Sir, – We are calling on all candidates and political parties contesting the general election to take a stand against sexism, racism and homophobia in politics.
There needs to be a culture of respect and inclusion in all political discourse, and zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination in our politics.
Comments that are anti-women, anti-migrant, anti-asylum seekers, anti-Traveller and Roma, anti-LGBTQ+ or anti-people of colour have no place in our society or in our politics.
Elections should be based on policies and solutions and people standing on their own track records.
Political parties need to hold their colleagues to account if they see hate speech being used against minority groups or candidates at election time. – Yours, etc,
ORLA O’CONNOR,
Director,
National Women’s
Council of Ireland;
SHANE O’CURRY,
Director,
Irish Network
Against Racism;
EDEL McGINLEY,
Director,
Migrant Rights
Centre Ireland;
BRIAN KILLORAN,
Chief Executive,
Immigrant Council
of Ireland;
ETHEL BUCKLEY,
Siptu Deputy General;
KEVIN CALLINAN,
Fórsa General Secretary;
JOHN DOUGLAS,
Mandate General Secretary;
SARAH BENSON,
Chief Executive,
Women’s Aid Ireland;
MONINNE GRIFFITH,
Director,
BeLonGTo;
GORDON GREHAN,
Transgender Equality
Network Ireland;
KATE MOYNIHAN,
Project Coordinator,
Linc;
PÁDRAIG RICE,
Coordinator,
The Gay Project;
LORNA FITZPATRICK,
President,
Union of Students
in Ireland;
IAN POWER,
Executive Director,
SpunOut.ie;
CIARA FANNING,
President,
Irish Second-Level
Students’ Union;
LIAM HERRICK,
Director,
Irish Council
for Civil Liberties;
SALOME MBUGUA,
AkiDwa;
NOELINE BLACKWELL,
Chief Executive,
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre;
CLÍONA SAIDLÉAR,
Executive Director,
Rape Crisis Network Ireland;
CIAIRÍN DE BUIS,
Chief Executive,
Women for Election;
MARIA JOYCE,
Coordinator,
National Traveller
Women’s Forum;
MIRIAM HOLT,
National Coordinator,
National Collective
of Community
Based Women’s Networks;
RACHEL DOYLE
and ANN IRWIN,
Joint National Coordinators,
Community Work Ireland,;
LOUISE LOVETT,
Chief Executive,
Longford
Women’s Link;
FIONA FINN,
Chief Executive,
Nasc,
The Migrant
and Refugee Rights
Centre, Cork;
MARTIN COLLINS,
Co-Director,
Pavee Point.