Minister of State Mary Butler has had quite the year, professionally and, in particular, personally.
In opening up about her own transgender son, she has not only started a conversation around kitchen tables but undoubtedly made it easier for other families in similar situations.
Transgender rights and discrimination have been prominent issues in recent times and so it was equally heartening to hear Ms Butler speak of the “immense pride” she felt of her own mother’s reaction to her son’s transition.
“It was my proudest day in my life when I spoke to my own mother about my youngest who was going through a difficult phase and is doing very well at the moment, and I’ll always remember, and she turned around and said to me ‘I have 12 grandchildren and I’ll love all of them equally’.
“I have to say when a person of 84 or 85 [years] has that type of an outlook on life, on young people, we can all learn from it,” said Ms Butler, who would have previously been known for more traditional views, especially on the issue of abortion.
In revealing her family’s personal experience, the Fianna Fáil TD highlighted the “very poor” services for children who are transgender in this country.
She also revealed that her youngest son, Jay, who is now in fifth year in secondary school, experienced bullying during his transition but said now he is “absolutely fantastic”.
“There are so many Jays out there that need support and from my point of view, an awful lot of people won’t understand it, and I find sometimes the commentary on social media can be extremely hurtful and I put it down [to] that people don’t really understand it, I didn’t understand it
myself at the start,” she said.
Meanwhile a chance meeting with an Irish doctor while representing the Government in Brussels on St Patrick’s Day last year lead to a diagnosis of skin cancer. She underwent two surgeries in June and October to treat the basal cell carcinoma on her nose.
Ms Butler got the all clear late last year but used her experience to highlight the danger of sun exposure.
“The importance of a good sun care regime has never been so important now with skin cancer the most common cancer in Ireland,” she told the Irish Examiner.
As junior minister with special responsibility for mental health and older people, she is seen within the coalition as someone who is approachable and who gets work done.