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2018

Transgender Pride Flag flying at UCC in ‘first’ for Irish universities

5 Mar 2018
Flying the Transgender Pride flag on the Quad (l-r): Dr Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin, UCC; Dr Máire Leane, UCC; Vanessa Lacey, TENI; Prof. Nuala Finnegan. Chair, UCC Equality Committee; Karl Kitching, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UCC.

University College Cork will become the first university in Ireland to fly the Transgender Pride Flag this afternoon (March 5), marking its commitment to trans and non-binary staff and students.

Flying the Transgender Pride flag – representing transgender communities internationally – on UCC’s iconic Quad signifies the University’s growing appreciation and understanding of trans and gender non-binary issues in Ireland and internationally.

UCC is currently in the process of finalising its Gender Identity and Expression Policy, which seeks to support trans and non-binary staff and students.

The flying of the flag is one of the highlights of UCC’s Equality Week, which takes place from today (March 5) until Friday (March 9), with all events open to the public.

"Flying the Transgender Pride Flag indicates UCC’s growing appreciation and understanding of trans and gender non-binary issues in Ireland and internationally. UCC is currently in the process of finalising its Gender Identity and Expression Policy, which seeks to support trans and non-binary staff and students in a variety of ways,” said Dr Karl Kitching, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at UCC.

UCC academics Dr Máire Leane and Dr Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin presented their research on the experiences of trans young people in Ireland this afternoon (March 5) at the Creative Zone of Boole Library, before Vanessa Lacey from Transgender Equality Network Ireland presented UCC with the Transgender Pride Flag.

UCC President, Professor Patrick O’Shea, will officially launch UCC’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit tomorrow (Tuesday, March 6) at 12:30 at the Creative Zone.

The University will also celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 with ‘Hypatia Day’. Named after the ancient astronomer, mathematician and philosopher, the day will see Professor O’Shea convene a symposium on gender equality in Higher Education. Speakers include Dr Pamela Byrne, CEO Food Safety Ireland; Professor Linda Doyle, Professor of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin; Louise Buckley, Director of Dell EMC Solution Centre; Brigid Carmody, Co-ordinator of the Cork Traveller Women’s Network; and Dr Victoria Showunmi, Senior Lecturer in Education, Maynooth University.

UCC’s Staff LGBT Network, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last October, will host a unique event at the Creative Zone on March 7 at 7pm, focused on ‘how to be a good LGBTQ ally at home, at work and in everyday life’. Speakers include Bella FitzPatrick from Shout Out and Margie Fennelly from Loving Our Out Kids, who aim to improve the lives of LGBTQ young people and families.

Events will also focus on differently abled and disabled people in various contexts, including a talk by Dr John Bosco Conama, Trinity College Dublin, this Friday on Ireland’s journey towards the recently-enacted Irish Sign Language Act. 

For all the details on this week’s events for #UCCEqualityWeek 18, see: https://www.ucc.ie/en/athenaswan/news&events/ucc-equality-week-2018.html

For more on this story contact:

Dr Karl Kitching, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, UCC: 086 3732230

Professor Nuala Finnegan, Chair of Equality Committee, UCC: 086 8473301.  

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