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THE NUMBER OF people calling the national LGBT Helpline has grown so high that a call for new volunteers has been put out.
The national helpline is to launch a volunteer recruitment drive for its services today, and has outlined how mental health concerns are the number one reason why people contact its service.
Paula Fagan, Coordinator of the LGBT Helpline, told TheJournal.ie that in the past year they have noticed increasing numbers of people contacting them in relation to mental health issues.
There is huge demand for our service but, unfortunately, at present we do not have enough volunteers to meet that demand.
The LGBT Helpline provides support and information to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to those who may be questioning if they are LGBT.
Support
Since being launched two years ago, the helpline has supported thousands of people. Fagan said that the helpline was set up after separate helplines from around the country joined forces to link their services to one national number.
It is open seven days a week from 6 – 9pm Monday – Wednesday; 4 – 9pm Thursday to Friday; and 4 – 6pm Saturday and Sunday.
There are about 100 volunteers working with the helpline now, but the plan is to double this. There are six different centres where the helpline is based, two in Cork, two in Dublin, one in Dundalk and one in Mayo.
“We keep stats on when phonecalls come into us, so we can see we are getting a lot of calls otuside our current opening ours, in the early afternoon,” said Fagan.
We are getting calls we are not open to taking. We want to boost our volunteer numbers and open in afternoons, and maybe eventually be open 12 or 24 hours.
Regarding not being able to answer all the calls, Fagan said: “It’s difficult obviously; we want to be able to respond to people when they ring us.” The phone message informs people of the opening hours, but also gives them the Samaritans number in case they need further help.
People contact the helpline to talk about issues including coming out to family or friends; the impact of homophobia and transphobia; negative attention; social stigma; harassment and more.
“A lot of people who would have suffered from anxiety, depression or isolation before they come to us,” said Fagan.
We also get calls from family members and friends of people who are LGBT about how they can support the person, and to talk about their own concerns around it. They might be afraid a child might be bullied for example.
Those who apply to become volunteers are sent out an application form, and the process includes an interview, six weeks of training for successful applicants, and mentoring. The whole process takes around three months before volunteers deal with calls on their own.
The LGBT helpline number is 1890 929 539. People interested in volunteering can contact info@lgbt.ie.
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It’s not a mass shooting, it’s a right wing terrorist attack.
@The Guru: How do you know?
@The Guru: it is both. Don’t be a knob.
@The Guru: how do you know?
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: How do you know its NOT?
Right wing Christian Extremists. Fundamentalists. Terrorists.
Theres 40 dead already ….
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: It’s clear from the various reports coming in now that these were anti-muslim, anti-immigrant terrorists.
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: I live here and that’s exactly what it is
@The Guru: the Australian PM has said it was right wing terrorists. I don’t see what you are complaining about?
@The Guru: it’s not a mass shooting?? one person shot so?? knob
@Aoife Duignan: I would take a guess; and say: They might be ‘Fanatical ‘ ‘Fundamentalists ‘ Christians ( Masquerading as Christians). Similar to ‘ Fanatical ‘ ‘Fundamentalist ‘ Muslims ( Masquerading as Muslims).
@The Guru: The Prime Minister says it’s a terrorist attack.
@The Guru: right wing? Every country in the world has a right wing political block big or small..grandmothers vote right wing…if this was in reverse would it be called a muslim atrocity? No it would be called an islamic fundamentalist attack.this was an EXTREMIST terrorist attack.
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: what do you mean how do you know!!!???
@Martin Gordon: Clearly it is a terrorist attack.
@Raymond Power: not sure what point you’re attempting to make. So we’re not allowed to call them right wing because some grandmothers vote right wing, but if it was a Muslim it’s acceptable to call it an Islamic attack? Bizarre logic
@Dan Mc Sorley: terrible news.. worshiping peacefully and then gone….
I asked for supporting evidence and everyone starts jumping up and down.
Settle yourselves.
@Raymond Power: What are you on about? This was a right wing Christian terrorist attack.
@SidNolan: No. it was a white supremacist attack.
@Cillian Adamson: A bit harsh there. I think The Guru meant it was not a Columbine High School type of mass shooting, but rather a specific right-wing act. I hope your day gets better because you sound a bit cranky.
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: “We stand here and condemn, absolutely the attack that occurred today by an extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist,”
@The Guru: sure don’t we all know Christian’s never do anything wrong
@ÓDuibhír Abú:
And?
Whats your point?
Have some compassion. There are 49 human beings dead.
@The Guru: guru…think you need to change that profile name of yours….lets try again so.you label the attack “right wing”…the grandmother reference was to point out that millions and millions of normal people in the western world would and do vote right wing and 99.9999% of these people are sane,law abiding people who will abhor this attack,which was an …..EXTREMIST attack.your second piece of confusion..i said the exact OPPOSITE…islamic fundamentalist terrorism is not to be labelled muslim attacks….as for the most part it is not.bizzare interpretation of my logic indeed.
@roderick: why?
@Raymond Power: I labeled it a “right wing terrorist attack”. What part of that do you take issue with? It’s literally exactly what it was.
@Sam Harms: 49 people dead and all you’re interested in is getting a cheap dig at Christians… Sad
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: it’s what the Journal is for …. letting off steam… doesn’t actually matter if you’re right or wrong , just attack . Where else can you have a go so easily without being arrested … lol . You are right though.
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: Because they know the guy and Australian PM confirmed it. Not a mass shooting, mass muder by a hate filled sick radicalised right wing nut case.
@Raymond Power: There’s right wing and there’s far right.. The difference being one is a prude and the other a lunatic.
@The Guru: I hate the whole I’m/they are right or left wing, we’re all far more nuianced than that, I think we can all equally agree that this was a horrible and senseless act of violence and not try to lump them all into a particular group which would associate them with other (innocent) people,
Rest is peace to all the innocent who died, cowards did this
@Jerriko17: it’s not a dig at Christians. Whenever there is an kind of terrorist attack people always jump to blaming Muslims straight away but if turns out to be Christian’s it’s always “mental illness” or some other bullshit. People like to believe that only people who follow Islam are terrorists
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: are you normally stupid or are you making an extra effort today?
@Raymond Power: Muslims do not support isis or terrorists, yes there are black sheep in every community, but isis to Muslims is like what KKK is to the Christian’s , they don’t represent the vast majority of them.
@Sam Harms: apologies!…. Point taken…. Agree with you.
@Sam Harms: Same as Muslims?
@Josh Hanners: what’s the same as Muslims?
@Sam Harms: your namesake points out that Islamic extremists can claim they are following the precepts of the Koran and the example of Mohammed. ‘Christian’ extremists have to play fast and loose with their interpretation of the Bible to commit their atrocities. This shooter was evil, pure and simple.
@SidNolan: Where is they are Christian mentioned
they may be atheist or other type cult.
@Sam Harms: The difference is white supremacists aren’t killing in the name of any religion or shouting Jesus’ name as is the usual signature for muslim terrorist attacks….Allahu Akbar! White supremacy has nothing to do with Christianity. Jesus preached love and peace. Mohammed preached death to infidels. Big big difference in Christian and Muslim worldviews.
@Paul Kelly: I never said it wasn’t. clearly it was also a mass shooting
@Rob Cahill: i don’t agree with your defenition but can’t fault the expanse between the two…my original point i believe.
@The Guru: i’ll try a third time..i take exception to the phrase right-wing…FAR RIGHT EXTREMISTS…yes..there is a decided difference.also you ignore my point regarding an attack by islamic fundamentalists…it would not be ok to call this a muslim attack…but by your defenition we CAN call a far right extremist attack a right wing attack.the fact that you are oblivious to the marked difference is astonishing…and tiresome.
Last place on earth you’d expect something like this to happen. Tragic.
@Pounamustone: living in Auckland I completely agree.
It’s being said the terrorist flew over from Australia because it would be easier to make such an attack in NZ rather than Oz
@Pounamustone: white Australian giving out about immigrants. Shows you the level of intelligence these sub-humans have.
@Cillian Adamson: Australia has tough gun laws, thankfully. Since Port Arthur, there have been no mass shooting in Australia. Prior to that, there was an average of nine killings per year.
@Eamonn Connaghan: There’s a valid argument for Australians complaining about immigrants. There is no argument for violence against those people or any religious group worshipping their “God”
@Pounamustone: people’s perceptions of NZ are way off. The media there is pretty much as simple-minded as Australia.
@Pounamustone: Most likely American right wingers funded by the NRA to take the focus off guns in America. I have the same evidence for this as they have for everything they say BTW. F@~k all.
@Terry Cahill: no there’s not. They are descendants of invaders, colonists, land thieves and murderers. If they don’t like migrants coming into Australia they themselves should return to Europe or where ever they themselves are from.
@Eamonn Connaghan: way to go…give out about stereotyping while actually stereotyping yourself.
@SFNutters: How’s it stereotyping? Anybody who’s not aboriginal in Australia is a product of immigration. He’s not criticising the people of Australia he’s criticising people who are extremely critical of immigrants without realising the irony of their own situation and how their own race became the majority in their country. The same applies to Americans as well.
You can be critical of immigration policy and seek sensible restrictions without having to descend to hatred and bigotry.
@Terry Cahill: they have no valid arguement for complaining about immigrants.I live here and the vast majority of those that complain are 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants.Stop being a dope about the subject.
I am not religious but I respect the right of anyone to their beliefs, to attend their place of meeting or worship, regardless of the broader picture or what is occurring in the world, Jeezz we had it for over thirty years, this is wrong and innocents have died, nuff said.
Utterly horrendous
@Gareth Miskelly: the guardian have a live blog with a lot of details, looks like shootings at 2 mosques, with multiple explosive devices attached to cars, 4 people arrested. One of the attackers also live streamed.
@Gareth Miskelly: New Zealand pm Jacinda Ardern has confirmed 40 dead and 20 injured according to the guardian now.
@Gareth Miskelly: holy moly that’s a serious amount of preparation, they were clearly going for quantity.
@Gareth Miskelly: sound like those 20 are seriously injured, they are also saying 48 people being treated for gunshot wounds on top of that.
It’s a terrorist attack
@O Braoin Deglain: White supremacists and the Alt-Right are the new ISIS, emboldened by the crypto-fascist rhetoric of Trump.
@Orla Smith: Whivh rhetoric is that?
@Orla Smith: Which rhetoric is that?
@Orla Smith: Pipe down you idiot
@Niall Higgins: haven’t you been following the news?
@Orla Smith: Yawn! just a matter of time before Orla has its daily “blame trump” wet dream.
@Neill Bradley: The terrorists mentioned Trump.
@Orla Smith: Orla , it’s not an appropriate time to start mouthing off about Trump. Jesus christ.
@Orla Smith: Why only Trump ? These nutters could easily have their hatred levels topped up by reading the comments here on any article regarding muslims. But then again, us Irish don’t spout hatred, bigotry and intolerance, right ?
It is a terrorist attack…At the end of the day there are 40 innocent people dead, they were going about their daily prayers affecting noone..its their religious beliefs that got them killed..thinking of all the families destroyed by this , and may the victims rest in peace
@Carmel O Reilly: “its their religious beliefs that got them killed”
No.. It’s right wing lunatics that got them killed. And it’s going to get a lot worsebefore it gets better.
@Carmel O Reilly: How do nut jobs get their hands on automatic weapons like that?, looks like they can be freely got over there, which is never a good idea. Look at the states and its the same, people can get a machine gun very easily…….recipe for a lunatic shooting rampage.
@Rob Cahill: I agree Rob,my point was that their religious beliefs made them an easy target for these lunatics
There was a “manifesto” posted online before the shooting started. Its still easily found and describes the motives and they are not just anti Muslim but white supremacist driven.
One of the shooters livestreamed his attack on Facebook and the video was on YouTube for an hour or so before being removed. The Killer played songs of the USA confederacy as he drove to the mosque with about 10 rifles in his car. I made the mistake of watching about half of the video, please don’t watch it if t pops up somewhere else. It’s graphic and horrific and those images from inside the mosque will be in my brain forever. Such a horrible day for New Zealand and the Muslim community in Christchurch. Horrible.
@Ger: the shooter’s manifesto and affiliations can’t be trusted or taken at face value. There seems to be loads of irony, meta text, trolling etc in his manifesto. It looks like it’s designed to just get as much media coverage as possible. I have no doubt he’s a white supremacist but his manifesto is a rambling mess. it’s a minefield.
It doesn’t matter the colour, race or religion, right wing, left wing,extremists, terrorists, bring hatred nothing else to the world. A very sad day for New Zealand.
@Dave Doyle: well said
Terrorist attack . RIP. All those poor families.
Trump’s “fine people”
@Stevie Doran: What has Trump got to do with this?
@Stevie Doran: I guess there’s always one idiot on here……
@Jonathan Byrne: In fairness the person that carried out this massacre did go & mention Trumps name.So maybe he is not that much of an idiot after all..
@Stevie Doran: Trump is renowned for his anti-migrant, anti-Muslim stance, witness America’s interference in the Middle East. Trump’s rhetoric is always anti-anything Trump doesn’t represent as a rich, white, American.
@Stevie Doran:
@Jonathan Byrne: Trump emboldens White supremacists, has tried to ban Muslims and is a racist dopey.
@Smiley: he may be anti everything but I highly doubtful he would want innocent people to die
@Stevie Doran: The New Zealand mosque shooter said he views Donald Trump “as a symbol of white identity and common purpose.” Does that surprise anyone?
@Sam Harms: genuinely don’t think anything the man has said or done would support your thesis. He’s utterly lacking in empathy and decency. Other people don’t matter to him at all.
@Sam Harms: I suggest you tell that to the people on the Mexican border whose children died because Trump wouldn’t show kindness.
@Sam Harms: how do you know? Trump is a racist pig without any morals who would happily sell his own children for a profit!
@Dave Doyle: The man in custody spoke about Donald Trump “as a symbol of white identity and common purpose.”
Pretty straight forward where Trump comes into it.
@Sam Harms: Trump’s latest tweet was a link to Breitbart.. a white supremacist website. I’m sure he is a lovely man underneath but as President of the USA he is a whackjob who energises and never condones fanatics, nazis and racists.
@Sam Harms: there is a difference between actually wanting them to die and just not caring if they die as a side effect of achieving your goals. Trump clearly cares for no one but himself and his money. If people die as a result of your actions you have some responsibility for their deaths. It applies in road accidents, it should also apply in speeches made by influential public figures.
@Stevie Doran: He’s exactly like Paisley. Claims to have clean hands while whipping up the violent passions of other.
@Dave Doyle: Trump is of a facist mentality, if you fail to see that then you’re dillusional
It’s awful over here, such a beautiful city and innocent people
Oh no. Do they realise just what they’ve done? We must condemn all fanaticism and react to it appropriately, whether we agree with religion or not everyone has the right to practice it in peace. This isn’t some sort of political statement it’s terrorism, slaughtering innocent people. Arrgh, what can you say?
@Arch Angel: Most likely they know. Part of the objective. Alt-right Terrorism.
Wait till you see what the retaliation will be, this isn’t good for anybody. Who knows where they might strike. You can only hope there is no escalation.
@Zlim Jody: Indeed, we should certainly fear the ring wing terrorists and another attack by them…… Or as America sees them, people with mental health issues.
@Barry Somers: a lot of that going around..many terrorist attacks preceeded with allulah akbar, we are always confidently reassured that it is nothing to do with fundamentalist islam and instead a case of mental health issues .
@Zlim Jody: ‘who knows where they might strike’? Who are you ‘they’? Muslims as a whole? ‘this isn’t good for anybody’? Do you really have to state this as if the automatic reaction to this is some sort of victory?
@Zlim Jody: No condemnation… Just “Watch out, the mooslims are coming” ?
DJ Francois
All I stated was facts regarding Christians in Egypt, obviously touched a nerve, there lives are less important in your book.
@Philip Siggins: Poor strawman
Omg.. horrific. RIP
Shocking. This is the end result of the relentless demonizing of muslims.
No doubt Trump will think that the ring wing terrorists are “good people”, cause he certainly thinks that of the US breed of ring with terrorist
@Barry Somers: Trump’s fault? Christ almighty, take this to a more appropriate debate. Insensitive.
@BreadBasketCase: It’s a valid statement because what the president of America says and does sends a message to the world. This terrorist attack is not his fault and the only person that can take direct blame is the person that pulls the trigger. That doesn’t mean that people who stoke the hatred and division for their own personal gain whether that’s politicians, bloggers or religious fundamentalists should be above criticism.
This is a global issue now with terrorist attacks from both ends of the scale around the world so should be treated as such.
mental illness, i hope they get the help they need
@Dave Dublin: yep, a rope.
@Dave Dublin: sick of this mental illness trope,99% of people with a mental illness are completely non violent and suffer enough stigma without this kind of crap.
@Dave Dublin: yep a bullet in the head is the help they need!
@Dave Dublin: ah yes. The ”mental illness” line. They’re extreme right wing terrorists, nothing else.
@Dave Dublin: help? Seriously?
This is what happens when certain people tar all Muslims or Islam with the same brush (we should know, there’s enough of those kinds of people on here)
@Keith O’Reilly: that’s the nature of sectarianism, extremists carry out awful acts like this and out comes the tarring brush, and before you know it, a wider hatred builds up on both sides.
It’s the main goal of the attack, they want escalation and fame and glory among their own.
It think it should be a capital crime, and the perps kept nameless and buried incognito.
@Keith O’Reilly: It should be a lessen for platform holders like thejournal for the kind of flames they’re fanning by allowing those sort of comments here.
@Keith O’Reilly: People from the west are all Tared with the same brush also no?
@Rochelle: what sort of comments? You mean views you mightn’t agree with?
@Dermot Foley All terrorism is wrong what I said is it surprises me how it’s taken so long for a backlash to literally hundreds of horrific attacks perpetrated by followers of Islam. I’m not condoning it.
@Philip Siggins: Fanatical, extremist followers of Islam or any and all religions or political beliefs.
@Philip Siggins: You do realise the islamist attacks are in retaliation to US led attacks in their countries right??
Absolutely awful.
Wait and see what the retaliation might be, this isn’t good for anyone.
@Zlim Jody: The ‘Good’ people always Win.!! Good people will never be defeated.!! Good people all over the World unite.!!
It makes my blood boil to think people are capable of this.
This is a terrorist attack!!!! Break your heart it would :(
Absolutely abhorrent
Shocking stuff , this kind of thing was obviously gonna happen at mosques considering attacks in Australia , the states and Europe, f@#$ked up world we live in.
Not really shocking to see people justifying this on here. Far right terror attacks seem to be more common than ever these days :c
The media still biased about reporting white people as terrorists. Although it is a mass shooting, it certainly is a a terrorist attack.
Extremism breeds violence no matter were it comes from.
Almost 50 people dead and an equal amount injured in one of my favourite cities which previously sat quietly on the East Coast of the remote South Island. Terror has no boundaries and terrorism does not recognise race, religion or politics. It is not ‘right wing’ terror as at least one of the terrorists has been described as an anarchist. It is not ‘Kiwi’ terror, as at least one terrorist is Australian. It is not exclusively ‘male’ terror, as one terrorist is female. It is pure, unadulterated terror, and it is disgusting. How such a co-ordinated attack with must have been at least a semi-automatic weapon, with a known extremist who crossed a border at some point, has occurred is mind boggling. The country has changed forever…
Evil twisted right wing extremists, we need to show zero tolerance to their “ideas” before more victims are taken like this. An awful day for the world.
@Rochelle: one rule for me and another for you.
@Canny Jem: oh feck off with your hatred. People like you are what’s wrong with the world
@Sam Harms: There’s no hatred Sam… It’s stark truth, which the Journal’s moderators fail to allow in democratic honesty, given that they’ve deleted my original comment and responses. I’ve nothing against anyone practising their chosen religion, so long as it doesn’t harm my, and your, fellow-humans.
@Canny Jem: and the vast majority of Muslims wouldn’t hurt a fly
@Canny Jem: quick one, have you ever had a conversation with a Muslim?
@Sam Harms: Very true.
@Sam Harms: Yes, I know the vast majority of them wouldn’t… I lived among many of them for years, in deserts and cities, so it’s not like I don’t know the honest ones, same as I know honest Christians way apart from charlatans.
My fear is that the new breed of brigades of kick-back ‘Christian’ Crusaders, eminently proven in recent years with their international conglomerate jets bombing and destroying so many ordinary peoples’ homes (including those of many religions in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and adjoining countries), will break out to needlessly retaliate by attacking local religious communities indiscriminately, whether at a pop concert or church or other ceremony that you or I or any of our families’ might attend anywhere in places of our residences, community religious ceremonies, social leisure or on flights to holidays.
There is no way to stop the isolated madness; it can’t all be safely policed. All we as people and guardians can do is our best to limit it in the most innocent of places, like places of communal prayer, our children’s’ schools or colleges, our favourite local pubs, shops, discos and pop concert places etc…
There is no denying that the new “Christian” Crusaders of our times have already been and continually are being in action in our very own times with their fast jets’ bombs, navy- and drone-guided missiles and large-scale destructiveness.
It’s just a short step away to bringing it local, like modern day jihadists and crusaders do. Like what happened in NZ.
If we really want to stop attacks like this. We should stop giving them the attention they want. Who cares what his manifesto is? Why are we giving this pos a platform? They should stop publishing any details about perpetrators and their sick beliefs. He literally said his intention was to do this to spread his msg. Stop doing his job for him.
allahu akbar
Saw a video. Awful cowardly terrible sadistic shit is all I can say. Sick.
@Seaniecp: Radicalized Christian’s.!!!
have your say