It’s cold out there. And right now 4,800 young lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans peopleare homeless or living in hostile environments. In most cases they have been driven outof their family homes because of parental rejection, abuse from within the family, and aggression or violence.
It’s unacceptable. There’s should be no room for hate.
At The Albert Kennedy Trust we offer support and accommodation to get young people back on their feet. But we need your support.
Your cash pledge to The Albert Kennedy Trust will make a difference to the lives of young, homeless LGBT people.
PLEASE visit http://www.akt.org.uk/2/spg357/albert… and give what you can to ensure no young person is cold and at risk of harm on the streets this Winter.
“We Know Who We Are” Vid Supports LGBTs in World’s Most Homophobic Countries
NOVEMBER 19 2015
The new track by Steven James and Quentin Sound raises money and awareness for those suffering from homophobia in Russia, Uganda and Jamaica.
In a powerful new music video, Steven James and Quentin Sound send a message of hope and support to LGBT people living in some of the most homophobic nations in the world: Jamaica, Russia and Uganda.
In Jamaica, sexual acts between men are punishable with up to ten years in prison, while Human Rights Watch documented 56 cases of anti-LGBT violence in 2013—only four led to arrests or prosecutions
Russia’s rampant homophobia has been well-documented. Though there are no laws criminalizing same-sex activity, a law passed in 2013 banning the spread of propaganda of “non-traditional” sexual relations among minors has led to an increase in homophobic violence.
Uganda’s so-called “Kill the Gays” bill drew interntaional ire, and though the country’s parliament didn’t succeed in passing the death penalty for homosexual acts between men, “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” carries a potential life sentence in prison.
Check out the video for “We Know Who We Are” below (which features some distrubing imagery of homophobic violence) and buy the single here on iTunes. 50 percent of proceeds from “We Know Who We Are” will be donated to LGBT youth organizations in Russia, Jamaica and Uganda—Children-404, JFLAG and Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), respectively.
https://youtu.be/9F5tJWBYVWg
‘Being Gay Isn’t As Sexy As ISIS’
Lucy Sherriff
Posted:
One Young Man’s Fight For Rights For Iraq’s Queer Community
“Being gay isn’t as sexy as ISIS. So no-one pays us any attention.”
These are the words of Amir Ashour, a 25-year-old Iraqi and the founder of the country’s only organisation for its queer community.
Amir left behind his home and family a year ago and is currently living in Sweden. There, he hopes to register and expand his charity IraQueer, as it is illegal to do so in Iraq.
He has received multiple threats from both officials and his friends because of who he is and the work he does.
“It’s incredibly difficult being away from my family – I’ve been missing birthdays, everything – and the more work I do for IraQueer, and the more people know about it, the harder it’s getting for me to be able to return to Iraq,” Amir says.
“It’s hard to be so far from home and everything I know, but it would’ve been harder to be home and be forced to be away from myself and what I believe in.”
Back in Iraq, Amir was attacked by his own friends, “both because of my work and who I am”.
He was ridiculed for his clothes, his voice, his size, “everything”.
“People would make everything relevant and try to connect it to my sexuality and of course use it as an insult. A lot of people stopped hanging out with me because they were afraid of the stigma that came with hanging out with me.”
Although he says he could ignore most of it because he had a good circle of friends, being gay affected his everyday life.
“It’s just not possible to even talk about the queer community inside Iraq,” Amir explains. And that was the reasoning behind launching IraQueer, which aims to provide support and information for the queer community in Iraq and Kurdistan.
“We’re sharing stories of people who lived their entire life in Iraq and are from Iraqi families. They went through the normal education system and work the normal kind of job, and they are no different from anyone else. The only difference is that their sexual orientation is different.
“So, we bring it closer to home. And we try to publish anything that is related to the queer community, even if it’s just a rumour, because sometimes rumours are the only thing that we have.”
One of the main threats to the queer community in Iraq, Amir explains, is the armed militias in Baghdad and other cities.
“The main one that has been practising all the killing campaigns in Iraq actually announced a partnership with our government a few months ago, under the name of ‘fighting ISIS’.
“The last campaign we documented was in January this year, while in July 2014, [the militia] killed 35 gay people and sex workers in one day. Not even one report was made about that.
“Not one single person has been imprisoned for killing a gay person.”
And, Amir adds, that’s just the numbers they’re aware of. “How many more people have just disappeared? Especially with what’s happening with ISIS and people being displaced.. We can’t keep track. And the government is making it impossible for civil society organisations to run safe houses. If an organisation wants to do that, then they are charged with running brothels and prostitution.”
“The Iraqi government was presenting so many perfect things about what it is doing, and how it is trying its best,” Amir says. “But this is such a cliché.
“So since then IraQueer has been highlighting all the violations they are doing.”
With the help of OutRightsAction International, IraQueer wrote “a lot” of recommendations for the Iraqi and international communities on how they can force the government to commit to basic human rights standards for LGBT+ people.
“Even if homosexuality is against religion and Islam is the main force of law in Iraq, killing is illegal. That is not something people can debate and argue.”
I ask whether the rest of the world underestimates the battles faced by the LGBT community in Iraq and Kurdistan.
“I love that you asked this question,” Amir enthuses. “It is the first time anyone has asked me this question.”
That’s when he points out “sexier things” are happening in Iraq.
“ISIS is sexier,” he states simply. “When it comes to Iraq, people think ISIS is the main problem. It’s the same with Syria, for example. People are not paying attention to what Assad is doing, they’re watching what ISIS is doing.
“Unfortunately we [the queer community] is not as sexy as ISIS, and until that is solved, we cannot compete with that attention.”
Amir cites human rights not being a political interest as the reason “almost no-one” is doing anything about what the queer community is facing.
“Even though it is a human rights violation.”
“Iraq has ratified so many of the international treaties that should make sure there are equal rights for people, regardless of their sexuality and gender identity. So why isn’t the international community holding Iraq accountable for these things?”
In August, Iraq criminalised homosexuality, a huge step back in IraQueer’s fight for LGBT+ rights.
“In its report to the UN, the Iraq government clearly said homosexuality is a sinful act according to Islam and it’s illegal. That it’s something that could disturb the public and create problems.”
And, according to Amir, Iraq is excusing its human rights violation by using the fact it is fighting terrorism and it is “normal” for a country in its situation to have such violations.
Whether or not there is room for homosexuality in Islam is still up for debate. But Amir says the question is not whether Islam should create room for the queer community, as they are simply “two different things”.
“I know a lot of people who are Muslims and queer at the same time.
“Islam does criminalise sexuality – that is clear. But Islam also promotes love and peace and no killing and all these human values, so why not go with these instead of violence?”
Iraq needs to be a secular state, he adds. “Because Islam was sent to people more than 1,500 years ago, and that alone just tells you that it is really outdated when it comes to laws.
“Maybe it had great laws back then and maybe people still want these values in their life, but religion should be a private practice that you choose to follow or not, instead of a law that everyone needs to follow.
“You are born with your sexuality but you are not born with your religious beliefs.”
Although he comes from a family with a “long religious history”, Amir converted “or whatever you want to call it” from Islam seven years ago.
“It’s not that I have anything against Muslims,” he explains. “It’s just that Islam doesn’t work for me.
“Not just because of my sexual preferences, but just the whole thing. I think I have values and principles that work as good as having a religion.
“I have a lot of people who are Muslims in my life, including my family, and I respect them. We both respect that we have different views.”
Unfortunately, not everyone shares Amir’s values of respect.
Working for IraQueer is dangerous job for Amir’s colleagues, all of whom have to work underground for fear of being exposed.
“A lot of our members don’t even know each other,” Amir explains. “The main reason we want to do that is because some of our members agreed to join but didn’t want to know anyone else and we decided we would work this way for a while until everyone is comfortable with being connected to each other.
“We didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on the others. Everyone connects with each other through me. I’m the only public face associated with the organisation.”
There are few – if any – resources for the queer community in Iraq and Kurdistan. And very little is published on the subject by the outside world.
“Even if journalists are sent to Iraq, they could actually put their lies in danger if they ask about these questions, especially if they don’t know who to ask.
“There were five to 10 pieces on the queer community in Iraq on the internet before we launched. Now, IraQueer has about 3,500 readers visiting the site every month. We have 4,000 followers on social media and our weekly posts on social media reach around 2,000 people. These numbers are of course small compared to other bigger outlets but compare that to almost non-existent.. it’s something that we are really trying to work on.”
Amir continues: “People are not only exposed to what’s happening but they’re also exposed to our side of the story. We are telling our own story.
“The most important thing that we’re doing is reaching out to the LGBT community. We have a section dedicated to the stories of the community.
“The stories of the people who are telling their own experiences proves that people are wrong. A lot of people say that we did not have homosexuality and that the US brought it with their invasion in 2003.”
Amir pauses, then adds: “Like they dropped a gay bomb or something.”
Despite the severity of the situation, we can’t help but share a giggle at the ridiculousness of the idea.
But it’s no laughing matter for those who lead a double life in order to preserve a single one.
“A lot of people are married and have a secret life on the side,” Amir explains. ” know no-one who is publicly gay in Iraq. It is definitely going to get you killed if you are public. Best case scenario is that you’re going to lose your job, education, whatever you have in your life – even if it is a volunteer project.
“It is impossible to live an openly gay life.”
Even though IraQueer’s staff work in secret, it is still a huge risk. “That’s why a lot of our meetings are very small, four or five people so that it’s not suspicious. And that’s why they don’t happen on a regular basis.”
Amir started working in human rights during his second year at Sulaymaniyah University, in Iraq, when he was 19. “In the beginning I was just volunteering for some local and international NGOs and working with kids and women.”
But, he says, he started his “real career” in human rights after graduation – around three years ago – when he landed work with two organisations based in New York.
“I was their representative in Iraq and my main focus was working with sex workers and women who were fleeing from crimes and facing violations.”
However, it wasn’t long before Amir realised he was not fulfilling his calling.
“When I was working with the charities, the project was really important but it was more an emergency response. That was not leading us to start a real change, it was more reacting to events. I had the idea of starting something like IraQueer in the last year of my work with the charities – but of course I had to move out of the country.
“I was already very public about my sexuality and activism – through talks and attending conferences – so I thought why not just take it to the next level?
“I wanted to start something where we don’t only help the LGBTQI+ community but actually turn them into active agents and making a change.”
Amir continues: “When people started realising what I was doing and who I am was not a phase, I started facing a lot of problems with the projects I was leading.
“Funders stopped funding, members stopped working and volunteering with us. It affects every single aspect of your life. People are forced to live double lives.”
But Amir says he never “came out” to his family and friends.
“I don’t believe in that term. Because I was never ‘inside’ anything.
“If people ask, it depends on how relevant it is that I answer. I never said that I wasn’t gay and now if some people are questioning my sexuality, I’ll make a ‘come out’ video that is one second long and it’ll just be ‘I’m gay’, and just be done with it. For me, it’s irrelevant, and no-one says ‘the first straight Prime Minister of this country’. No-one points out the sexuality of straight people.”
And, speaking of Prime Ministers, Amir is admirably positive about the future.
“If I ever go back I want to be able to run for the Prime Minister. I want that opportunity to be available. And, if it’s not available, then we will work until it is.”
First on Amir’s list, however, is stopping the killings.
“We need to make it impossible for people to be killed or attacked based on their sexual orientation. That’s our number one demand.
“But of course, like any other country in the world, we want to be an active agent in rebuilding Iraq. And Iraq is in desperate need of being rebuilt. It is facing problems on so many levels.
“The country needs all the capacities of the citizens that they have, regardless of who they sleep with. That is is irrelevant.
“We want equality in everything.”
Amir is an ambassador for One Young World, a global forum for young leaders aged 18-30 which gathers youths from every nation in the world to develop solutions to some of today’s – and tomorrow’s – most pressing issues.
Is religion ever going to give LGBT Students a break?
Editorial: I have reprinted this article from the Advocate as it shows why keeping schools separate from religion is a necessity, and why the government in Northern Ireland should take heed and remove the various religious inputs that they keep ensuring. I accept that religion and belief is a right for everyone that wishes to follow one, but not at the expense of other peoples (and in this case LGBT students) well being and safety!
There has been a spike in requests for waivers from compliance with federal nondiscrimination requirements.
BY TRUDY RING
DECEMBER 06 2015 8:00 AM EST
With the expansion of LGBT rights, there has been a spike in the number of religiously affiliated colleges and universities seeking exemptions from federal antidiscrimination laws.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 forbids sex discrimination at any educational institution that receives federal funding, which most do in some form, be it research grants or student financial aid. But it allows any school “controlled by a religious organization” to apply for a waiver from the nondiscrimination requirement if complying with Title IX “would not be consistent with the religious tenets of such organization.”
“These ‘right-to-discriminate’ waivers were relatively rare until the last year,” reports The Column, a Minnesota-based nonprofit LGBT news site, with “a handful” of schools seeking them to avoid putting women in leadership positions. But in 2014, the U.S. Department of Education held that Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination also banned discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming people, leading many more schools to apply for waivers. Also, the spread of marriage equality, now nationwide after June’s Supreme Court ruling, has conservative institutions worried they would be required to treat married same-sex couples the same as opposite-sex ones — in access to student housing, for instance.
In the past 18 months, the Department of Education has granted 27 colleges and universities waivers from Title IX compliance, The Column reports. The schools are located throughout the nation, but the majority are in the South and West. Their combined enrollment exceeds 80,000, and in 2014 they received nearly $130 million in federal research grants and student aid. As of August of this year, another nine such waivers were pending.
The schools that have been granted the exemptions include Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, Judson College in Alabama, East Texas Baptist University, Oklahoma Christian University, Spring Arbor University in Michigan, and Simpson University in California. Those with waivers pending include Biola University in California, Colorado Christian University, Ohio Christian University, and Multnomah University in Portland.
Some schools have sought the waivers so they could bar or expel transgender students, and some have targeted lesbian, gay, and bisexual students and staff as well, reports the site, which obtained the data through a Freedom of Information Act request. Many of them have used a sample policy by the Christian Legal Society.
“The trend of religiously affiliated, but publicly financed, colleges receiving exemptions from the U.S. Department of Education in order to discriminate against LGBTQ students and employees is disturbing,” attorney Paul Southwick, who has represented students in discrimination suits, told The Column. “While we are seeing increased protections for transgender, intersex, and LGB students through Title IX, we are also seeing the protections of Title IX gutted at the very institutions where students need those protections the most.”
This is recourse, however, Southwick said. He suggested that students or staff who have experienced discrimination file an internal appeal, with the help of a lawyer if possible. “Additionally, students should file a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights,” he said. “This is important and should always be done. Even if their college has a religious exemption from Title IX, the exemption may not apply or it may not stick after being challenged.
‘Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s Sex Deviates Program’ by Douglas M. Charles
‘Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s Sex Deviates Program’ by Douglas M. Charles
>I confess to a degree of skepticism when I began reading Douglas M. Charles’s new tome, Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s “Sex Deviates” Program. The activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and J. Edgar Hoover, its insufferable longtime director, would seem by this point to be well-worn scholarly territory. The field is both broad and deep. To name just a relevant few, FBI historian Athan Theoharis (a mentor to Charles) has written extensively about the FBI’s role in civil liberties abuses, Cold War-era red-baiting, and failed counterintelligence, and even addressed the longstanding rumors about Hoover’s own sexuality in J. Edgar Hoover, Sex, and Crime. Betty Medsger’s recent The Burglary detailed the rise and fall of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program that illegally surveilled and attacked a variety of civil rights, New Left, and countercultural groups. Meanwhile, Douglas Charles himself has surveyed the FBI’s role in “the rise of the domestic security state.” In his brief and brilliant exposé, The FBI’s Obscene File, he also described the bureau’s classification of alleged obscene materials, including how it used such classification to attempt to destroy the organized gay and lesbian movement. But as is often the case, a thorough scholarly explication of the role and importance of gays and lesbians to any particular historical moment has been the last to arrive. Fortunately, though, Hoover’s War on Gays is that necessary book. It takes its place beside such works as Kenneth O’Reilly’s Racial Matters, about the FBI’s attack on black civil rights organizations, in exhaustively detailing the effects of Hoover’s policies on specific social movements.
Charles dates Hoover and the FBI’s obsession with gays and lesbians to the 1930s, particularly the 1937 kidnapping and murder of a young boy named Charles Mattson. This particular case previewed features of decades of Hoover’s future actions: attacking marginalized groups for political gain and currying favor with the politically powerful. Despite there being no evidence that Mattson was sexually assaulted, the press reported that the FBI was seeking “sexual pervert[s]” in the case, and the public made mental associations between homosexuality and sexual degeneracy. Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt also made public statements regarding the case; this forced Hoover, a Republican appointee who was obsessed with maintaining his job and the FBI’s status, into prioritizing solving Mattson’s murder. Although the Mattson case was never solved, it was one prominent piece in a late 1930s sex crimes panic that played a role in Hoover’s beginning to collect information about gays as part of a larger drive against “sex offenders.” The FBI’s collecting of such information was intensive, building up to a formal Sex Deviates Program and File beginning in 1950. Although it was not confined to federal government employees, this program frequently used information gathered about such employees to have them fired. For Hoover, information collecting was in no way a passive activity; what he learned was used to destroy lives and to solidify his own power and influence.
And what of Hoover’s own sexuality? His relationship with right-hand man Clyde Tolson has certainly been cause for speculation, and that speculation was firmly in place during Hoover’s lifetime. But as Charles points out at the very beginning of Hoover’s War on Gays, comment on Hoover’s personal sexuality remains speculative. (Certainly anyone who believes the accounts of Hoover appearing in public in drag or at orgies — even without knowing the dubious sources of those claims–has very little understanding of the era in which Hoover lived or the social and political position he was attempting to maintain.) Still, Charles’s further assertion, that Hoover’s sexuality simply does not matter, may be surprising to many. He makes a compelling case, though: Hoover’s relentless assault on gays makes perfect sense even if he were straight. Gays and lesbians were an easy target in the culture wars, and rumors of the prominent’s homosexuality were politically advantageous to Hoover’s continued reign. While it may be psychologically satisfying to assume Hoover acted out of self-hatred, that prism is unnecessary; as Charles says, even if Hoover “was, as they say, straight as an arrow…[his] treatment and targeting of gays would still make sense to us given the era and the larger historical, political, social, and cultural forces at play.” For a thorough treatment of those forces, Hoover’s War on Gays will likely remain unsurpassed.
The creation of the Sex Deviates File in 1950 displays links to what historian David K. Johnson has dubbed “the Lavender Scare”–the long-term attack on federal employees that had its roots in the same era as McCarthyism. What Johnson showed and Charles more extensively documents here, though, is that the attack on gays in government predates the McCarthy era. The FBI had its hand in helping to oust Sumner Welles, FDR’s undersecretary of state, when Republicans receive evidence of Welles’ repeated drunken solicitations of African American train employees. This was just one of repeated FBI investigations into rumors surrounding the sexual lives of the prominent, among them Senator David I. Walsh, General Philip Faymonville, Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas, and Illinois governor and two-time Democratic presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson (whose index card from the Sex Deviates File is the only one to escape the file’s late 1970s destruction by the FBI). Some of these rumors were true, some not. What Charles makes clear is that Hoover ultimately did not care. These rumors’ truth or falsity was secondary to how useful they might be to Hoover in his relationships with the presidents and lawmakers whose favor he sought.
Of course, as time went on, there were increasing numbers of openly gay men and women for Hoover to harass and attack. The FBI’s investigations into, and surveillance and harassment of, among many others, Mattachine Society founder Harry Hay; Mattachine member and ONE, Inc. founder W. Dorr Legg; original Mattachine Society-DC leader Buell Dwight Huggins; the Daughters of Bilitis; Mattachine Society of Washington co-founder Jack Nichols (whose father, an FBI agent, was demoted and cut off all contact with his son after the FBI uncovered the connection), and, later, the Gay Liberation Front, show Hoover’s desire to crush subversion. That these men and women, who could easily have submitted to fear of the FBI’s power, continued to fight for social and legal changes forms an inspiring counter-narrative in what could have been (and sometimes is) a litany of sad tales. Although Hoover won many battles, the war continued well beyond his death in 1972, and the forces he supported are losing. And what of Hoover’s own sexuality? His relationship with right-hand man Clyde Tolson has certainly been cause for speculation, and that speculation was firmly in place during Hoover’s lifetime. But as Charles points out at the very beginning of Hoover’s War on Gays, comment on Hoover’s personal sexuality remains speculative. (Certainly anyone who believes the accounts of Hoover appearing in public in drag or at orgies — even without knowing the dubious sources of those claims–has very little understanding of the era in which Hoover lived or the social and political position he was attempting to maintain.) Still, Charles’s further assertion, that Hoover’s sexuality simply does not matter, may be surprising to many. He makes a compelling case, though: Hoover’s relentless assault on gays makes perfect sense even if he were straight. Gays and lesbians were an easy target in the culture wars, and rumors of the prominent’s homosexuality were politically advantageous to Hoover’s continued reign. While it may be psychologically satisfying to assume Hoover acted out of self-hatred, that prism is unnecessary; as Charles says, even if Hoover “was, as they say, straight as an arrow…[his] treatment and targeting of gays would still make sense to us given the era and the larger historical, political, social, and cultural forces at play.” For a thorough treatment of those forces, Hoover’s War on Gays will likely remain unsurpassed.
Hoover’s War on Gays: Exposing the FBI’s “Sex Deviates” Program
By Douglas M. Charles
University of Kansas Press
Hardcover, 9780700621194, 480 pp.
September 2015 – See more at: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews/11/27/hoovers-war-on-gays-exposing-the-fbis-sex-deviates-program-by-douglas-m-charles/?utm_source=Lambda+Literary+Review+December+4th%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Newsletters&utm_medium=email#sthash.7vtdjm6j.dpuf
By Douglas M. Charles
University of Kansas Press
Hardcover, 9780700621194, 480 pp.
September 2015 – See more at: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews/11/27/hoovers-war-on-gays-exposing-the-fbis-sex-deviates-program-by-douglas-m-charles/?utm_source=Lambda+Literary+Review+December+4th%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Newsletters&utm_medium=email#sthash.7vtdjm6j.dpuf
FOR DUBLIN’S LGBT HOMELESS, NOWHERE TO GO
Dublin Inquirer =
Photo by Caroline Brady
It can be rough at home if you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans kid. Sometimes leaving seems like the best option.
Unfortunately, many of the kids who strike out on their own under these circumstances end up on the streets.
In the US, studies indicate that about 40 percent of all young people accessing homeless services identify as LGBT. In the UK, a recent study found that a quarter of young homeless people are LGBT.
LGBT youth are probably overrepresented on Dublin’s streets too. But we don’t really know.
Back in 2013, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Geoffrey Shannon told the Oirechtas Joint Committee on Health and Children that LGBT people are highly represented among Ireland’s homeless and require “a targeted response”.
That prompted David Carroll, director of BeLonG To, a national organisation for LGBT young people, to demand that the government take LGBT youth homelessness seriously, research what was going on, and come up with a national response.
That was two years ago. There hasn’t been a study yet.
The Path to Homelessness
Homelessness is a bigger problem among the LBGT youth in Ireland than many people realise, says Gillian Brien, manager of BeLonG To’s youth services in Dublin.
In many cases, it’s down to a lack of acceptance of their sexual orientation or gender at home, says Brien.
Those who make their way to Ireland’s more cosmopolitan capital city in hopes of finding acceptance can struggle to keep a roof over their head once they arrive.
Two of the main factors pushing young LGBT people into homelessness are the same ones affecting so many other people in Dublin: rising rents and reduced social-welfare payments, says Brien.
Since January 2014, 18-to-24-year-old job seekers only receive €100 a week. If they don’t have families supporting them, that’s not going to go far in paying for food, rent and other expenses.
A Low Priority?
Once homeless, young LGBT people have few places to get help. Homeless services are overwhelmed, and ill-equipped to deal with their unique sets of mental-health problems.
“It’s best to accommodate people with similar issues in the same setting,” says Francis Doherty of Peter McVerry Trust. That’s because it’s easier to tailor services for them, to help them get back on their feet.
But as the numbers of people seeking access to emergency accommodation skyrockets, homeless service providers are struggling to do even the basics.
“The primary objective at the minute is just making sure that we have enough accommodation and homeless services for people that need it,” says Doherty. “We are not able to break it down into niches or specific areas as much as we’d like to, unfortunately.”
Based on her outreach work, Brien says it appears that the number of homeless LGBT youth is on the rise, and they need a safe place to go.
With no homeless service that specialises in the needs of young LGBT people, all they are left with is the city’s homeless hostels, which tend to cater to people struggling with addiction issues.
Says Brien: “They’d ask, ‘This young man, does he have a drug issue?’ And we’d say, ‘No he’s actually a straight-A student in school, it’s just because of his sexual orientation, he’s been asked to leave the family home.’”
Generally, she says, those who provide the emergency accommodation say it’s not safe to put these often young men in dorms with drug users. BeLonG To agrees.
The Couch Surfers
Where the government has failed, others have stepped in.
“What’s definitely happened over the last two years is LGBT young people have come together and provided a safety net for their peers,” says Brien.
When BeLonG To cannot find any suitable housing for homeless LGBT young people, their peers will ask friends in the community if anyone has a couch available for a needy young person. Someone always steps forward with a couch to crash on.
“I’ve never seen a population of young people come together and be so resilient and supportive of each other,” says Brien.
But the resilience of the LGBT community is a bit of a double-edged sword.
While their informal support for one another keeps young LGBT people off the street, it also keeps them off the Dublin Region Homeless Executive’s radar.
Brien and her BeLonG To colleagues think this informal support network allows the government to treat the issue with less urgency. Which is why they are still searching for money from the government to conduct research to put some numbers to the issue.
They believe that the government won’t act until there are numbers documenting the extent of the problem.
“If we had the money to hire a researcher, you would see the levels of homelessness among this community,” Brien says. “I think it’s only then would there be a reaction around providing a safe home for LGBT young people.”
The Solution
For Doherty, of the Peter McVerry Trust, solving this problem is about about pinpointing why people are becoming homeless in the first place.
In the bigger picture, he thinks raising the rent supplement is key. But he also suggests that if they get a better understanding of how LGBT homelessness comes about in the first place, they may be able to prevent it through better outreach to families.
For Brien, of BeLonG To, an emergency shelter that caters to the needs of LGBT youth is crucial. A safe space similar to the Albert Kennedy Trust in the UK, perhaps.
That organisation caters specifically to homeless LGBT 16-to-25-year-olds. It joined forces with housing advocacy groups in the UK to create the “Purple Door” housing project, offering safe houses for young LGBT people rejected by their families.
The project gives young people places to stay, counselling, and career advice to help them get set up and become independent.
Brien says she and her BeLonG To colleagues will continue to lobby the government for such a service.
“If you support these young people and just give them somewhere to live, they will finish their studies go get qualifications and get jobs,” she says.
Editorial:
If you are in Northern Ireland
You are not alone, if you want to talk to someone then you can contact:
-
Carafriend Telephone –
0808 8000 390 FREE – Free from landlines and most mobiles: 3, EE, O2, Virgin and Vodafone -
NIGRA – 07719576524 and we will ring you back to take the call charges
What would you do if your child was gay?
YouTube channel Culture Beats have been asking strangers around the world what they would do if their child was gay.
Most of the people asked said they would love their children regardless of their sexual orientation, and would try to understand.
A woman from Austria said: “You can’t do anything about it, because it’s not a decision he makes. He was born with this kind of orientation, so the only thing you can do is accept and support him.”
An Irish couple said: “I’d like to understand how he feels, it’s still your child. I would wish that he could find happiness whether he’s gay or straight. We’ve passed the gay law, gay people can marry now in our country. I’m very proud of that.”
Despite the majority showing acceptance, a few people had less positive views on the potential of a gay child.
A woman from the United Arab Emirates said: “I will kill him,” while a man off-screen said: “It’s against the natural law.”
When and where is being gay grounds for asylum?
The Economist explains – Nov 19th 2013,
GAYS and lesbians in many parts of the world are celebrating. Fifteen countries allow homosexual couples to tie the knot, and in Britain a same-sex marriages bill will become law next year. Fifteen states in America have said “I do” to gay marriage. But elsewhere the picture is less rosy. Homosexuality is a crime in more than 75 countries, which threaten sentences ranging from fines to the death penalty. Because of this and abuse by their fellow citizens, every year thousands of gays and lesbians apply for asylum in more tolerant countries, citing fear of persecution. When and where is being gay grounds for asylum?
Many anti-gay laws are a hangover of the British empire. In 1533 the English parliament passed “An Acte for the punysshement of the vice of Buggerie”, the punysshement in question being death. Whereas gay sex has been legal in France since the late 18th century, it was banned in England until 1967. This helps explain why so many former British colonies in Africa still have anti-gay laws, while so few of the old French colonies do. It’s not always the fault of the Victorians, however: in some other countries, notably Russia, things have taken a recent turn for the worse.
The rules on asylum vary considerably. Italy automatically gives refuge to those from a country with anti-gay laws, while Spain makes it a lot harder. Many applications have been denied by countries that argued that gays can go home and avoid abuse simply by concealing their sexuality. America, Britain and a few others have stopped making this argument, but some European countries have continued to use the “be more discreet” defence. No longer. Earlier this month the European Court of Justice ruled that gays count as a “social group”, meaning they are eligible for asylum if they can demonstrate persecution (defined as the enforcement of prison sentences—mere fines or sporadic application of the law may not count). The verdict followed a similar ruling last year that religious refugees could not be asked to hide their faith or abstain from worship to avoid abuse back home.
But how can asylum seekers prove they are gay? Many authorities rely on absurd stereotypes to reject asylum claims: in Britain, for instance, gay applicants have been quizzed on their taste in music, according to Livio Zilli of the International Commission of Jurists, a human-rights lobby. Some applicants have gone to extreme lengths to prove their sexuality, including filming themselves in the bedroom. Sorting real from fake claims presents countries with a problem. They must solve it swiftly: because of the court ruling, the number of applications may well increase.
Gordon Parks: Gay footballers – the last taboo or football’s greatest myth?
Gregg Carrol took charge of Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup against Brechin in 2011.
GAY footballers? Who’d want to tackle that taboo, eh?
I have never shared a dressing room with an openly homosexual team-mate but a conversation earlier this week with Gregg
Carrol was an eye opener.
Having kept his sexuality secret for decades as a player
and boss with a host of Highland League clubs, he has walked away from the game by quitting as manager of Huntly.
He’s the only gay man I know in football or, more accurately, the only one I’m aware of.
There’s a bit of history to this tale. Having first met Gregg a few years ago when he was boss of Buckie Thistle, he didn’t suffer fools gladly. His team had played Stenhousemuir in a Scottish Cup tie but an incident where one his players appeared to punch a team-mate created a talking point for the reporters.
Not knowing Gregg from Adam, I asked what action he would be taking and he stared me down and said: ‘I’ll be dealing with it but it’s got **** all to do with you.”
Gregg Carrol (middle) with former Buckie Thistle goalkeeper Kevin Small (left) and Andy Low (right).Beating a hasty retreat, it’s clear he wasn’t a man to mess with but it also highlighted a desire to protect his players.
Our paths crossed again shortly after during an assignment to cover Buckie once more. Again it was his popularity, passion for the game and honest approach which struck me.
This week we spoke about
“living a lie” over his sexuality and the decision to come out and confront the issues in his life.
He also told me about the
support he’s had from within the game. To a man, he’s had nothing but compassion and backing from the players, coaches and committee men he’s encountered over his football career.
Gregg’s comments were an endorsement of the way the game can work for good within its own highly complex approach to often unspoken social realities.
Times have changed and, hands up, the caveman in me has also been replaced by someone who believes sport must be more honest and open about such matters.
It’s a myth to suggest a footballer should fear a backlash by coming out in the modern game. The only intolerance I witnessed at Dundee United, Clyde or Dumbarton was over my finishing.
The stigma doesn’t exist. In fact, coming out the closet these days could open a treasure chest of riches for a footballer. Chat shows, magazine features and instant celebrity status as well as all of the endorsements which would come with being a poster boy for the gay community’s battle for equality.
The attitudes of the past, Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang culture, have softened. The macho man has
given way to more considerate and
cosmopolitan player.
In fact, for any middle
of the road footballers,
coming out the closet could be considered a decent career move.
That’s not to trivialise the
matter, it’s only to tell the truth.
There might have been a couple of guys I played with who were too scared to come out of the closet.
But you don’t have to look too far to see that attitudes towards gay athletes have been altered by
campaigns against homophobia in football in recent times.
Carrol won’t be alone in hiding his sexuality within football but the game is ready to shatter that taboo
New Proud To Play sports festival to be held in New Zealand this February
By Cyd Zeigler
on Dec 2, 2015
New Zealand organizers of the first-ever Proud To Play festival are excited to bring an LGBT sporting event to Aukland in 2016
first heard from Proud To Play organizer Craig Watson about a month ago. He was then, and remains, energetic and excited about his groundbreaking new LGBT sports event, set to hit Auckland this February. If you’re in the area, or have an interest in going, definitely think about participating. We have the feeling this is just the beginning.
Anyhow, here’s all the info from the Proud To Play organizers…
The very first Proud to Play sports festival will take place in Auckland, New Zealand, over 13-20 February 2016. This new event includes 15 sports and sits alongside Auckland’s Pride Festival.
The week-long event is aimed at the LGBTIF community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, takataapui, intersex, fa’afafine, and queer people), and their friends and whanau (family).
It is expected about 500 people from across the Asia-Pacific region will register and the organizers expect the Auckland community will be a great host.
“We’ve been working closely with local, regional, and international LGBTIF teams and sports organizations,” Craig Watson, Proud to Play director, said. “Their advice is that we should expect around 500 people participating, which is fantastic and we know the community will show those from out of town a great time here.”
The 15 sports offered are: badminton, bridge, dancesport, dragon boating, golf, lawn bowls, netball, an ocean swim, road running, roller derby, swimming, tenpin bowling, tennis, touch, and volleyball.
All levels of participation are offered, from social and entry-level grades to competitive, and you don’t need to be a member of a team right now to participate as the organizers will find you a team once you register.
The sports competitions will be hosted in quality venues across Auckland: the Trust Arena, the West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre, Pins Lincoln, and Te Pai Tennis Club. The ocean swim is part of the well-known Bean Rock Swim.
A philosophy of inclusivity, to break down barriers
The philosophy of the new Proud to Play tournament is based on the idea of playing sport in an inclusive environment – being proud to play, regardless of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Proud to Play has welcomed three well-known athletes as Ambassadors for the festival: Louisa Wall – now part of New Zealand’s government and the MP responsible for the legislation ensuring marriage equality – she represented the country in both netball and rugby; Robbie Mason, an Olympic rower for Team New Zealand; and Blake Skjellerup, a short track speed skater who represented New Zealand at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“It’s great to have an LGBTIF sporting event like Proud to Play in Auckland,” said Mason. “I hope everyone of all athletic abilities will sign up for at least one sport and take part”.
“Proud to Play is a community sporting event for everyone,” Skjellerup added. “Sexuality, ability, gender, everyone is invited to take part and that is what makes Proud to Play an extremely important and exciting event”
Registration is open now, and everyone is encouraged to BE PROUD TO PLAY.
You can register for the very first Proud to Play tournament here.
Keep up to date with all the Proud to Play news here on Facebook.
Aotearoa New Zealand a proudly diverse country
Aotearoa New Zealand is a country with a diverse and multi-cultural population. The Auckland region in particular is known to have a superdiverse population, with more than 25% of people living there having been born overseas.
New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote, and one of the first countries to legalise same-sex marriage. New Zealand’s rainbow community – lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, takataapui, intersex and fa’afafine people – is protected from legal, social and economic discrimination.
For such a small country, New Zealand has some world-renowned sporting successes. While the All Blacks are the current Rugby World Cup Champions, the Silver Ferns national netball team have held second place in the World Championships since 2007. Individual athletes of note include Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt Everest; Danyon Loader, Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer; Valerie Adams, world shotput record-holder; Lydia Ko, number one women’s amateur golfer; and surfer Ella Williams recently won bronze at the World Games in Nicaragua.
More from Outsports
- This gay pro surfer came out to his “mates” when a grocery clerk hit on him
- Gay pro hockey referee fits in simply by being himself
- LGBT college athlete roundup: Soccer star Klug caps his college career
- We get it, Aaron Rodgers: You’re not gay
- Aaron Rodgers’ ex-roommate trolls him on Twitter after Packers loss
- Is Tim Tebow gay?
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