Roderic O’Gorman’s Department of Equality has refused to confirm whether refusing to use a person’s preferred pronouns could be an example of unlawful discrimination or harassment in a workplace setting.
After being asked by Gript whether such an act could be unlawful, the Department initially responded with a simple outline of the Equality Acts.
“The Equality Acts are the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 and the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018,” a Department spokesperson said.
“…The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hears discrimination complaints under the Equality Acts. The WRC deals with both employment and service/goods related claims. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission provides information to the public on their rights under equality law in Ireland.”
When asked again for a clear answer on whether or not this amounted to unlawful harassment or discrimination, the Department again refused to confirm, saying: “It is a matter for the Courts and Workplace Relations Commission to make judgements or decisions on the application of the law in individual circumstances.”
The development comes after Gript asked Minister Roderic O’Gorman the same question, which he refused to answer.
"That's not an answer to the question": Ben Scallan accuses Irish Equality Minister Roderic O'Gorman of "evasion" for refusing to say whether or not "misgendering" someone at work could constitute unlawful discrimination or harassment.#gript pic.twitter.com/MDONaRHfTs
— gript (@griptmedia) October 5, 2023
Last week Irish university lecturer Collette Colfer told her employer, South East Technical University, that she won’t be complying with its new gender identity policy, because the university claimed that refusal to use students’ or staff members’ preferred gender pronouns is an example of “unlawful discrimination or harassment.”