Editorial: President Trump's clarity on gender poses a tricky question for some of Northern Ireland's politicians


Among a flurry of executive orders on his first day in the White House, President Trump brought much needed clarity on an issue that should be straightforward – but hasn’t been.
The new leader of the free world stated clearly and unequivocally what most of the world already understands – that there are two genders, male and female.
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Hide AdYet in recent years, we have been told by many trusted organisations – including the BBC – that there are anything up to 100. The role of queer ideology and trans activism within public bodies has allowed our culture to be shifted radically, almost to the point where anyone is whatever they say they are.
Those who have bravely and consistently stuck to biological reality – often at huge personal cost – were shunned. Some lost their jobs. Yet in Northern Ireland, the grip of these lobbies on public life continues.
It all appears to have left some of our politicians either a bit confused – or afraid of stating the glaringly obvious for fear of upsetting the LGBTQ+ lobby.
The First Minister reacted to the Trump decision saying she “would never agree” with his views on “our LGBTQ+ community”. What Michelle O’Neill is overlooking by adopting that position, is that the charge against gender ideology has often been led by lesbian, gay and bisexual people – for whom biological reality matters.
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Hide AdNeither Sinn Fein nor the Executive Office responded to News Letter questions asking if Trump is wrong, how many genders Ms O’Neill believes there are. Justice Minister Naomi Long sidestepped a similar question in the Assembly. It’s a tricky question for both ministers, because if there are more than two – what are these genders and how are they defined? Hopefully our political leaders can give some clarity soon, as the questions won’t go away.
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