An Irish American Catholic Transgender Person’s Reflections on St. Paddy Day

This day means more in America than it does to the Irish in Ireland. Historically, we used this day to rally our people to stand and fight against the oppression that we received at the hands of the Protestant “Native” Americans of English descent as our people had at the hands of the British in Ireland.

They saw us as worth less than dirt.

Old St. Patrick’s Church in lower Manhattan’s has ten-foot walls pock-marked by bullets shot by the riot of the Native Protestants who attacked it and the Catholics who hid there in 1836 and again in 1844.

So, let’s share some images of the Irish Americans from the 1800’s:

The Irish were seen as monkeys.

They were told they shouldn’t even apply for a job.

This repugnant image needs no explanation.

These are harsh images that displays the ignorance of society. Today they are reprehensible as they should be. They represent the bigotry that can be used to isolate and reject a member of society for being nothing than being themselves.