Gavan Reilly: Does SF remember its own policy about trans women?

It was a little surprising to see David Cullinane calling for Ireland to consider the ruling of the UK Supreme Court in a high-profile case about transgenderism. Firstly, the ruling merely determined the interpretation of one area of British equality law. Secondly, it’s only a few years since Cullinane was raising concern in the Dáil about the National Gender Service ‘gatekeeping’ someone’s right to transition, given how long its waiting list was.

Even more interesting was the subsequent reporting that there’s to be a review of the party’s policy on gender issues, possibly with a view to the party advocating for a different position

This is a curious development. Not alone was there no protest from Sinn Féin when Ireland legislated for transgenderism in 2014, Sinn Féin beat the government to it: Aengus Ó Snodaigh, its longest-serving TD, introduced his own bill in 2013 seeking to allow transgender people effectively change their status in law.

What’s more: by its very own description Sinn Féin is a leftist populist party; it will openly pursue whatever it thinks the public wants, as long as it aligns with progressive thinking. Does it think there is now a progressive case not to allow trans women – and let’s face it, it’s always trans women – for the law not to recognise how they truly live? If so, it would be fascinating to hear it.

It’s worth remembering, in the week of his death, that even Pope Francis determined that transgender people can act as godparents in line with their acquired gender.

In any event, because of a separate court ruling last week, countries like Ireland no longer have any leeway in this area: the European courts last week ruled that a citizen’s right to privacy could preclude governments from asking people to disclose their sex at birth, if it’s not the one by which they live their lives.