The Equal Status and Employment Equality laws that were brought in the late 1990’s early ’00s positioned Ireland at the time as a leader internationally in terms of LGB equality and equality in general; equality in relation to trans people still had/has a journey to go.
The new laws finally meant that lesbian, gay and bisexual people could feel that they had a right to be treated fairly, whether that be in booking a room in a hotel, having a pint, or coming out at work. That’s of course if you weren’t a teacher, doctor or nurse working in the predominantly Church dominated education and health services.