It was sunny, when we left Leinster House, all smiles. It had finally happened. On July 15, 2015, the Gender Recognition Act was passed and Ireland became the fourth country in the world to pass a legal gender recognition law based on self-declaration.
Celebrating Gender Recognition outside the Dáil, left to Right: Sam Blanckensee, Gordon Grehan, Vicki Mullen, Vanessa Lacey, Claire Farrell, Dan O’Connor, Broden Giambrone, Dr Lydia Foy, Michael Farrell
As we walked through the gates and stepped onto Kildare Street, I popped open a bottle of Moët & Chandon that we had been saving for this occasion and we toasted our victory. We raised our glasses to Dr Lydia Foy who started this journey back in 1993 when she first asked to change the gender marker on her birth certificate to reflect her true identity. Despite bullying, setbacks and stalling by the State, Lydia persisted in her struggle to be recognised. We raised our glasses to Michael Farrell from FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres), Lydia’s solicitor, an established civil rights activist who recognised that trans rights were human rights long before society caught up. And finally, we raised our glasses to trans activists and allies who worked so hard to make this legislation happen.