An Open Letter to David Cullinane

Subject: Open Letter to Teachta Dála David Cullinane and the Sinn Féin Árd‑Chomhairle

A chairde,

We, Pride of the Déise, a volunteer‑led LGBTQIA+ community organisation serving Waterford, write to express our grave concern at the public comments issued by TD David Cullinane on 16 April 2025 in which he characterised the UK Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Equality Act 2010 definition of “woman” as a “common‑sense judgement”. The ruling confines the term “woman” to persons “born biologically female”, thereby excluding transgender women, and men, and erasing the existence of intersex people. Such language legitimises discrimination and stands at odds with human rights, contemporary science and Sinn Féin’s own stated policy.

TD Cullinane’s post accrued over 180,000 views and was reposted more than 185 times, markedly amplifying a trans‑exclusionary narrative by leveraging the platform of an elected representative.

First and foremost, we ground this letter in a value the vast majority of people in Ireland share: that - regardless of who we are, where we come from, or what our gender is - every one of us deserves the freedom to live openly and authentically, with dignity and without fear. Sinn Féin affirms that equality and human rights are core party values; we therefore expect you to honour those principles in practice by standing unequivocally with transgender, intersex and non‑binary people.

TD Cullinane’s comments are anti-science.

• Biological sex is a complex set of chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical characteristics; it is not binary but actually exists along a spectrum that includes intersex variations.
• Gender is a social and legal construct that describes one’s lived identity; it is distinct from biological attributes.

We would suggest that TD Cullinane and Sinn Féin as a party engage in training and education in this regard to mitigate further perpetuating and circulation of harmful talking points and blatant misinformation/disinformation regarding the LGBTQIA+ community, especially our Transgender and Intersex community members.

Recognising this distinction is critical to ensuring the dignity and safety of all members of society. As Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Health, Deputy Cullinane carries a heightened obligation to ground his public statements in robust evidence and to safeguard the wellbeing of all constituents, including transgender, intersex and non‑binary people who already face significant barriers to healthcare. When the party’s lead voice on health policy amplifies a definition that erases these groups, the harm is multiplied: it risks legitimising exclusionary practices within clinical settings and undermines Sinn Féin’s own commitments to evidence‑based, patient‑centred care.

Conflict with Sinn Féin policy

At the 2024 Ard Fheis the party unanimously adopted the following motion:

“83. This Ard Fheis: Re‑affirms that: · equality and human rights are core values of Sinn Féin; · everyone has a right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination and stigma, including LGBTQIA+ people; · healthcare is a fundamental human right, and should be accessible to everyone regardless of their gender identity. · transgender people have a right to gender recognition and have their gender legally recognised at the age of 16 and older Believes that: · the best support and care should be made available to transgender people, based on medical and scientific evidence, including access to gender affirming treatment for adults and appropriate care for children that is safe and clinically, medically and evidence based · healthcare should be driven by appropriately qualified and regulated clinical professionals, not politicians and criminal law; · the wider legal and policy framework must provide for the delivery of human rights, including gender recognition for transgender people. Recognises that: · public discourse and understanding of this area is evolving and that government policy must be compassionate, inclusive and human rights compliant.”

TD Cullinane’s endorsement of the UK judgement is irreconcilable with these commitments and lends credibility to trans‑exclusionary and far‑right, fascist narratives that are gathering strength globally.

On the subsequent apology

Following public criticism, TD Cullinane deleted the original post and issued the following statement at 12:53 pm on 17 April 2025 via two tweets:

“I want to apologise for the hurt and offence that I have caused to the Trans community following a tweet I sent last night. That was never my intention. This is a complex issue for many but we need to approach it with compassion, understanding and dignity for all. I’m sure those in the Trans community will feel vulnerable and isolated today in the aftermath of yesterday’s judgement, and I apologise that my words added to that.”

While the recognition of harm is welcome, this ‘apology’ neither acknowledges the factual inaccuracy of the original post nor takes responsibility for amplifying a narrative that delegitimises transgender and intersex identities, putting them in more danger and promoting their marginalisation.

An apology that centres ‘hurt feelings’ without explicitly withdrawing the previous claim and correcting the misinformation therein does not constitute accountability. We must demand more from our elected representatives in this regard. 

We demand:

1. Full Retraction and Corrective Statement
   That TD Cullinane publicly withdraw the original characterisation of the judgement and issue a statement affirming that gender and biological sex are distinct and that biological sex is not binary, in line with up-to-date scientific understanding of sex and gender. 
2. Restated Party Position
   That Sinn Féin’s Ard‑Chomhairle and Parliamentary Party publicly reaffirm motion 83 in unambiguous terms and outline concrete steps to advance transgender healthcare and legal recognition across the island.
3. Safe‑Space Assurance in Anti-Fascist Engagement
   Sinn Féin must engage with the people organising a demonstration against hate in Waterford this Saturday, the 19th April, which Sinn Fein have indicated they wanted to support to publicly reaffirm its opposition to fascism and the anti‑trans, anti‑science rhetoric that fuels it, and to commit to safety protocols that keep the event firmly led by and inclusive of those most targeted by fascist propaganda. 
4. Internal Education and Accountability
   That Sinn Féin commit to compulsory training for elected representatives and staff on trans‑inclusive policy and science, and publish disciplinary procedures for breaches.

From our inception, Pride of the Déise has marched - never paraded - because Pride is, at its core, an act of protest. As an organisation whose mission centres safety and inclusivity, we have, to date, welcomed Sinn Féin to our marches. If Sinn Féin and Deputy Cullinane refuse or fail to implement the actions demanded above, the party will be barred from our 2025 Pride March and from every future celebration or community event we host. We will not grant a platform to any organisation whose local representative spreads anti‑trans propaganda that endangers our community and tacitly fuels violence against us.

Pride of the Déise, as a community organisation, recognises - and takes with utmost seriousness - our responsibility to safeguard the dignity, safety and rights of every LGBTQIA+ person, and we will act decisively when safety to our community is threatened.

Our community looks to Sinn Féin for principled leadership against the rise of the far‑right propaganda, as one of the largest political parties on the Island of Ireland. We urge you to demonstrate, through deeds as well as words, your commitment to a pluralistic, rights‑based republic.

Le meas,

Pride of the Déise 2025 Organising Committee