A reflection on LGBTQ+ solidarity, intersex advocacy, and the challenges that still face our communities.
In July 2024, I joined representatives from LGBTQ+ organisations across Ireland at Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre for a roundtable discussion with Jessica Stern, then the United States Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons.
Looking back from 2026, the meeting feels both hopeful and sobering. At the time, there was a sense that progress, while uneven, was moving in the right direction. LGBTQ+ organisations from across the island of Ireland came together to discuss the challenges facing our communities and to share experiences from Ireland with an international audience. There was a belief that dialogue, cooperation, and political engagement could continue to expand rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people around the world.
The issues we raised during that discussion remain strikingly relevant today. We spoke about the growing polarisation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, the rise of organised anti-LGBTQ+ movements, the importance of protecting trans and intersex healthcare, and concerns about international funding streams supporting campaigns against LGBTQ+ equality. We also highlighted the value of all-island cooperation, community-led advocacy, and the lessons that could be learned from Ireland’s own journey towards greater inclusion.
As an intersex activist representing Intersex Ireland, I was particularly conscious of the opportunity to raise issues that are often overlooked within broader human rights discussions. The rights to bodily autonomy, bodily integrity, informed consent, and accessible healthcare for intersex people were not abstract policy questions. They were, and remain, matters that directly affect the lives of real people in Ireland and beyond.
In many ways, the conversation now reads less as a snapshot of a moment and more as an early warning. The concerns expressed around rising extremism, disinformation, and coordinated attacks on LGBTQ+ communities have only become more visible in the years since. At the same time, the solidarity demonstrated by organisations across Ireland showed the importance of building strong movements capable of responding collectively to those challenges.
Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre hosted a roundtable discussion between the leadership of numerous LGBTQ+ organisations on the island of Ireland and Jessica Stern, the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons.
The roundtable provided an invaluable opportunity to discuss the pressing issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community in Ireland, with the goal of highlighting these concerns to the Special Envoy and strengthening political support for advancing LGBTQ+ rights and equity in Ireland, and around the globe.
Key topics on the agenda included:
The increasing polarisation in the global debate on LGBTQ+ rights;
The importance of ‘All Island’ cooperation for LGBTQ+ work in Ireland;
The positive impacts of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy in Ireland, and how its approach can be replicated by others. The ongoing genocide in Palestine was raised, and the leaders of Irish LGBTQ+ organisations called for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, respect for the rule of law, and a rededication to advancing the two-state solution and ensuring a viable Palestinian State.
Leaders of LGBTQ+ organisations expressed their deep concerns about the alarming rise in hate and extremism targeting the LGBTQ+ community. This surge in hostility not only endangers the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in Ireland but also mirrors a disturbing global trend that threatens the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people worldwide.
The urgent healthcare needs of trans and intersex individuals were raised. Participants emphasised the fundamental rights of these communities to bodily integrity, bodily autonomy, and access to timely, safe, and quality healthcare.
Concerns were raised about the flow of ‘dark money’ supporting anti-LGBTQ+ advocacy. The presence of unaccountable funds from the U.S. and Russia backing anti-LGBTQ+ movements is particularly troubling, especially in an environment where hate and extremism are on the rise and funding for LGBTQ+ organisations is increasingly at risk.
Speaking following the roundtable discussions, Oisin O’Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre, said “This roundtable discussion is a significant moment for Irish LGBTQ+ organisations to bring greater attention to these critical issues. Engaging with Special Envoy Stern was important to infuse her work with our expert perspectives and will have an influence on her global work to protect LGBTQI+ persons from violence and discrimination worldwide.”
The following day, I attended a reception at the United States Embassy in Dublin, where Jessica Stern spoke about the global state of LGBTQI+ rights and the role of international diplomacy in advancing equality. It was an opportunity to hear directly from one of the most prominent international advocates working on LGBTQI+ human rights at the time. The discussion reinforced many of the themes raised during the previous day’s roundtable, including the growing challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, the importance of international solidarity, and the need for governments and civil society organisations to remain vigilant in defending hard-won rights. For those of us working on these issues in Ireland, it was a valuable reminder that our local struggles are connected to a much broader global movement for justice, dignity, and human rights.
Two years later, I remain convinced that these conversations matter. Rights are never secured permanently, and progress is never guaranteed. The meeting with Jessica Stern was a reminder that the struggle for LGBTQ+, trans, and intersex equality is both local and global, shaped by decisions made in our communities, our governments, and international institutions alike. As new challenges emerge and old prejudices are repackaged for a new generation, the task remains the same: to defend bodily autonomy, human dignity, and the simple principle that every person deserves to live safely, openly, and free from discrimination. The work continues.
LGBTQ+ organisations in attendance
Irish Council for Civil Liberties
LINC Advocating for Lesbian and Bisexual Women in Ireland
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