Protestors against the new SPHE Junior Cycle course has said it will lead to confusion among children about their gender.
A group led by the Natural Women’s Council and Parents’ Rights Alliance protested outside Leinster House, calling for changes to the course.
The updated curriculum covers areas including gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as the impact of stereotypes.
Protest outside the Dáil against the SPHE curriculum, 11/07/2023. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ieNatural Women's Council founder Jana Lunden said this content is not appropriate and will “confused children”.
“In the textbook, one of the pages says, ‘A child: you may be either a boy, girl, neither or both, irrespective of the sex you were born in’,” she said.
Protestors carried signs urging people to not “lose your children to this ideology” and asking why Youth and Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman did not “consult with schools or parents” on the new curriculum.
Protest outside the Dáil against the SPHE curriculum, 11/07/2023. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ieA counter-protest formed, and Union of Students in Ireland Vice President Aoife Hines said there was a negative reaction to their presence.
“We don't want to be up in their faces,” they said. “They’re up in our faces.
“They currently started surrounding us with their own signs, they’re in among our group and they’re whispering intimidating things and getting into our personal space.
“I'm a non-binary person myself, so it's quite irritating to see people coming out and disvaluing my entire identity.”
