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Colette Colfer vs. transgender people

Colette Colfer is an Irish religious scholar and anti-transgender activist. Colfer is affiliated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and considers gender identity a religion. Colfer has writter for The Critic and produced an anti-trans podcast.

Background

Colfer was born on January 24, 1971 and grew up in Hook Head in County Wexford. Colfer earned a bachelor’s degree from the Open University and a master’s degree from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) in 2008. In 2022 WIT was dissolved and was succeeded by the South East Technological University (SETU).

From 2003 to 2006, Colfer was a local radio journalist at WLR FM.  Colfer began teaching part-time at WIT (later SETU) in 2006.

Colfer is married to musician Terry Hackett.

Anti-transgender activism

Colfer’s 2022 poetry collection Biology Matters was praised by other anti-trans extremists, including Graham Linehan, Rachel Rooney, Colin Wright, Helen Joyce, and Stella O’Malley.

In October 2023, Colfer refused to follow SETU’s Gender Identity and Expression Policy. The policy was amended in 2024.

Colfer attacked trans people in a speech at a 2023 Genspect conference.

Spokes podcast

Colfer and Hackett produced a podcast titled Spokes from 2020 to 2021. Guests included many key anti-trans activists.

References

O’Brien, Carl (April 18, 2024). University changes gender identity policy that said refusal to use pronouns was ‘unlawful’. The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2024/04/18/university-changes-gender-identity-policy-that-said-refusal-to-use-pronouns-was-unlawful/

O’Brien, Carl (October 5, 2023) Lecturer objects to university’s gender identity policy which describes refusal to use pronouns as ‘unlawful.’ The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/10/05/lecturer-objects-to-universitys-gender-identity-policy-which-describes-refusal-to-use-pronouns-as-unlawful/

Holland, Jenny (December 2, 2022). The pushback against gender ideology in Ireland has begun. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2022/12/01/the-push-back-against-gender-ideology-in-ireland-has-begun/

Staff report (November 16, 2022). Fears that hate-speech law may target ‘gender-critical’ views. Law Society Gazette Ireland https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/2022/november/fears-that-hate-speech-law-may-target-gender-critical-views

Quann, Jack (October 9, 2023). ‘You’re policing language’ – University lecturer objects to gender identity policy. Newstalk https://www.newstalk.com/news/youre-policing-language-university-lecturer-objects-to-gender-identity-policy-1513133

Selected anti-trans writing by Colfer

Colfer, Colette (July 15, 2025). Ten Years On: Gender Identity, Irish Arts, and Speaking Up. Reflections on the anniversary of gender self‑declaration in Ireland. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/ten-years-on-gender-identity-irish

Colfer, Colette (April 27, 2025). Break the Silence: Irish Broadcasting Sector: Servants to Lobbyists, Not the People. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/break-the-silence

Colfer, Colette (April 23, 2025). The Gendrification of Ireland 2.0: A new National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy is about to be launched and LGBT Ireland has its hand at the helm. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/the-gendrification-of-ireland-20

Colfer, Colette (March 31, 2025). Academic Un‑Freedom in Ireland: ‘Collective understanding’ as collective silence. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/academic-un-freedom-in-ireland

Colfer, Colette (June 30, 2024). Sunday Ruffian: A dodgy article, a brilliant book, the EDI swamp, and an issue in Irish higher education. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/sunday-ruffian

Colfer, Colette (May 8, 2024). Bambie Thug and Religious Symbolism: Ireland’s 2024 Eurovision entry points to the ongoing rise of a new quasi‑religion. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/bambie-thug-and-religious-symbolism

Colfer, Colette (May 2, 2024). The soul of gender How trans ideology appeals to deep spiritual instincts. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/the-soul-of-gender/

Colfer, Colette (April 27, 2024). Gender Identity, Religion, and Biology as Blasphemy. Inspecting Gender https://genspect.substack.com/p/gender-identity-religion-and-biology

Colfer, Colette (April 20, 2024). There is a Time: ‘a time to keep silence, and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7). https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/there-is-a-time

Colfer, Colette (April 7, 2024). The Deliberative Wave Crashes: Following the recent referendum defeats in Ireland, it’s time for a re‑examination of Citizens’ Assemblies. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/the-deliberative-wave-crashes

Colfer, Colette (March 2, 2024). Irish Newspaper Newspeak: 1984 is now. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/irish-newspaper-newspeak

Colfer, Colette (February 21, 2024). Gendereferendum: On International Women’s Day 2024, Irish people will vote on two gender‑related referendums. This is the text of my speech from a referendum debate in SETU, Waterford on 21st February. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/gendereferendum

Colfer, Colette (December 11, 2023). The Gender Equality Trojan Horse: The quest for gender equality has transposed into an adoption of gender identity theories resulting in the destruction of women’s rights. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/the-gender-equality-trojan-horse

Colfer, Colette (November 23, 2023). ShoutOut for Athena SWAN: Gender identity, misinformation, indoctrination, and the Athena SWAN Ireland scheme. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/shoutout-for-athena-swan

Colfer, Colette (November 13, 2023). GENDEREVOLUTION: Ireland and religious change. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/genderevolution

Colfer, Colette (October 16, 2023). Is it unlawful to refuse to use? Preferred pronouns in higher education institutions in Ireland. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/is-it-unlawful-to-refuse-to-use

Colfer, Colette (October 1, 2023). Gender Ideology and Journalism: Hopes are fading that Ireland’s national public service broadcaster will cover the topic of gender ideology in Irish education. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/gender-ideology-and-journalism

Colfer, Colette (September 17, 2023). Let Women Speak: Dublin, Saturday 16th September, 2023. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/let-women-speak

Colfer, Colette (August 12, 2023). Colonisation of the Irish Curriculum Part III: Gender Identity Theory in the new Junior Cycle. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/colonisation-of-the-irish-curriculum-part-iii

Colfer, Colette (June 9, 2023). Gender ketman: Masking doubts to avoid dissent. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/gender-ketman/

Colfer, Colette (June 9, 2023). The gendrification of Ireland: How gender identity theory has become embedded in Irish society. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/the-gendrification-of-ireland/

Colfer, Colette (May 24, 2023). Colonisation of the Irish Curriculum PART II: Gender ideology in the Irish education system. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/colonisation-of-the-irish-curriculum-d2e

Colfer, Colette (May 2, 2023). Gender Ideology as a Religion: Ideology, religion, political religions, transhumanism. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/gender-ideology-as-a-religion

Colfer, Colette (April 4, 2023). Colonisation of the Irish Curriculum: How gender ideology became embedded in the Irish education system. PART I. https://colettecolfer.substack.com/p/colonisation-of-the-irish-curriculum

Colfer, Colette (February 24, 2023). Gender Chaos. Genspect https://genspect.org/gender-chaos/

Colfer, Colette (February 9, 2023). The prison of silence: How the Irish state advances the trans agenda. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/the-prison-of-silence/

Colfer, Colette (December 19, 2022). Ireland’s new boss, same as the old boss. The Glinner Update https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/irelands-new-boss-same-as-the-old

Colfer, Colette (November 24, 2022). Gender Identity, Religion, and Biology as Blasphemy. Genspect https://genspect.org/gender-identity-religion-and-biology-as-blasphemy/

Colfer, Colette (November 22, 2022). Coming soon: This is Colette Colfer, a newsletter about Writer, lecturer in world religions, wannabe‑poet. https://substack.com/@colettecolfer/p-86236687

Colfer, Colette (July 14, 2022). Biology Matters. Spokes Poetry, ISBN 978-1399929868

Colfer, Colette (April 26, 2022). Colette Colfer: A New Religion. Broadsheet https://www.broadsheet.ie/2022/04/26/colette-colfer-a-new-religion/

Media

The Signal with Travis Brown (February 22, 2025). Assigned at birth? – Episode 1 ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ of Uncomfortable Truths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDKzGiLiRT8

Sex Reality Bites with Colette Colfer and Helen Joyce (May 25, 2025). Belief Without Question: The Religious Nature of Trans Activism with Colette Colfer and Helen Joyce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_yQEtDs4JA

Sex Reality Bites (Aug 24, 2024). The Rise of Transgenderism as a New Religion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGBvcJTlF9o

Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry (July 22, 2024). The Tenets of Trans Ideology – Colette Colfer | Maiden Mother Matriarch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziFp6cFDZPI

Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry (June 26, 2024). The Church of Transgenderism – Colette Colfer | Maiden Mother Matriarch 90. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQcz5kfe1os

iCatholic with Wendy Grace (April 24, 2024). “People are desperate for open conversation on this” – Colette Colfer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h6vPuTAe7w

Roisin Ni Chleirigh Confident Women Ireland Global (February 28, 2024). Colette Colfer Catherine Monaghan:The Athena Swan Charter #Referendum## 24 Wicklow Women4Women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92MosJEV2_I

Genspect (June 22, 2023). The Bigger Picture Conference: Gender Ideology as a Religion with Colette Colfer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHN4_1G0BE4

Critical Therapy Antidote (July 23, 2023). On the religious character of Gender Ideology | with Colette Colfer – S2E2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCRDeT-XXVI

The Scholar Gypsies with Gerry O’Neill and Colette Colfer (March 11, 2023). Irish Academic on World Religions Colette Colfer ” Personally, I don’t have a gender identity “. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEMGcMV7bQM

Virgin Media News with Claire Brock, Colette Colfer, Richard Hogan, and Rebecca Tallon de Havilland (September 23, 2022). How does the role of social media play into Transgender life in Ireland? | The Tonight Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoU-phK2TIw

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

  • Colette Colfer [deleted – archive]
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colette_Colfer

South East Technological University (wit.ie)

  • Colette Colfer
  • wit.ie/about_wit/contact_us/staff_directory/colette_colfer [archive]

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Substack (substack.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Substack (substack.com)

The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)