A 40-strong contingent of students attended a protest outside Leinster House today, calling for the Sexual Education Bill to be passed.
The sexual education bill would promote a curriculum in secondary schools that would include all sexual identities and gender identities, as well as consent education.
Speaking to The University Times, Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Shane De Rís said: “For too long students have been leaving secondary school with an inadequate sexual education. TCDSU have always been at the forefront of educating students on all matters sexual and to do with their sexuality, through our SHIFT days and most recently through the consent campaign.”
The group gathered outside Leinster House, listening to speeches from Solidarity TD Paul Murphy among others. Chants of “teach, don’t preach” could be heard, as protesters pushed for sexual education that is inclusive of all sexual and gender identities.
Aisling Cusack, the Vice-President for Equality and Citizenship of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), speaking to The University Times, said that “USI have supported the objective sex education bill form the start because it is important that young people are being educated about all genders and sexualities before they reach third level education”.
“Students’ unions across the country are left to pitch up the slack and filings of this education not being provided from a young age”, she said.
The bill was proposed by Solidarity TDs, who organised today’s protest, and passed through the first stage of approval. Since then, the bill has met obstacles, with threats of it being blocked. For the bill to pass, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would have to sign what is called a “money message”, to guarantee the necessary money if the bill becomes law.
Fianna Fáil initially opposed the bill due to concerns about schools’ ethos and curriculum matters being set in legislation. However, the party did not call for a vote against the bill.
