Laura Dowling

Yeah, I know.

And within that debate, you had a number of LGBTI individuals like myself and then people who are our loud allies, which we welcome.

And then you had a cohort of the extreme right who are like, that's not happening.

And religion needs to be respected and being gay is wrong.

So what we're doing is right.

And

You're sitting in a chamber in 2026 being like, are you out of your mind?

But that's where people are.

That's where a small cohort are at.

And they're being amplified to say and spew this nonsense.

And then what happens is they turn their camera on themselves and they say, Maria Walsh from Ireland believes this and that's wrong and you need to fight her.

So then certain individuals get targeted and it's wild.

Has that happened to you?

Oh yeah, I voted for something about a month ago in our gender equality committee around trans rights.

As a gay woman, when you think of the overall umbrella of LGBTI plus rights, our trans community are treated in...

unexplainable ways.

I often think of this and I try and explain it, particularly when people ask me about trans rights.

I'm like, can you imagine every morning getting up, going into the shower or looking in the mirror, brushing your teeth and you do not feel comfortable in your own body.

And as a woman who's carrying more weight than I probably want to, I can tell you for someone who struggled with emotional eating all her life, it is uncomfortable being in my body.

I couldn't imagine being in my body knowing