In recent years, RTÉ have had a difficult relationship with the Irish Trans community.
RTÉ has had justifiable criticism over its constant use of Far Right contributors on flagship shows.
The National Broadcasters inclusion of groups like ‘The Countess’, ‘The Natural Women’s Council’ and openly Transphobic campaigners like Graham Linehan led to an end of the partnership between RTE and Dublin Pride last year.
While Radio shows like ‘The Joe Duffy Show’ have continued to air transphobic content regularly since 2021, the ‘Prime Time’ episode on transgender healthcare this week was still a shock to many.
The ‘Prime Time’ programme featured two clinicians from Ireland’s detested National Gender Service (NGS), Dr Donal O’Shea and Prof Paul Moran.
They claimed that gender-affirming healthcare is damaging.
The programme had virtually no inclusion from any of Irelands official, or Grass-Roots Trans rights organisations, and failed to even mention that Ireland is officially ranked the worst country in Europe for Trans Healthcare.
Instead, they allowed these doctors recommend their model of care which subjects patients to intrusive, dehumanising, and harmful psychiatric evaluation practices.
The medication involved was never named, and was constantly referred to as ‘harmful’ or Cross-Sex Hormones.
This same medication is not harmful or Cross-Sex when used for menopausal cis women, or used on Intersex children to maintain an outward illusion of confirming to a binary model of male & female.
The programme also expressed the dangers of the surgeries involved, even finding a UK de-transitioner to discuss their regret in great detail.
Prime Time did not mention that the same surgeries are referred to as ‘normalising surgeries’ when performed in Ireland on the genitals of intersex children for what medical professionals refer to as “social emergencies” rather than because of medical necessity.
Mental Health and Autism were used in the show as a reason for being Trans, without recognising that trans-related and gender diverse identities are not conditions of mental ill-health.
In the past year alone, Trans people have been weaponised by the Far Right and religious conservatives into being an Election issue.
Government Parties and the Opposition have been quick to create a distance between themselves and a vulnerable minority of Irish society.
The National Broadcaster has now also placed itself on the ’safe side’ of the debate.
Trans lives are not up for debate, and while we still have supportive organisations like Rosa and The Socialist Party, we will continue the fight in 2024.