Latest news with #AlexaMoore
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands attend trans rights rally in Belfast city centre
Thousands of people have attended a trans rights rally in Belfast city centre. The March for Trans Rights was held on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. Organisers said the recent Supreme Court decision to legally define a woman by biological sex at birth for the purposes of the Equality Act was a huge attack on trans rights. The ruling has major implications for single-sex spaces in Great Britain, such as female changing rooms and toilets. The court had been asked to decide on the proper interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, which applies across Great Britain but not in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's Equality Commission has said it hopes to publish new formal guidance in June in response to the ruling. The commission said it would "advise all employers and service providers, including councils, to review any policies that the Supreme Court judgment may impact on". In recent days, Education Minister Paul Givan said he has asked officials to ensure his department is complying with the ruling. Alexa Moore, the policy, campaigns and communications manager at the Rainbow Project, said trans people have seen a "regression in our rights" across the UK and Northern Ireland. "We've seen with the puberty blocker ban that was instituted last year and now with the recent Supreme Court judgement on the definition of sex and the Equality Act," she told BBC News NI. "It's really an attempt in Northern Ireland to roll back rights and protections for trans communities and that's why people are out on the streets today." She added that the event saw "countless women's organisations and women just generally from the community out in support of trans people". "We're very clear, trans rights and women's rights are not in opposition, they are linked and you can't have one without the other." Autumn Hendrix said that trans people paved the way for him to live as a bisexual man. "It's just so important that we stand up for them." Tanya De Boer, who attended the event with her family, said the more people who are not trans stand up for this cause "the better, because they are a minority". She said she brought her kids to show them that "everybody deserves equal rights". "Individuals that don't identify with their assigned sex at birth should get to live a happy, healthy, inclusive, free life and restricting that is wrong," she added. "We want to be here to speak up for those people." A separate anti-LGBT rally took place outside Belfast City Hall at the same time. A few hundred gathered behind the main stage of the trans rally. Police kept both protests segregated. Belfast Pride latest to ban political parties from parade Protests held as puberty blocker ban extended to NI
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Equality Commission to publish guidance on Supreme Court ruling
Northern Ireland's Equality Commission has said it aims to publish new formal guidance in June after the Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex. The court had been asked to decide on the proper interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, which applies across Great Britain, but not in Northern Ireland. It comes as Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said it would be implementing the provisions of the Supreme Court's ruling across its buildings. The Equality Commission said it would "advise all employers and service providers, including councils, to review any policies that the Supreme Court judgment may impact on". "As always, we advise them to come to us for advice relevant to their particular circumstances prior to making any changes," it added. The Supreme Court ruling has major implications for single-sex spaces in GB, such as female changing rooms and toilets. BBC News NI's The Nolan Show asked a number of public bodies in Northern Ireland - including health trusts, government departments and councils - how they plan to react to the Supreme Court's ruling. The Department of Finance, Department for Communities and Department of Health also stated they were considering potential implications. The Supreme Court ruling gives clarity - but now comes the difficult part While most council also said they were still considering the ruling's implications, Fermanagh and Omagh said they "will be developing new guidance for the use of changing rooms at leisure facilities and toilets further to the Supreme Court ruling". The council added that they will "review the equality screening of our policies to identify any anomalies that may have arisen as a result of the Supreme Court ruling". "Should the screening highlight any particular issues or concerns which require amendment or new policy development, these may be the subject of public consultation." Alexa Moore is the policy, campaigns and communications manager at the Rainbow Project and said that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have "jumped the gun". "It's quite concerning for trans [people], but also wider LGBT communities in Fermanagh because you have to ask the question: 'How is this going to be enforced, are we going to have council workers paid to stand on-site and do genital inspections on people trying to use leisure facilities?' "It's frankly bizarre and I do think they're really jumping the gun here," Ms Moore said. In a statement, Omagh Pride said they were "dismayed and angered" by the council statement on the Supreme Court ruling. "This is yet another decision that would have a deeply adverse impact on trans people, adding to isolation and putting their safety at risk. "We call on our local elected representatives to immediately and clearly speak out against this statement from Fermanagh & Omagh District Council and to ensure that no changes to policy are implemented which would undermine the rights and risk the safety of trans people." BBC News NI asked some people out and about in Omagh about the possibility of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council changing its policies. Mandy McClelland, from Omagh, does not think there should be a "hard and fast rule". "If you need the toilet – you need the toilet whatever gender you are so that wouldn't bother me in the slightest." She said would not mind sharing a toilet with a transgender person. "Live and let live is my motto." Demi Whelan said if she or her daughter Tilly needed to use the toilet and only the men's was available, they would still use it. "If it's clean enough for us to use we're going to use it," she said. "I think if you needed to go to the toilet there shouldn't be any fuss of whether you need to go, if it's available you're more than welcome to use it." However, Billy Naylor said he does not think a male who has changed their gender to female should be able to use a female bathroom. "If that's their decision, to be what they want to be, when it comes to public toilets – no, a man's toilet is for a man, a women's toilet is for a woman," he said. Women's campaigners celebrate court win - but what will it change? Supreme Court backs 'biological' definition of woman Transgender guidance scrapped for NI primary schools
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Supreme Court ruling: Equality Commission to publish formal guidance
Northern Ireland's Equality Commission has said it aims to publish new formal guidance in June after the Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is defined by biological court had been asked to decide on the proper interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, which applies across Great Britain, but not in Northern comes as Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said it would be implementing the provisions of the Supreme Court's ruling across its Equality Commission said it would "advise all employers and service providers, including councils, to review any policies that the Supreme Court judgment may impact on". "As always, we advise them to come to us for advice relevant to their particular circumstances prior to making any changes," it Supreme Court ruling has major implications for single-sex spaces in GB, such as female changing rooms and News NI's The Nolan Show asked a number of public bodies in Northern Ireland - including health trusts, government departments and councils - how they plan to react to the Supreme Court's Department of Finance, Department of Communities and Department of Health also stated they were considering potential implcations. While most council also said they were still considering the ruling's implications, Fermanagh and Omagh said they "will be developing new guidance for the use of changing rooms at leisure facilities and toilets further to the Supreme Court ruling".The council added that they will "review the equality screening of our policies to identify any anomalies that may have arisen as a result of the Supreme Court ruling". "Should the screening highlight any particular issues or concerns which require amendment or new policy development, these may be the subject of public consultation." 'A spit in the face' Alexa Moore is the policy, campaigns and communications manager at the Rainbow Project and said that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have "jumped the gun"."It's quite concerning for trans [people], but also wider LGBT communities in Fermanagh because you have to ask the question: 'How is this going to be enforced, are we going to have council workers paid to stand on-site and do genital inspections on people trying to use leisure facilities?'"It's frankly bizarre and I do think they're really jumping the gun here," Ms Moore said. 'Dismayed and angered' In a statement, Omagh Pride said they were "dismayed and angered" by the council statement on the Supreme Court ruling."This is yet another decision that would have a deeply adverse impact on trans people, adding to isolation and putting their safety at risk."We call on our local elected representatives to immediately and clearly speak out against this statement from Fermanagh & Omagh District Council and to ensure that no changes to policy are implemented which would undermine the rights and risk the safety of trans people."
