PRESS RELEASE FOR GIDI REGARDING GOVERNMENTS DECISION TO CHALLEGE HIGH COURT DECISION IN LYDIA FOY CASE
Following the recent announcement by the Irish government to challenge the High Court judgement in the Lydia Foy case, GIDI wishes to make the following statement.
Gender Identity Disorder Ireland (GIDI) expresses its dismay at the actions of the Irish government in its decision to challenge the High Court judgement in the Lydia Foy case, which judgement was rendered in October 2007. We believe that this decision flies in the face of earlier rulings by the ECHR and constitutes a deliberate violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
We believe the government’s decision is wholly inconsistent with the de facto recognition afforded to people with Gender Identity Disorder by various state agencies and the Minister for Health and Children, and her department. It is also ironic and not a little hypocritical of the government to be asking all Irish citizens to act as good European neighbours by voting YES in the forthcoming Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, while at the same time deliberately denying its own citizens parity of rights with our European neighbours. This is wholly unacceptable and should be rejected by all right thinking people.
The government’s decision is particularly difficult to justify, coming as it does so soon after the recent medical symposium on Gender Identity Disorder. The effects of the government’s decision are already being acutely felt and have resulted in great feelings of despair and hopelessness amongst those most affected by this decision.
We believe that rather than adding to the existing sufferings of the people affected and the unnecessary waste of resources, that the government should immediately rescind its decision and instead introduce appropriate legislation that will give legal recognition to those diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder and thereby afford them the same equal rights as our European neighbours.
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Gender Identity Disorder Ireland
