YSR

For years Ireland has liked to think that we practically wiped out homophobia, with it only continuing in small groups. However the events of this week show that in our blissful ignorance we have allowed homophobia to fester within Ireland. For years there has been a vocal minority in this country pushing a view that the LGBTQ+ community is this shadow movement to destroy Ireland. Originally it was religous speakers claiming that Christian values would be destroyed, and now its the Far Right pushing the idea that LGBTQ+ people are degenerates and both a political and moral enemy. The warnings were there for years, we were warned by the trans community that the hatred towards them would become homophobic in nature, yet the establishment refused to listen. The anti-racism movement said that the rise in racist rhetoric would spread to homophobia, yet the establishment refused to listen. The anti-fascist movement said the rise in fascism would bring with it more homophobic attacks and one again the establishment refused to listen.

This lack of action created the conditions for homophobia to become acceptable again. Far right media has pushed an agenda of LGBTQ+ “grooming” in our society and on children, these blatant lies are just a rehash of the pedophilia arguments that were seen decades ago. Groups like the LGB Alliance supported by JK Rowling and other prominent transphobic celebrities have pushed these lies about “grooming” and it has led to attacks in the UK by LGB Alliance members. The Irish Times also peddled these lies when they published multiple articles defending transgender conversion therapy and Trans-exclusionary feminism. The Far right news company Gript has famously pushed indisputablely transphobic and homophobic arguments in their articles. All of this has created a mentality of the LGBTQ+ community being out to get people and forcefully make children gay or transgender.

And this is not isolated to our media, elected representatives have been found pushing this nonsense. The most prolific of these representatives in the 26 counties has to be Senator Sharon Keogan who has pushed a disgustingly homophobic rhetoric in office. In September 2021 she claimed there was “an organised takeover at every level in our society”¹ by the LGBTQ+ community, in response to the Katherine Zappone Affair. The DUP in the 6 counties has famously always been openly homophobic and works at every chance to oppress the norths LGBTQ+ community. People like Keogan and her allies in The DUP, Gript, The Irish Times, Irish Freedom Party and National Party want people to view the LGBTQ+ community as an outside force trying to attack Ireland and her children. Instead of facing the reality that these are people simply trying to live their lives and advocating to be accepted in Ireland they would rather sow hatred and push people to carry out these horrific attacks.

And i am not going to pussyfoot around that last statement. These people, these homophobes have directly pushed this agenda and they are all in some way responsible for the disgusting acts we have seen in recent days and for the wider normalisation of homophobia in Ireland. The people of Ireland do not stand behind this and never will. Hate Crime bills and more Gardaí will not solve this problem, we must root out these homophobic parasites who have weaseled themselves into Irish politics and establisment media. Now more than ever Pride is needed in Ireland and i would urge anyone to attend their nearest vigil for the bloody murders in Sligo and show that Ireland and the Irish People will not stand for this homophobia in our modern society.

Belfast: Friday, 6pm, City Hall

Bray: Friday at 5pm, Bandstand.

Carlow: Fri, 6pm, Liberty Tree Fountain

Drogheda: Fri, 6pm, Tholsel

Dublin: Friday, 1pm at the Spire

Dublin: Friday, 6 pm at Dáil Éireann

Dundalk: Fri, 6pm, Town Square

Galway: Saturday, 7 pm in Eyre Square

Kilkenny: Fri, 6:30pm, Town Hall

Limerick: Monday, 6 pm in Arthur’s Quay Park

Loughrea: Fri, 5 pm, The Long Point

Sligo: Friday, 6 pm at Town Hall

Tralee: Monday at 7pm, the Square

Waterford: Friday, 10 am/6 pm in John Roberts Square

Wexford: Fri, 7pm, Wexford Quay

Ben