The knots get tighter and tighter.

Transgender Irish dancers can compete in categories that match their gender identity, An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG) has decided. Irish dancing’s governing body made the ruling following legal advice and weeks of debate.

Late last year a teenage transgender girl based in the US qualified to compete in this year’s upcoming world championship. The success of the dancer, who is understood to have previously competed in a male category, prompted some complaints from parents and discussion within the world of Irish dancing.

I don’t know enough about Irish dancing to know if being male makes much of a difference in competitions, but even aside from that…what is the point of adding a sprinkling of males to the female category? Unless they doing it to annoy, because they know it teases.

In a memo to members this week CLRG chairperson Sandra Connick said that over the last number of weeks “there has been considerable internal and external discussion concerning the eligibility of transgender dancers to enter competitions that align with their gender identity”.

That is, “there has been considerable internal and external discussion concerning the eligibility of transgender dancers to enter competitions that align with their gender identity instead of their physical sex.” If they had to spell it out every time maybe it wouldn’t fool so many people.

“CLRG’s policy has always permitted dancers to compete according to their gender identity in line with its child protection policy, which states that CLRG does not discriminate against any child for any reason,” Ms Connick said.

When was it decided that it’s “discrimination against” people to know what sex they are and tp act on the knowledge?