THE REFERENDUM HAS been tough on a lot of people’s mental health.
One aspect of the referendum that has been particularly distressing is the use of images of foetuses on posters, which has caused deep upset to many, and not just those who have had abortions.
Instagram user Terri_C_ posted the image which greeted her outside outside a maternity hospital.
First thing to greet me as I walk out of the maternity hospital front door after my second miscarriage in 6 months. Thanks for adding to the heartache @lovebothporoject. There is no love behind the placement of these posters.
PLEASE VOTE YES TO REPEAL
Even worse than these posters are the huge, gratuitously graphic 8 foot+ posters of foetuses by the Irish Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (ICBR) who display them outside maternity hospital.
On any public street, these posters would be a disgrace, but outside maternity hospitals – where people receive bad news every day – is undeniably cruel.
The Save the 8th campaign has asked the ICBR to stop, but they refused to.
As a response to the ICBR’s heartless posters, a group called Radical Queers Resist (RQR) took steps to protect the public from the images.
RQR arrived with white sheets, pride flags and rainbow flags to cover up these images.
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The ICBR were not best pleased and released a video called THE COVER UP.
The video is an attempt to say that the truth is being covered up, but hilariously all it does is show how deadly RQR are.
Have a watch below and try not to cry at the effort and time that RQR devoted to stop the ICBR from showing the graphic images outside areas where people may be feeling their most vulnerable.
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RQR took it all in their stride and thought the video was gas.
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At the beginning of the video, they use clips of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Senator Fintan Warfield (who has done trojan work for Repeal). The use of these two politicians, who are both gay, is probably no coincidence, and part of the ICBR’s strategy of smearing those who identify as LGBTQ.
Needless to say, this also backfired, with the Taoiseach and Senator Warfield coming across as compassionate and strong.
The Taoiseach condemned the images in the video, saying:
The really graphic and vile billboards and posters that we’ve seen pop up around the state. I think they should be removed. I know they’re upset to pregnant women and their partners and I hope that they will be counter productive and that people will revolt against them.
And what a revolution it was
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