Puberty blockers: Concern over 'toxic discourse' in NI
Muir acknowledged that the ban on puberty blockers had caused "hurt and anguish" in the trans and non-binary community."I think we can learn lessons about this, especially around the communication around this," he told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster.Puberty blockers work by suppressing the release of hormones and can be prescribed to children questioning their gender.Muir emphasised that the decision to ban them was taken "in the context of the science and evidence that was presented to the executive".He said he had asked the health minister to publish the evidence.
Pride parades
Among those who have told political parties not to attend are Foyle Pride, Causeway Pride and Mid and East Antrim Pride. Belfast Pride, NI's largest event, have said it has not yet made a decision on this matter.Last week, on social media platform X, Alliance councillor and Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray said "no one" would dictate if he could attend a pride march."I proudly led the Belfast Pride march last year, as the first openly-gay Lord Mayor of Belfast," he wrote."I'm a seasoned rights campaigner, who has been at the forefront of every campaign."
Muir said he had attended Pride since 1996 and it was "incredibly important to [him] as an openly-gay man".He said he was yet to make a decision on whether he will attend a Pride event this year.However, he said that if a decision was made to ban political parties from an event he planned to go to, "it would be a clear message that [he] would not be welcome" and he "would probably stay at home".
Puberty blockers in Northern Ireland
Until the ban in Northern Ireland, puberty blockers were only available on NHS prescription for under-18s, for those young people who were accepted onto the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Gender Identity Service endocrine pathway prior to March 2020.It is understood children already on this medical pathway will continue to receive treatment.Hormone suppressors also remain available for patients receiving the drugs for other uses, such as early-onset puberty.The move to ban puberty blockers came after a report into children's gender services - the Cass Review - said there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs.The review was led by leading paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and prompted the last government to ban the use of puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender – a move which was then supported by Labour when they won the election.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
15 hours ago
- BBC News
Budapest mayor questioned over organising banned pride march
Budapest's mayor has been questioned by police as a suspect in helping to organise a banned LGBTQ march in the event took place on June 28 despite warnings of potential legal repercussions by Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose government passed a law earlier this year banning the say that despite threats of fines, a record 200,000 people took part in the rally, which swiftly descended into an anti-government a rainbow T-shirt featuring the capitals coat of arms, Mayor Gergely Karacsony, who appeared at Hungary's National Bureau of Investigation on Friday, told supporters: "Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest". If charged and convicted, Karacsony could face up to a year in prison for organising and encouraging participation in a banned march."They described the accusation. I said that I considered this to be unfounded and that I will lodge a complaint against it," Karacsony told a crowd of some 200 supporters and journalists who had gathered outside the building where he was questioned for more than an hour."Neither freedom nor love can be banned in Budapest," said the mayor, who added: "If it cannot be banned, it cannot be punished."Accompanied by his lawyer, Karacsony did not answer any questions posed by investigators but instead presented them with a statement of his annual pride march had been in doubt since the government passed a law in March restricting gatherings if they break child protection laws on the public promotion on was the latest measure from Orban's government targeting Hungary's LGBTQ+ 2020, Hungary abolished its legal recognition of transgender people, and in 2021, the government passed a law banning the depiction of homosexuality to the ban, the mayor stood in defiance, vowing: "Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march as a local event on 28 June," and argued that police could not legally ban a municipal month, police announced they would not take action against attendees who could have faced fines of up to €500 (£427; $586) for attending the Pride Hungary's National Bureau of Investigation, which is tasked with investigating serious and complex crimes, said it had launched a probe against an "unknown perpetrator" accused of organising the rally.
Scotsman
18 hours ago
- Scotsman
Political opinion: Jardine challenges Ministers on supporting LGBT Veterans
Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has called on UK Defence Secretary John Healey to improve access to compensation for LGBT+ veterans forced to leave the Armed Forces. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ms Jardine has joined a growing cross-party group of MPs who have written to Mr Healey urging him to cut waiting times for compensation and be more transparent with MPs about the number of veterans who are receiving their payment. The previous UK Government commissioned Lord Etherton to review the treatment of LGBT+ veterans before the Ministry of Defence lifted the ban on openly LGBT people serving in the Armed Forces. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Amongst his 43 recommendations was a compensation scheme, the fund for which was increased to £75 million by the Defence Secretary last year. Christine Jardine MP in the House of Commons chamber But Ms Jardine is one of many MPs whose constituents are struggling to get payments promptly. According to figures in the letter, drafted by fellow Lib Dem MP Ben Maguire, just 96 of the 1,119 applicants had received compensation as of July 21st. She says this is leaving constituents in limbo, and adding to the pain they already feel over their experience in the Forces. Ms Jardine said: 'I am appalled at the slow pace of getting compensation to the LGBT+ veterans who deserve it, including in my Edinburgh West constituency. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They served our country with distinction and were treated terribly by their Government, as well as the pain of having to live their lives in secret. 'I am also worried that those who resigned because they were hounded out of the Armed Forces because of horrendous homophobic abuse at the hands of colleagues will not be given the same attention as those discharge because of their sexuality. 'We cannot see a repeat of other compensation schemes, where people are left behind, and pass away before they see justice. As many of these veterans get older, this is a real concern. 'I sincerely hope the Defence Secretary will listen to my calls, and those of my colleagues, and give all of these brave veterans the justice and closure they deserve.'
JAMnews
a day ago
- JAMnews
LGBTQ+ rights in Azerbaijan
LGBTQ+ rights in Azerbaijan Legal and social protections for LGBTQ+ people in Azerbaijan are severely limited. While same-sex relationships are not criminalised, there are no laws that specifically protect their rights. This becomes especially clear in the prison system. International reports, available documentation, and personal accounts all show that LGBTQ+ individuals are subjected to significantly higher levels of physical, psychological, and institutional abuse while in custody. Social isolation and violence in prisons Azerbaijani LGBTQ activists at a Pride march in Germany, 16 July 2015. | Photo: Ghvinotsdaati There are no official statistics on LGBTQ+ prisoners in Azerbaijan, as the government does not systematically collect or publish such data. However, reports from human rights organisations help to partially fill this gap. According to interviews and reports by these organisations, trans women and gay men in prison are placed in separate cells and frequently subjected to violence — both from other inmates and from prison staff. Their gender and sexual identity often marks them as a 'lower caste,' leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and degrading treatment. In some cases, prison administrations have used sexual contact between trans inmates and men as a form of punishment. These individuals are officially isolated 'for their own protection,' but in reality, they are often exploited behind closed doors. In interviews, several trans women said prison staff had 'sold' them to other inmates for money. Although such testimony cannot be directly verified, multiple parallel accounts point to systemic violence. An article on OC Media, based on interviews with LGBTQ+ prisoners, reports that trans women are held in men's prisons and consistently subjected to abuse. One trans woman, Zinat, interviewed by OC Media, said: 'When I first entered prison, they spoke to me in a humiliating way and threatened to shave my head.' In another source, Nina, a trans woman, said: 'They wouldn't let me into the common area, saying it was because I'm a woman — yet at the same time, they 'sold' me to other inmates.' These accounts suggest that sexual exploitation within Azerbaijan's prison system is structural. A 2017 Human Rights Watch report titled Azerbaijan: Anti‑Gay Crackdown documented widespread torture and blackmail of detained gay men, bisexual men, and trans women. HRW noted that police were using electric shocks and beatings to extort bribes and gather names of other LGBTQ+ people. The report underscores the deliberate and brutal tactics used in the campaign. The report states that 83 people were detained that year, many of whom were sentenced to administrative detention ranging from 5 to 30 days on fabricated charges of resisting police or hooliganism. Human Rights Watch stated: 'Although the official charges were justified in the name of public health and morality, these measures amount to a flagrant violation of human rights.' Legal gaps and barriers to legal assistance In Azerbaijan, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is not addressed in the law. The current legal system is built entirely on a binary understanding of gender — male and female — and contains no legal protections for trans or non-binary people. While the Labour Code prohibits discrimination based on sex, religion, and race, it includes no provisions related to sexual orientation or gender identity. prohibits discrimination based on sex, religion, and race, it includes no provisions related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The Criminal Code recognises hate crimes only in the context of ethnicity and religion; violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not acknowledged. recognises hate crimes only in the context of ethnicity and religion; violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not acknowledged. The Penal Enforcement Code also lacks any specific protections for LGBTQ+ prisoners, increasing the risk of them being placed in male prisons and subjected to abuse. During the mass arrests of September 2017, LGBTQ+ people were mostly detained under administrative charges such as 'minor hooliganism' and 'disobeying a lawful police order.' Lawyers reported that court hearings lasted just 10 to 15 minutes, and many detainees were denied the right to legal counsel. Response from the UN and other international organisations In a statement issued on 13 October 2017, the United Nations noted that 'more than 80 people were detained in police raids targeting gay men and trans women, which began in September 2017 in Baku. Many were subjected to torture and forced medical examinations.' The statement also emphasised: 'International human rights law is clear: no one may be arrested for their sexual orientation or gender identity.' Following the 2017 events, relevant UN special rapporteurs and Human Rights Watch accused the Azerbaijani government of violating international legal standards. UN experts stated that arrest, torture, and forced medical testing based on a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation constitute a clear breach of the country's international obligations. International and regional comparison Georgian law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, a package of 'family values' laws passed in 2024 has curtailed the rights of trans and non-binary people. Armenia decriminalised same-sex relations back in 2003, but there is still no legal protection based on SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity). The Council of Europe has urged the country to implement reforms in this area. The situation in Eastern Europe remains mixed: while countries like Poland and Hungary have seen a rollback of LGBT rights, others — like Estonia — have made progress. Azerbaijan ranks last out of 49 countries on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index. Conclusion Research shows that the prison environment in Azerbaijan is unsafe for LGBTQ+ individuals — both physically and legally. Existing laws offer no specific protections, and the country's penitentiary system lacks effective oversight and complaint mechanisms. It is clear that this is a systemic issue, not a matter of isolated incidents. As a signatory to international human rights conventions, Azerbaijan has an obligation to reform its legislation to ensure the safety and rights of LGBTQ+ inmates. This includes better training for prison staff and the introduction of real accountability mechanisms. Without such reforms, the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in prisons remains not only a violation of basic justice, but part of a broader pattern of human rights abuse.
