ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youth

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Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youth

 

In 2018 whilst discussing ‘Rainbow Colours At Ards Town Hall’ reference was made to a report on suicide prevention from the World Health Organisation, Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ Youthand the methods of measuring suicide attempts.  Reference was also made to the Rainbow Project report ‘Through Our Minds’ which indicated that 25.7% of those who responded, ‘had at least one attempt at suicide.’

But this is not the whole story, the following table gives a more concrete overview of the facts and figures:

General population (suicide attempt ever) LGBT population (suicide attempt ever) General population (suicide attempt past year) LGBT (suicide attempt past year)
Northern Ireland 4% 25.7% ? 6.17%
Great Britain 4.4% ? 0.5% 4.02%*
Ireland 7%** 21.4% 1.68%** 5.63%

 

*Excluding transgender people, recalculated on the basis of the two studies (2008; 2011) taken together
**Aged 17-25

 

LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report

LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report for 2020 published yesterday (May 10) highlighted how the LGBTQ+ community was affected by the COVID pandemic with a higher number than ever of younger people calling the LGBT Ireland helpline with a correlating uptake in online peer support groups….[FactcheckNI(https://factcheckni.org/articles/have-1-in-4-lgbt-persons-attempted-suicide/)]

So why am I raising this again?  We are all still living and working within the pandemic and its impact on all of the community within the United Kingdom.  However, the LGBT Ireland’s Annual Report covering the year 2020, has highlighted the LGBTQ+ community was affected by the COVID pandemic with a higher number that ever of young people calling the LGBT Helpline.

Pandemic Impact on our LGBTQ+ YouthBut in Northern Ireland, I would also suggest that the number of calls for support whether by phone, text or online will have gone up.  Our youth have also suffered from the impact of the pandemic, and so many reports, studies and articles over the period have indicated that for so many that had to return home from university halls, or from rented accommodation which they could no longer afford had the ‘return to the closet’ syndrome as they either were not out to their families, or their families preferred that they kept a low profile.

The cancelling of so many venues and the limitation of support groups has also brought further psychological pressure on our LGBTQ+ youth.

Indian Variant

Today we heard that we are moving forward towards new normality, however almost immediately we are being told about the ‘Indian’ variant and that if the numbers continue to increase from this it may lead to local or limited lockdowns. 

None of us knows the future, and indeed the one thing that is guaranteed apart from birth, death and taxes (which are bound to go up due to Brexit fallout and the pandemic costs) is that the pandemic is here forever, and that it is down to us all to be sensible and use the skills we have developed over the last 15+ months, but also that we need to think carefully on how we can support and care for our youth ( and indeed everyone).

 

Links:

International Men’s Day – 19th November 2016

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International Men's Day

Men and Boys

It is international men’s day on November 19th, and I know there are a number of you who say why! Well the statistics do speak for themselves, but I quote from The History Learning site

…’Boys are getting better in the education system as time goes on; yet they are progressing at a much slower rate than girls. Working Class boys do particularly bad in the education system and this is situation is becoming increasingly worse.  This could be because working class boys want to get out of school and dig into “Mans Work.” However, there has been a significant decline in manual labour jobs that require hardly any or no formal grades as machines have replaced the jobs normally associated with men. This has led to a worrying unemployment rate for the unskilled in developed nations.’…

International Men's Day

men and boys are getting lost

The BCMJ in 2011 said ‘Suicide in men has been described as a “silent epidemic”: epidemic because of its high incidence and substantial contribution to men’s mortality, and silent be­cause of a lack of public awareness, a paucity of explanatory research, and the reluctance of men to seek help for suicide-related concerns. A statistical overview demonstrates a shockingly high rate of death by suicide for men compared with women, and a need to focus attention on prevention, screening, treatment, and service delivery.

Stop Male Suicide

Objectives of International Men’s Day include a focus on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them.

The theme for 2016 is Stop Male Suicide. In every country bar China where it is approximately equal the suicide rate is worse for men than women and averaged out on a country by country basis the rate of suicide for men is up to three timesthat of women. In Russia it is 6 men for every 1 women. Men’s health is worse than women’s in every part of the world. Recent World Health Organization (WHO) data shows that, globally, male life expectancy at birth in 2015 was 69 years; for females, it was 74 years. Children suffer when they lose a father or a grandfather prematurely. So let’s work together to turn the tide of male ill-health & suicide.

The deplorable state of men’s health internationally is obviously a contributing factor to the epidemic of Male Suicide across the world. This year Glen Poole the IMD coordinator for the UK has written a book called “Stop Male Suicide.” His solution can be summed up in the words LEARN +LOVE+LISTEN. Let’s use that as the motto for this year’s International Mens Day and lets all help stop male suicide. If we each applied this saying every day the world would become a better place.

The November IMD is a significant date as it interfaces the popular ‘Movember‘ charity event and also with Universal Children’s Day on Nov 20 with which IMD forms a 48 hour celebration of men and children respectively, and of the special relationships they share.

imd-web-poster-wrestle-v2bThe ability to sacrifice your needs on behalf of others is fundamental to manhood, as is honour. Manhood rites of passage the world over recognise the importance of sacrifice in the development of Manhood.

Men make sacrifices everyday in their place of work, in their role as husbands and fathers, for their families, for their friends, for their communities and for their nation. International Men’s Day is an opportunity for people everywhere of goodwill to appreciate and celebrate the men in their lives and the contribution they make to society for the greater good of all.

Methods of commemorating International Men’s Day have included public seminars, conferences, festivals and fundraisers, classroom activities at schools, radio and television programs, Church observances, and peaceful displays and marches. The manner of observing this annual day is optional; any organizations are welcome to host their own events and any appropriate forums can be used.

IMD_2013

International Men’s Day is celebrated in over 60 countries of the world. Too many to list. Join us on November 19 in celebrating the contribution men and boys make to those around them, to their family and friends, their work place and the community, the nations and the world.

 

 

 

FOR DUBLIN’S LGBT HOMELESS, NOWHERE TO GO

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Dublin Inquirer  =  WILLY SIMON
 

Photo by Caroline Brady

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

Twelve year old Peruvian boy commits suicide due to homophobia

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Twelve year old Peruvian boy commits suicide due to homophobia


On 8 February, a 12 year old Peruvian boy from Iquitos committed suicide after an argument with his stepfather. The stepfather had shaved his hair shaved as punishment for being gay, so he would “learn to feel like a man.” The boy had also suffered strong harassment from his classmates at school. He hanged himself. He left a suicide note in which he expressed his hatred towards his mother’s partner.
The child was discovered by the mother when he was still alive. He was taken to hospital in Iquitos, but he died a few hours later. The news was broadcast on television which showed images of the child being moved to the hospital by his mother. The mother suffered an anxiety attack. Peruvian TV also showed the arrest of the stepfather.
Shangay.com notes gay this suicide is not an isolated case in Peru. In July 2013, a gay boy of 15 hanged himself after being insulted and assaulted by members of his family. In May 2013, a 20 year old also hanged himself after his father threw him out of the house when he learned he was gay. The most serious case happened last year when a gay 22 year old suffered serious burns after his father sprayed with gasoline and set fire to him.

Rest In Peace Ronin Shimizu

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Would everybody please remain in a moment of silence to remember of young Ronin Shimizu, 12 year old rower and cheerleader, bullied to suicide on Wednesday, December 3rd
 
On December 3rd, 2014 Ronin Shimizu committed suicide due to bullying at his school because he was the only male cheerleader with the Vista Junior Eagles Cheer Team.
District officials have confirmed that his parents had lodged numerous complaints about this bullying, but that they had been dealt with according to a spokesman.
 
Ronin cheerleadingJoy: Friends said that bullies called him 'gay' for cheerleading but that he loved being part of the teamShock: Some friends say they were stunned he was so unhappy because he always had a smile on his face
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2862375/Boy-12-kills-bullied-cheerleader.html#ixzz3Rza7lw4d
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Letters to My Brother

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Letters to My Brother

When 18-year-old Tyler Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in September 2010, he became an overnight symbol of the fight against cyber-bullying and homophobia. Here, his older brother reclaims his memory from the headlines and pays tribute to his abbreviated life.


Tyler (left) and James Clementi / Photo courtesy James Clementi
I ’m not sure when I first realized my younger brother was gay. I think I knew he was for as long as I knew I was. I had no idea how to bring it up; it was just something we left dangling in the air, unsaid. I was open about my sexuality with friends, but around my family there was this barrier that felt unbreakable. It slowly dawned on me that I wasn’t the only one, that I had a brother who was also gay — my baby brother, whom I had always felt protective and paternal toward. I knew I was in a position to be a confidant, a role model. But I wasn’t ready to do any of that. It would have made it much less lonely for me to grow up with an older brother who had gone through and understood everything I was dealing with — and I wanted to be that for Tyler. I didn’t start to come out to the people in my life until I was in my early twenties, so I always thought Tyler would follow the same timeline and we wouldn’t need to address the rainbow-colored elephant for a few more years. I was terrified to talk to him, accustomed to secrecy and scared I would make everything worse somehow.
The summer after Tyler graduated from high school we made plans to see Toy Story 3 together, and I looked up the schedule online. I walked into his room without knocking to ask what times would work for him, and there was that awkward moment where he realized that I was standing behind him. I realized my little brother was looking at gay porn. Caught off guard, I acted like I hadn’t seen it, and I think he was initially relieved. But from this moment, there was a growing anxiety, an urgent pull from inside myself that was compelling me to talk to him, and I knew it was time — probably way past time. I gave myself a day to stress out over the right words, the best place, the perfect time. And then I just did it.
SLIDESHOW: FAMILY SNAPSHOTS OF THE BROTHERS TOGETHER
It was the Fourth of July. We had spent the day at the movies, the diner, the fireworks. So many opportunities, and I kept chickening out. That night, I found him in the house listening to Katy Perry, and I saw that, if I couldn’t do this now, something was really wrong with me. I overthought it — because it ended up being this simple.
Me: “I’m gay.” Tyler: “Oh. Me too.”
 
It was great because we had always known, but now we could talk about it. I saw so much relief and genuine happiness in his face. It felt like the beginning. We talked for hours about sex, relationships, bars, fake IDs, homophobia, everything that had been off-limits before. I was really taken aback by how assured and poised he was, how much better he understood himself and his desires than I did at 18. It was startling, but it also fit with my sense of him as a young man, still figuring it out but grounded in his own worth and value.
Two months later, he left to start his first semester at Rutgers. I think he left excited to grow up, to live life. I was looking forward to the days ahead and the years of brotherhood still to come.
Pipsqueak,
You were one noisy kid. I remember walking inside and the most beautiful sounds of Tchaikovsky and Mozart would waft through every room. And I hated it.
Remember how I used to bang on your door and scream at you to stop being so loud? It was so unfair that I had to listen to your noise all the time — why couldn’t you just pick up a quieter hobby!? I would refuse to attend your recitals and concerts because I had to listen to you play all the damn time at home. Wow, do I regret that.
It is so quiet now. You were really talented; it was a gift. I’m not sure I ever told you that… maybe you didn’t care. It’s not like you needed my validation; I know nothing about classical music and you knew you were the shit when it came to that damn violin. I just feel really bad for not telling you how awesome you are, how much I respect your skills and dedication. I regret not listening to every note with open ears, not going to more concerts. Fuck you for making me feel bad; it’s not fair that you did that to me. But I would tell you now if I could, I really miss the noise!
Hey Ty,
So the other day I was at Barnes & Noble, trying to find a book to read since I have a lot of free time now that I can’t sleep, can’t hold a job, don’t want to be around friends or family, and pretty much need to escape my life. Anyway, I was browsing at the newsstand and I saw you. I always do. This time you were staring back at me from the cover of People. I keep thinking that I’ll look up and see you for real, the way you should be, but it’s always more reminders of the way you are. I’m sure the other customers found my anxiety attack entertaining. How am I supposed to respond to seeing you on People, though? It’s a lot to digest, you being a celebrity and all. I always knew you would make it big; I just thought you’d be around to enjoy it.
I wonder what you would think, seeing all the commotion you’ve caused. It is surreal and meaningless to see you as a mere story on The New York Times, a brief glimpse at a life with none of the detail. You were a typical college freshman, trying to adjust to a dorm room, make some friends, meet a cute guy, and enjoy your independence, and no one noticed. The headlines tell of how you were violated and ridiculed; your last moments are a cautionary tale, a scandal, something to sell and entertain.
You are on every talk show, newspaper, and blog, being held up as the issue du jour for the masses to “care about,” like they ever read you a story or wiped away your tears or spun you around in the air until you were dizzy. I wish it didn’t take you dying for your soul to know peace. I wish you could read the hundreds of letters we got, hear the thousands who rallied and marched for you, know the millions who followed your story on the 6 o’clock news. You were never alone; it just felt like it.
When you were here with me, you had no idea how important you were, and it took your death to make that point. Now you are gone. How will you know how much I love you, how much we all do? It’s not like you can read your big cover story. It’s not as though you can hear me crying.
 
SLIDESHOW: FAMILY SNAPSHOTS OF THE BROTHERS TOGETHER
Little Peanut,
I always thought that, between you and I, you were the stronger one. That’s why, as protective as I felt toward you, I never worried that much. I saw the best parts of myself in you. Of course, we looked like twins, albeit six years and a foot and a half apart. But — let’s face it — you were better. Where I dabbled (pretty pitifully) in painting, you devoted hours of every day to the violin since you were eight, then picked up the piano, and even taught yourself the freaking harmonica. Never one to be outdone, when I was biking a mile, you were unicycling two. Where I was shy, you were fearless. When I tiptoed out of the closet at 22, you were out and proud at 18.
I remember asking if you had a boyfriend, or if you wanted one, and you scoffed at me. “I just want to hook up.” That’s what you said — and that’s fine — but I think maybe you didn’t see how much more you deserved.
Sometimes I wonder who that guy was, the one in your dorm room. He doesn’t matter. You were so young, and there were going to be others. But in that moment, what did it mean for you? Were you bored, scared, over it, into it, what? Everyone knows their first, but who ever thinks of their last? I’m sure you didn’t even realize that it was the final time you’d be close to someone. He shouldn’t matter, but being the last gives him a strange importance. Did he make you happy?
You had a lot of growing up to do and a lot of baggage to work through before you could really feel comfortable with who you were. You’d roll your eyes at me and dismiss it with one of your “whatevers,” but it’s true. Libidos aside, when you told me you were only looking for hook-ups, I totally didn’t believe you. Sure, sex is amazing, but love is the best part. It was there within your grasp.
Dear Tyler,
I guess I never really told you how much I admire you, how much I wish I was more like you. We came from the same gene pool, the same family, the same town, the same schools, the same church, everything the same. But I always saw a confidence and strength in you that I didn’t
recognize in myself. Where did you get that? When I thought about where I was going to be in five or 10 years, I could never picture it — my mind would be blank. But when I imagined your future, I saw the world at your feet. You were supposed to show me up, do it better than I could. I wanted that for you. I saw amazing professional accomplishments for you, but also personal ones. I know now that you felt so alone, but Jesus Christ — you are so, so easy to love, with your kind eyes and gentle heart. I know so many people you had yet to meet that would one day love you almost as much as I do. Even after what you did, I cannot see you as a sad or depressed or lonely kid. To me, you will always be my sweet, tender little brother.
I’ve heard the story so many times: how you did it, the night you jumped. The first time, and every time I’ve been told about it, read it in a paper, heard it on TV, or dreamt about it at night, it still confuses me. I know you and I know that is not who you are. And that is never how I will think of you, alone and cold and at the end.
You are youth, potential just beginning to unfold. You are blood, my connection to the past, and my hope for the future. You are beauty, fleeting and marvelous. I know there was pain, and I’m sorry for that, but you were joy, too. Your voice, your smile, tiny hands clinging to mine. I will never let go.