Debate contribution: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 12 May 2025.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

12 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4938075

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Despite what the Minister has tried to say, the inhumane ban on puberty blockers is motivated mainly by right-wing transphobia. Some of the Executive parties, such as the DUP, that extended the ban on gender-affirming care indefinitely are openly hostile towards trans and non-binary people. Other parties talked a good game but then caved to political pressure from an increasingly reactionary Labour Government. Yesterday it was trans people; today it is migrants. Who knows where else Keir Starmer will go? It is a shame that the Opposition are siding with the Executive on the matter. The party of so-called civil rights, which tries to hold the mantle of civil rights, basically says that trans rights do not matter. It should reflect on that.

No, thanks. Restricting access to puberty blockers for under-18s is a flagrant violation of the human rights of trans and non-binary people. As I outlined, the decision also flies in the face of evidence on puberty blockers from medical professionals — not the DUP but medical professionals — and the trans and non-binary communities.

Access to the medication is being blocked only for trans youth. If puberty blockers were inherently dangerous, they would be banned for everyone under the age of 18. In answer to a question for written answer that I tabled earlier this year, the Health Minister said that young trans people will be supported by the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), the Knowing our Identity service and existing gender identification services.

As anyone who knows anything will know, our health service is collapsing, and our mental health services simply do not have the capacity to give trans and non-binary people the support that they need now. They are being cruelly denied access to basic healthcare. Make no mistake about it: the decision has caused huge distress and anxiety to a community that is already at a higher risk of mental ill health and suicidality. The Health Minister also promised access to clinical trials for patients from the North, but there is no sign of those beginning any time soon.

No. Thanks. Putting aside the fundamental unfairness that the only way to access puberty blockers will be through a restrictive clinical trial, has a single young person from the North been prescribed medication as part of a clinical trial since last year? I doubt it. The Executive have also refused to publish the clinical evidence that informed the decision to ban puberty blockers, despite freedom of information requests and pressure from the wider sector. If this was a good-faith decision, motivated only by clinical evidence and expert opinion, maybe the Executive would be more open and honest, but it looks like a cover up. The Executive parties are keen to table and support non-binding motions that express vague, warm sentiments towards the LGBTQI+ communities. However, when it comes to action — investing in health and social care for trans and non-binary people; challenging the application of the British Supreme Court's decision-making in the North; and granting access to gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers — the Executive are silent and found wanting. It is not too late to do the right thing, and that includes the Opposition. It is not too late for the Executive parties to admit that they capitulated to Westminster and bowed to political pressure from the right and the far right. It is time to do the right thing by the trans community and immediately reverse the decision to deny trans youth the healthcare that they need. The Member for North Antrim talked about "common sense" and people's "safety". I hope that he agrees with me that people should not be photographed going into toilets, be they trans women or cis women. I hope that he will condemn that if it happens in this Building or anywhere else. If someone in his party was guilty of doing that, I hope that he would take swift action against them. Unfortunately, we heard prevarication from the Minister. My reading of what he said was that he gave a litany of excuses for why there will not be an LGBTQI+ strategy. If this place and this Minister were left to their own devices, we could wait another 20 years for an important strategy. For the people watching the debate, the most important thing coming out of this Building is the activism in communities and on the streets. It is an important aspect of standing up for trans rights. I encourage everybody to attend the upcoming pro-trans rights events. The pace of change from this Building is slow. The only rights that were ever won were achieved when people got active, and that was through the marriage equality and abortion rights campaigns. I encourage people to get involved in such activism in the weeks, months and years ahead.

811 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:23 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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