Tag Archives: LGBTI+

THE murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee in Sligo horrified the country last week and the tragedies were marked by a vigil at the Town Park on Monday night. Councillor Donna McGettigan was one of those in attendance and she said her son Jamie, who is transgender, had been involved in organising it. “There wasn’t a huge turnout, but there was a nice, small crowd there on a Bank Holiday Easter Monday, it needed to be marked.” She said that it was very important that people show their revulsion at the killings. “Of course it was important to mark it. We had been out for Ashling Murphy as well and it’s important to show that we stand with the LGBTI+ community against homophobia and transphobia, to show that this kind of behaviour can’t go on. “On the night I said that children aren’t born to hate, they’re taught how to hate. As a community, as parents, as schools, we …

CLARE Youth Service recently hosted its first online information session for parents/guardians on the topic of LGBTI+ awareness. The event was run in conjunction with GOSHH (Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV) and, in response to demand, there will be an additional session on November 3. Brian McManus of CYS said the level of enquiries and social media sharing about the first session led to the organisation of an additional event. “Feedback from participants indicated that the information and format along with the friendly and non-judgemental style of facilitation had been much appreciated by participants,” said Brian. “One parent indicated that they felt relieved after attending the session, realising that other parents had experienced similar feelings and reactions. Another felt it clarified terms that they had heard used by their teenager and their friends.” The presentation included topics such as terminology associated with the LGBTI+ community, background information on issues and challenges for young LGBTI+ people, how to support a young …

Owen Ryan reports on an initiative at Saint Caimin’s to bring about a culture of acceptance regardless of sexuality HOMOPHOBIC bullying has cast a dark shadow over Irish secondary schools for many years and blighted thousands of young lives. Name calling, intimidation and sometimes violence against young people who identify as LGBTI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Intersex) or even suspected of being so, has been widespread in many schools. While the country enthusiastically passed the same sex marriage referendum, has had a gay taoiseach and gay sports stars, discrimination based on sexuality is still a concerning and prevalent issue among Irish teenagers. Given that virtually every year group in every secondary school must have LGBTI+ members, the impact of homophobia on young people can only be seen as hugely damaging. However there are some efforts to fight back against it, and in St Caimin’s in Shannon teachers Cora Guinnane and Chloe Morey are helping to run a group for …

TO MARK International Women’s Day on March 8, Clare Haven Services has launched a confidential helpline for LGBTI+ women. “Although our 24-hour helpline is there for all women whatever their sexuality or family status, we are aware that for some people, services such as ours may conjure up only some of the many different ways in which Domestics Abuse can be experienced,” a spokesperson said. “In order to address that assumption and also recognise  that LGBTI+ women might be cautious about using a mainstream number for that initial, tentative reaching out, we now have available a dedicated number for those women, should they choose to use it.” The Istanbul Convention which is ratified and in force in Ireland prohibits discrimination on many grounds, including gender identity and sexual orientation. Research in other jurisdictions show that  LGBTI+ women are subjected to domestic abuse and may be revictimised if they attempt to report it or seek support. “By making this dedicated number available, our …

CLARE has been selected as one of eight counties in the country to receive funding for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) services under the Dormant Accounts Fund. In November 2019, Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development, published the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 providing funding to address disadvantage across the country. This includes the provision of €200k to support LGBTI+ community organisations. County Clare was selected as one of eight organisations nationwide and has been awarded €35,000 from the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding is based on proposals received from organisations around the county who are seeking to complete projects which ensure that existing community infrastructure is inclusive and welcoming to LGBTI+ people. Following a countywide call for expressions of interest, 10 organisations across the county will benefit from the funding, including: Clare Women’s Network, Clare Haven, Clare Youth Service, North West Clare Family Resource Centre, Ennis Musical Society, Fishbowl Youth, Burren Art Gallery, …