“These are very sensitive issues, these are very personal issues.”
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has said that he hopes RTÉ and Dublin Pride organisers can “come together again and sort it out” in relation to the latter’s decision to end a media partnership.
On Tuesday, Dublin Pride announced the termination of its partnership with the broadcaster after voicing concern about recent discussions on transgender topics on the Liveline radio show.
Varadkar said he did not hear the radio programme, but understands “a lot of members of the trans community are very upset”.
“These are very sensitive issues, these are very personal issues. We should talk about them and debate them,” he said.
“But if we are talking about issues that relate to trans people or any minority group, it’s important that they’re part of the debate and part of the conversation, and they felt that they were left out of that.”
Announcing its decision earlier this week, Dublin Pride said in a statement that the gender identity debate aired on Liveline was “unacceptable, triggering and extremely harmful” to the trans community.
“Dublin Pride is both angered and disappointed by the recent unacceptable, triggering and extremely harmful anti-trans ‘discussions’ that have been given a platform on Joe Duffy’s Liveline on RTÉ Radio 1.
“As an official media partner of Dublin Pride, but more importantly as Ireland’s national broadcaster, we expect better than for RTÉ to stoke the flames of anti-trans rhetoric.”
RTÉ later responded to the decision, saying it was “disappointed”.
“RTÉ is acutely aware that discussions on issues such as gender and identity are deeply personal to many. It is important we listen to them, their families and those close to them, and it is also important that we allow our audiences engage with and understand the issues involved.”
It went on to say: “In time, we hope that we will once again get the opportunity to continue to develop our partnership with Dublin Pride.”
Feature Image via Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
