THE VAST majority of gay and lesbians surveyed in new research say they have been verbally abused or suffered harassment because of their sexual identity.
But the report also shows many are resilient, drawing support from family or friends, and have gone on to lead happy and satisfying lives.
The report is based on findings from 1,110 completed online surveys and from 40 in-depth face-to-face interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of all ages.
The research was conducted by the Children’s Research Centre in TCD and the School of Education at UCD and was commissioned by the BeLonG To Youth Service and the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen).
It shows that 80 per cent of respondents say they have been verbally abused, while 40 per cent say they have been punched, kicked or beaten.
Among the most vulnerable, research shows almost 20 per cent have considered suicide due to psychological distress arising from harassment or discrimination.
Most bullying or verbal abuse was experienced in the education system, with almost 60 per cent reporting homophobic bullying in their schools.
At school, 40 per cent said they had been threatened by fellow students, while 20 per cent skipped school because they felt threatened, or were afraid of getting hurt.
As one respondent, a 26-year-old gay man said: “I left school because of the hurt and suffering I got in school, and the teachers didn’t care, as I think it was a case of ‘well they call him gay and he probably is gay, so why should we step in, cos they aren’t saying anything wrong’ attitude towards gay people . . . even though I wasn’t out at school. I was forced to leave at my Junior Cert, due to the abuse I got.”
Many people said they turned to friends and family for support and helped develop resilience through positive experiences in communities, schools or at workplaces.
The study also found the majority (81 per cent) of the gay community are now comfortable with their identity, with over two-thirds of respondents coming out to all their immediate families.
One respondent, a 21-year-old gay man, said: “So I told both my parents that I was gay and my father straight away stood up and went over to me, pulled me off my seat, gave me a hug and said, ‘Do you know what, that doesn’t matter a bit’. He was great and my mother was like, em, they still love me, d’you know, it doesn’t matter. But they were both brilliant and they continue to be very supportive.”
Michael Barron, director of BeLonG To Youth Service, said the study showed many LGBT people still face considerable discrimination and harassment in their day-to-day lives.
“The majority of LGBT people show considerable courage and learn to cope with the stress this causes. Critically important to coping is the support of families and friends, and the help found by engaging with LGBT organisations,” he said.
Launching the report yesterday, Minister for Health Mary Harney said she hoped the findings would help provide an evidence-base for the kind of services needed to help people in distress over issues such as sexual identity.
But she also emphasised that the wider society has a crucial role to play in tackling discrimination against members of the LGBT community. The support and understanding of family members was also very important, she said.