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“HOMOPHOBIA IS ALIVE and well in Ireland.”
That is the message being spread by Buzz O’Neill after he experienced it first-hand while on a night out with friends in Dublin this week.
The well-known businessman and nightclub promoter was attacked by four men outside The George at about 1.15am Thursday morning. He suffered bruising and minor injuries. He recalls: “I left The George before it ended with a friend. We walked to the corner, where we stopped to chat as we were going in different directions.
“We kissed each other goodnight and a person from the back of a taxi shouted ‘fucking faggot’ out the window.
“I told him to ‘mind his own business’ but he spat at me. I wasn’t going to walk away from that so I responded. They piled out of the taxi. One of them came out the door of the taxi, and another came out the other side and approached me from behind. That one punched me.
“Thankfully the staff from The George were able to intervene.”
Gardaí have opened an investigation into the assault and CCTV footage of the incident has been gathered. The suspects are described as young men in their early 20s.
“Unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident,” O’Neill told TheJournal.ie. “Many of these attacks go unreported so I decided to come forward and speak about it. I’ve had enough. I’m saying ‘No’.”
According to O’Neill, he could name at least ten friends who have been beaten up as a result of a hate crime in the past five years.
“Since Wednesday, I’ve heard from even more people,” he continues. “There is a fear of speaking out so they go unreported. People would be more inclined to come forward if they were regular assaults. In Ireland, we have no legislation which adequately covered hate crime.”
Currently, France is experiencing a surge in homophobic assaults as the same-sex marriage debate receives widespread media and political coverage.
The Irish debate on gay marriage is something that is also “niggling” at O’Neill right now.
“These organisations that preach against gay marriage, they are preaching an anti-gay rhetoric. They have to be held accountable. In a twisted way, it gives these people a mandate,” he says.
This weekend, the Constitutional Convention will vote on whether to make a recommendation to the government to provide marriage equality.
Regardless of the outcome, O’Neill believes that Ireland still needs a “proper debate” about gay rights.
“This government could legislate for gay marriage tomorrow if there was political will. They are looking for someone else to tell them, ‘You should do this’. They shouldn’t need the Constitutional Convention to tell them. Common sense should do that.”
As the garda investigation continues, O’Neill must return to his job at the front of Dublin’s most popular gay nightclubs. He runs FAG in the Button Factory, as well as Bukkake and Sunday Social in Four Dame Lane.
“It has knocked my confidence, no doubt,” he admits. “But I have to get back out there.”
Earlier today, Buzz tweeted an image of his eye with the message: “Swelling gone down.. Blackening up nicely! #yestolove”
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Leo is concerned someone might leak confidential information….
@Leonard O’mahony: no sure he can do that all himself.
@Leonard O’mahony: Nah, he just doesn’t want any more photos of him being caught kissing someone other than his partner ;)
@Leonard O’mahony: You mean Leo is concerned someone will get to leak confidential information before he does it.
Eamon Ryan, are you listening? It’s only the phone you put on “sleep”.
Security reasons? Russian intelligence, Chinese Intelligence, U.S. intelligence? .The plot thickens. Of course the fact Varadkar leaked confidential government documents or the fact a junior FG minister set up a sting to catch a senior FG minister who leaked information may also be a consideration in this move. Keep the circus going lads .
@Donal Desmond: certainly not British intelligence as it doesn’t exist
@Tony Doyle: Good point..
This is a very basic cyber security precaution that should have been implemented 15 years ago. Most cyber security aware military installations around the world have been doing this for ages in high level offices/meeting rooms. The cabinet of the Government of Ireland should be no different. Might cut down on a few leaks.
@Niall Mchugh: Apparently Enda Kenny brought in a few years ago but it wasn’t followed through
Sell your shares in Candy Crush
Oh the irony!!
Is leaky afraid someone might leak something before he gets a chance to leak.????
We’ve known about hacking software such as the Israeli developed Pegasus for a quite a while now. This decision is well justified and not before time.
From today?
Surely this ban shoukd always have been there?
I have never been in a meeting, where the use of a mobile phone was accetable.
have your say