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The Irish Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration has said he supports proposals to make it easier for children in Ireland under 16 to “change gender”.
These statements by the politician come shortly after the nation’s government confirmed that it will introduce such laws for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Irish government launched a programme last month in which it pledged to “excite the need for a 16 and 17 year old to have two expert reports before they can apply for legal gender recognition”.
This programme, entitled “Our Shared Future”, also promises to provide “a framework for the development of national gender clinics and multidisciplinary teams for children and adults”.
Earlier this week, Roderic O’Gorman, the new minister for children, disability, equality and integration, said experts had proposed facilitating gender change for children under 16.
“Right now, if you want to initiate a gender change, you have to find the kind of high-level medical consultants to actually sign off on that,” the politician said.
“While the recommendation is to make it easier to allow a family doctor to basically sign off to say yes.”
“In an area like this, it must be guided by expert advice,” he added.
Leakage of information about the minister’s work
John McGuirk, an Irish journalist, clarified what is behind the so-called “expert advice” that O’Gorman named.
According to McGuirk, that review group actually consists of several transgender activists.
“There was a doctor on the review panel, and she’s a law doctor, not a medical doctor. The review panel contained, however, four representatives of NGOs that advocate for trans rights,” he writes.
“How can this be called ‘expert advice’? It is only expert if you are looking for experts in trans rights activism, not experts in medicine or child psychology,” he continues.
“This review panel did not contain a single psychologist, a single gender specialist or a single family doctor. There is only one nurse, but with respect to nurses, they are not qualified in gender issues in children.”
Accusations and Request for Dismissal
It should be noted that O’Gorman is constantly being singled out because of many of his positions and supports.
Last week he was criticized for a photo of him participating in an “LGBT pride” parade.
In his defence, the children’s minister said that the accusations against him are “rooted in homophobia”.
A small group of people with a very clear agenda have been making allegations about me on social media over the last few days.
I’m taking this opportunity to set the record straight. pic.twitter.com/AKKLkauYvg
— Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) July 6, 2020
More than 4,000 people have signed a petition calling for O’Gorman’s removal from office as youth minister.
The petition cites a publication by the politician, which many view as “of great concern.
In the tweet, O’Gorman shares a picture of a map of Ireland with colours showing travellers’ trends in 2011.
The minister published the words “Mmmmm. Map porn”, along with the image. Several Twitter users pointed out that the word “MAP” is an acronym for a perverse paedophile movement.
Mmmmm. Map porn. https://t.co/zdl3pHxVPv
— Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) March 31, 2017
He has also been accused of supporting Satanism and publishing an inappropriate tweet about masturbation.
@Kony_2016_ @angpolitical @SamuelJPElliott @anbealach @AndrewSB49 Err check your tone. Don’t you know I wank highly in Wome?!
— Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) April 18, 2016
“It’s time for Rodney to go! Minister of Children?”, a Twitter user wrote last week.
