The Hate Review

Key indicators in 2025: Contamination 2.33 / 4  ·  Impact 1.55 / 4

The Irish anti-gender landscape has undergone a significant structural transformation since the 2000s. The Catholic Church, once its dominant actor, has progressively lost institutional credibility and public standing, with its role increasingly supplanted by a dense ecosystem of secular organisations — the Pro Life Campaign, the Iona Institute, The Countess, and a wave of newly founded parent and so-called “gender critical” groups. These operate alongside dedicated media infrastructure in Gript Media and transnational networks including CitizenGO and ADF International. The movement’s most significant political vehicle is Aontú, founded in 2019 from the wreckage of an anti-abortion legislative defeat. Its strategy has shifted over the period from direct constitutional campaigning to regulatory pressure, free speech framing and institutional attrition. Despite repeated defeats in referendums on abortion and marriage, the movement achieved two significant victories in 2024.