Tomás Ó Flatharta

David Cullinane TD (Sinn Féin, Waterford), his party’s health spokesperson, seems to believe that bigoted legal discrimination against transgender people, a tiny vulnerable minority, is OK – in his own words it is “common sense”.

Cullinane’s statement below is senseless in more ways than one. A bluesky correspondent observes :

When Sinn Féin in the 6 threw trans people under the British terf(*) bus recently there may have still been some doubt where they’re at. This removes any doubt.

This is a Sinn Féin TD arguing for the removal of Irish citizen’s rights using a British court decision in aid of that position. #Ireland

Link :

https://bsky.app/profile/uilliammac.bsky.social/post/3lmxfqzprjc2r

• terf = (Trans Exclusionary Reactionary Feminist or Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist)

It’s remarkably embarrassing that Cullinane, as a republican, has no idea how the British state is constituted. A Brit court delivered this judgment. It overturned a Scottish High Court decision. That said, many Scottish independence supporters, for example around the reactionary Alba Party founded by the late Alex Salmond after he was accused of rape and sexual assault, are also cheering this decision  – brought to us by the same Brit court that killed off the prospect of a second independence referendum in Scotland.

Transphobia is destroying progressive movements everywhere.

Luckily, transphobia is unpopular in many parts of Ireland.

David Cullinane Withdraws Reactionary Anti-Trans Tweet

Sinn Féin has been banned from this year’s Trans and Intersex Pride march in the wake of the David Cullinane comments.

The Cullinane Backtrack is reported on the Dublin People website

The tweet was then deleted following backlash from progressives, with Cullinane tweeting on Thursday ” I want to apologise for the hurt and offence that I have caused to the Trans community following a tweet I sent last night. That was never my intention. This is a complex issue for many but we need to approach it with compassion, understanding and dignity for all.”

However, Cullinane’s tweet points to the party’s supposed left-wing stance being at odds with the trans community.

Sinn Féin is now banned from Pride events in many different parts of Ireland :

Last year, the Sinn Féin-led government in Stormont worked with the British government to implement a ban on puberty blockers for minors, a move which drew sharp condemnation from the Irish left.

Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin said, “while he (Cullinane) has since walked back his remarks, he did not say whether he still believes it should be looked at in the state, and shows the instinct and insensitivity to attack the community by a health spokesperson.”

“We have welcomed the decision by different Prides in the North to ban all Northern executive parties who signed off on the banning of puberty blockers. This pride season has to be a protest against parties who are happily attacking the trans community, and the banning of executive parties is a step forward in the fight against transphobia.”

“In response to the statement by David Cullinane, along with the banning of Puberty blockers, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin asks Mary Lou McDonald to clarify her party’s position, whether the ruling should be looked at north and south, and calls for the reversal of the puberty blocker ban,” they said.

They warned, “should this not happen, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin has came to the decision that Sinn Féin will be banned from attending our march in July. This decision is made in solidarity with trans people up north, and to avoid the party’s pinkwashing of their record in the south.

The move follows a similar move by Belfast Pride banning Sinn Féin from the march in protest at their decision at Stormont to ban puberty blockers.

“How could a health spokesperson not be mindful and keenly aware of the health of trans and intersex people? And how their right to exist is under attack,” – Ruth Coppinger TD, People Before Profit

Although Cullinane withdrew his original tweet, the Sinn Féin policy on this matter is far from clear. This report comes from the Irish Times (March 17 2025)

Among those who criticised the original tweet was People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger who asked if Mr Cullinane was reflecting the official Sinn Féin policy position. After he apologised, she said the first tweet had been “worrying”.

“How could a health spokesperson not be mindful and keenly aware of the health of trans and intersex people? And how their right to exist is under attack,” she wrote on X.

In a statement, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin said the UK decision would open the door to further attacks on trans rights and would have a knock-on effect for Irish trans people.

In a statement, it said Mr Cullinane had initially welcomed the ruling but had now “walked back” his remarks.

“He did not say whether he still believes it should be looked at in the State,” it said.

The statement also criticised “insensitivity” on his part in the role of his party’s health spokesman.

Asked about the matter, a Sinn Féin official said Mr Cullinane had apologised and there was nothing more to say.

The Cedar Lounge Revolution Blog offers excellent coverage of this story, concluding with this question :

There’s been calls here on foot of the above for changes or a reconsideration of the legislation in this state (not least this entirely unnecessary intervention) – though the reality is given the largely uncontroversial introduction and implementation of that legislation here over the years there’s been less controversy, not for want of trying on the part of some. Would one be wrong in thinking that this is something no government in the Republic is going to be particularly keen to return to?

Compare and contrast the Guardian piece with this take from the Irish Times.

Link :
Brit Supreme Court Quashes progressive Scottish Transgender Law – Cedar Lounge Revolution

That UK Supreme Court decision

We can do without this sort of reactionary politics in Ireland – and every other region in planet earth.

John Meehan April 18 2025