Governors in a number of US states have refused to back down on transgender access to school toilets and changing rooms of their self-identified gender despite the Obama administration’s warning that federal funds will be cut from schools that do not comply. Leaders in at least a dozen states have responded that the threat is unconstitutional and they will not open locker rooms, showers and toilet facilities to people who self-identify with a particular gender.
Midwives in Britain are rebelling against a move by their union boss to sign members up to scrapping the abortion time limit, without prior consultation. The plan was led by Prof. Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, but has resulted in thousands of midwives signing a ‘Not in my Name’ petition against any involvement in ending the 24-week limit on terminations. Midwives have also called for the removal of Prof. Warwick, who serves simultaneously as chair of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the country’s biggest abortion provider.
Faith-based education will be a “casualty” if the Government pushes ahead with a new programme on faith from a secular perspective, a religious expert has warned. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Dr Eugene Duffy of Mary Immaculate College Limerick warned that “a consultation document for the proposed Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics programme suggests an agenda that “should be of the utmost concern to those involved in the provision of faith-based education”.
The proposal of a citizens’ assembly to address how to hold a referendum to remove the protection from the Constitution that is currently given to unborn children has been described as a ruse to allow the Government deniability in relation to any eventual recommendations, Bishop Kevin Doran has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Bishop Doran said: “In my view, the setting up of the citizens’ convention is really just about window dressing and making it look democratic, and I suppose to some extent to distance government from it, so that whatever the citizens’ convention comes up with the government can say ‘that wasn’t our idea, that was their idea’.”
Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group has welcomed the outcome of the recent Assembly elections as an endorsement of pro-life parties. Precious Life, which had pursued a ‘Your Vote Matters’ campaign ahead of the elections pointed out that 49 newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly have publicly vowed to vote against abortion, and welcomed the commitments offered by both the DUP and SDLP to remain pro-life parties.
The Pro-Life Campaign (PLC) has criticised countries involved in a UN Human Rights Committee which criticised Ireland’s abortion laws. Following a sitting of the committee in Geneva at which Irish representatives were grilled on this country’s protection for the unborn, the PLC said of Ireland: “Far from being embarrassed, we should be challenging some of these countries over their appalling record when it comes to defending human life.” She went on to cite the records in terms of abortion of participants Canada and Denmark the latter of which, the PLC noted, “has set a goal to create a Down’s Syndrome–free Denmark by 2030”. The PLC’s statement was echoed by Independent TD Mattie McGrath who described the committee’s questioning as displaying “jaw dropping levels of hypocrisy toward Ireland”.
A senior minister in the new Government has said Ireland will see a referendum on abortion in the coming years. Fine Gael’s Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohue said that he is “certain” laws on abortion will be put to the people sometime after the Government’s proposed citizens’ assembly on repealing the constitutional protection for the unborn takes place.
A sex abuse victim has died by euthanasia in the Netherlands after psychiatrists deemed her suffering to be incurable and a declaration by the victim that she could not live with her mental suffering. However, the course of action was taken despite her condition not being fatal in itself and the woman having shown signs of improvement in her mental health over the last two years with the aid of intensive therapy.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has said gender neutral toilets and uniforms for primary school children as young as four should be considered to make transgender pupils more comfortable. Peter Mullan, assistant general secretary of INTO, says people must accept we live in a changing society, and there must be recognition that some children have gender dysphoria.
Claims that doctors at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) will not be able to offer sterilisation, IVF and other procedures at odds with Catholic ethos if the facility moves to the St Vincent’s Hospital site on Dublin’s southside have been described as a “red herring” in a row over management of the facility. Despite St Vincent’s being under the control of the Religious Sisters of Charity, Prof Michael Keane, clinical director at St Vincent’s, said the assumption that such procedures cannot be carried out is “a historical thing”.
