Sometimes it feels like the world is against us. Our healthcare system pathologises us. Our government ignores us. Our civil servants don't know how to process us. But despite it all, we keep going. Throughout history, trans communities have shown resilience time and time again. On Trans Day of Resilience, we want to remind you that we will persist.

Trans people are navigating systems that were not built to support us. We deserve better. Every trans person deserves the same rights as anyone else — safety, support, and autonomy. While we have yet to achieve our liberation, we inch closer to it over time. Through our combined efforts and our collective power, we can make the world a place where we as trans people can thrive, bit by bit. We do this by building lives for ourselves, advocating for our futures, sharing our stories, and looking out for others like us who are struggling.

Build power during the election

Change happens when our communities come together to advocate and act. We have an opportunity to do this in just 9 days. The General Election is a crucial moment to make our voices heard and shape the policies that affect us. This is a chance for a new government — for new TDs who will listen to us to win their seats. It's a chance for us to tell our old representatives how the current systems have failed us, and make it clear how important their support is to us. This is the best time to make our voices heard!

Talking to politicians about trans healthcare can feel daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone. If politicians come canvassing at your door, we have a guide to help you talk to them:

1. Align on values. If you and your politician agree that the Irish people deserve bodily autonomy and access to healthcare, you are off to a strong start.

2. State the problem. Explain that the issue is not funding, but instead an inherently broken system with a decade-long waiting list. 

3. Propose a solution. Suggest that Ireland needs to follow international best practice, outlined by WPATH, and implement the informed consent model in primary care. Tell them this already works in countries like New Zealand.

4. Make the ask. Ask how they would feel if their healthcare was controlled by doctors who refuse to listen to them. Ask if they will commit to supporting a shift to timely, local gender-affirming care. Ask how they will ensure that trans people are part of designing, developing, and implementing a new system of care.

For further advice, check out this guide from Gender Rebels. These resources can help you ask the right questions, hold candidates accountable, and understand their platforms.

Weave bonds through everyday conversations

Advocacy isn’t just about politicians. You can also spread awareness within your community. Talk to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours about the state of trans healthcare in Ireland. Trans people are a small minority, so the more people that understand our struggles, the better our chances of being heard. 

Don't let people's opinions be formed solely around social media discourse or news reports — share your experience and turn it into a real story about people they know personally. These conversations help shift public understanding and build broad support for trans liberation.

Your voice matters and can change the way people around you think. If each of us speak up within our networks, we can shift narratives and opinions. Without our input, our collective movement will be stagnant. But through our advocacy, spurred by our resilience, we can create the world we dream of.

Create the communities we need to thrive

We all need support for ourselves to keep us afloat and build our resilience. It's important to have a support network in place and be part of a community. We should all aim to connect with others and be there for each other when times are tough. 

If you haven’t found your community yet, this is the perfect time to start. Community can look like:

• Peer support and social groups, listed on r/TransIreland, Outhouse, and Teach Solais

• Sports and gaming clubs, such as Out&About, Dublin Gaymers, Dublin Frontrunners, Wet and Wild Dublin, or Frontrunners Cork

• Arts and culture collectives, such as Small Trans Library, Choral Con Fusion Cork, OUT-Lit Cork, Wexford Pride Queer Chorus or Wexford Pride Art Club

• Grassroots advocacy organisations, such as Trans Healthcare Action, Trans & Intersex Pride Dublin, Gender Rebels Cork, or Transgress the NGS

• Or a space you create, if it doesn’t exist yet!

Every connection you make strengthens our collective resilience and creates safer, more vibrant spaces for everyone. Together, we'll keep on going and build a world where trans people can thrive. A world where resilience is no longer our only option.

Let’s use this moment—today, in the next 9 days, and every day after—to create that future.

In the words of Mary Anne Radmacher, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.'”