Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) has finalised its LGBT sub-committee, which will assist the union’s LGBT Rights Officer in representing students, after criticism over the delay in its creation.
The establishment of this committee, which was passed in a motion at the first council of the year in October, was delayed due to a number of factors. In an email statement to The University Times, LGBT Rights Officer Noah O’Brien said that there were difficulties with organising meetings with TCDSU sabbatical officers to process applications. O’Brien also cited the large volume of events that occurred following the call for applications, as well as O’Brien’s workload from various other commitments.
The chosen members of the committee are Cúnla Morris, Jack Cullen, Ciara Barry, and Liisbet Tammepuu.
The committee will be chaired by O’Brien, with applications for the sub-committee assessed jointly by O’Brien and Welfare Officer Damien McClean.
O’Brien is confident that the sub-committee is an important step in providing a voice for LGBT students all over campus and allowing them to voice their issues, queries and concerns. In an email statement to The University Times, O’Brien explained that the four people were chosen “to aid me as LGBTRO to best represent the diversity of the LGBT community on campus”.
“At the end of the day my role as LGBTRO is to serve the LGBT students on campus as best I can”, O’Brien said. The committee will allow the “more marginalised voices in our community to be heard”, O’Brien added.
The motion was initially proposed by Sean O’Carroll, who held the LGBTR Officer position last year, and O’Brien spoke in favour of it at council in October. O’Carroll is also looking forward to the increased representation that this sub-committee will provide to students across Trinity. “I found difficulty representing the diversity of voices & experiences in the college queer community. I am delighted to see this committee come to fruition under Noah’s leadership and I look forward to watching it mature and develop in coming years”, he said in a statement.
O’Brien explained that celebrating diversity in the LGBT community has always been a key aim. “As part-time officer my time is limited but my passion for LGBT activism is not and this sub-committee will aid me in doing more than I would have been capable of on my own”, explained O’Brien.
The new members of the committee expressed their excitement about their involvement in the committee. In an email statement to The University Times Barry said: “ I’m excited to amplify the voices of LGBT Trinity students, with championing intersex rights being a particular goal for me.”
Morris also said that the committee will work hard to make Trinity “a better, happier, and more tolerant place”.
