, with the killing of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo which Gardaí suspect were hate-related crimes, the assault of Evan Somers in Dublin, the killing of a non-binary person in Down, and the assaults of Callum Kenny, a trans man, in Louth and Saoirse Mackin, a trans woman, in Cork. These are, of course, recent incidents that have been reported in the media. You are likely also aware of attacks that have not made the news.

We must be clear that the LGBTQIA+ community in Ireland includes our trans and non-binary siblings. We must be clear that we are in solidarity with each other. We must be clear that transphobia, in all its forms, will be challenged. 
In joining the Trans Writers’ Union boycott Bi+ Ireland reiterates our support for our trans and non-binary community members. 

The Trans Writers’ Union boycott petition is here 
https://action.uplift.ie/campaigns/boycott-the-irish-times 

More information can be found on the Trans Writers’ Union website
https://transwritersunion.com/ 

​Bi+ Ireland Volunteer Team
 
Image Description
A light pink background with some light blue swirls. It includes the messages "Trans Rights are Human Rights" and "B with the T" and has a little graphic of a group of people holding a trans flag on the left, and a hand holding a bi flag on the right.