TENI and Transgender Europe hosted the 4th European Transgender Council, Trans Rights Now! Realizing Recognition, Respect and Equality at Dublin City University on 7-9 September 2012. This was a major event because the Council is the largest European forum for transgender rights and activism. The conference has over 200 delegates and attracts trans activists, policy makers, allies and supporters from across Europe.
Speakers at the Council included Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, Michael Farrell from FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres) and Senator Katherine Zappone.
Under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), transgender people are legally entitled to recognition in their own gender. Michael Farrell, FLAC Senior Solicitor, said that the Irish government is obliged to pass legislation for gender recognition given its acceptance in 2010 that it was in breach of the ECHR. The absence of such legislation means transgender people cannot have birth certificates reissued to indicate their true gender.
Click here to read Michael Farrell’s paper.
The Minister announced at the Transgender Council that legislation to provide for the legal recognition of transgender people would be put before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection in the next few weeks. Bulletin readers will recall that the last update on this issue was in March, where it was announced that legislation was being drafted at that time. The Irish Recognition Advisory Group’s July 2011 report to the government had included suggested legislative changes and other recommendations – click here to read a previous Bulletin article with more information on that report.
Click here to read an Irish Times Article on the conference.