By Sorcha Rosa
Ireland’s presidential election is already drenched in hypocrisy, media spin, and the false respectability of those who posture as moderate voices. With the withdrawal of religious extremist Maria Steen and the disgraced rapist Conor McGregor – legally found liable for rape in a civil case – you might think the biggest threats to queer and trans people have been pushed aside. But don’t be fooled. The real danger remains in the candidacy of Heather Humphreys.
Humphreys has gone on record with Gript Media declaring that trans women are not women, that they are “in transition.” This is not just ignorance. It is violence, dressed up as soft-spoken conservatism. To deny a woman’s existence is to declare open season on her life.
And Humphreys does not stand alone. Her long-standing support for the Orange Order – a sectarian institution with a documented record of homophobia and exclusion – makes her an active threat to queer liberation in Ireland. The Orange Order leadership has declared that homosexuality is “wrong,” that gay members should leave, and that same-sex marriage represents moral decline. Trans people, too, have spoken about being unable to remain in the Order without facing humiliation and erasure. Humphreys cannot separate herself from this legacy. Aligning with the Order means aligning with its values – and its values are hostile to us.
In contrast, Catherine Connolly represents solidarity, not exclusion. She has a decades-long record of independent left politics, and was proudly nominated by Ruth Coppinger – a Rosa socialist feminist who has consistently stood shoulder-to-shoulder with trans communities in Ireland. Connolly’s politics are not perfect, but she does not come from the machinery of right-wing respectability that trades queer lives for votes. She comes from grassroots movements that see us as part of the struggle, not a problem to be managed.
Dr Lydia Foy’s legal fight won us the Gender Recognition Act. But ten years on, the cracks in that law remain: intersex people excluded, young people shut out, non-binary identities erased. Humphreys’ rhetoric makes reform impossible. Connolly, on the other hand, has signalled openness to queer voices and is grounded in movements where our lives matter.
Queer politics in Ireland cannot afford neutrality. Heather Humphreys represents the continuation of Orange Order conservatism, sectarianism, and the policing of queer bodies. Catherine Connolly represents solidarity, a chance to push the presidency into alignment with the living struggles of our people.
When we vote, let’s not be tricked by respectability. Let’s vote as if our lives depend on it – because they do. For queer Ireland, for trans liberation, for intersex recognition, the only viable vote is for Catherine Connolly.
Notes / Sources
- Gript Media / Social media clip — “Heather Humphreys has said that she would not consider a transgender person who identified as a woman to be a woman — only a ‘trans-woman’” X (formerly Twitter)+1
- Dublin People / local news — “Coppinger backs Connolly for President … Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger has backed Catherine Connolly …” Dublin People
- Ruth Coppinger Facebook post — “Just signed the nomination papers for Catherine Connolly to be a candidate” Facebook
- Wikipedia / public CV — Catherine Connolly’s political and personal background
Comments
One response
Someone needs to remind Gript and their researchers that trans people aren’t in general population in prisons.
I’m trying to find the exact wording, but I have rule 58 and 59 in my head from previous research. Trans people are kept in isolation for up to 22 hours a day. That’s for their safety and the safety of the other inmates.
If I find the exact place I saw that I’ll be back.
If you find it before me, please post it and send it to me too.