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ALMOST TWO-THIRDS of Europe’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are still afraid to show their sexuality in public and most feel discriminated against, an EU report said Friday, the International Day Against Homophobia.
“Fear, isolation and discrimination are everyday phenomena for the LGBT community in Europe,” the director of the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Morten Kjaerum, wrote in the report.
The online survey, described as the largest of its kind, questioned around 93,000 people in the European Union’s 27 member states plus Croatia, which is to join the bloc in July.
Just over a quarter (26 percent) of the respondents said that they had been physically or verbally assaulted over the last five years.
Transgender
Transgender people suffered particularly, with 28 percent saying they had been attacked or threatened more than three times in the last 12 months because of their sexuality, the report said.
Some respondents said that even in countries traditionally considered to be tolerant, attitudes were worsening.
“My situations of harassment/discrimination/violence are mainly random acts of verbal aggression,” a 27-year-old gay Belgian wrote.
The situation is worse now than it was, for example, four years ago.
In The Netherlands, the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage in 2001, almost 20 percent of those taking part said they felt discriminated against when going to sport clubs or hospitals, looking for an apartment, going out at night, or dealing with banks.
The average figure across Europe was 32 percent, with the highest figures reported in Lithuania (42 percent); Croatia (41 percent); Bulgaria (40 percent); and Romania (39 percent).
Many said they were afraid to go to the police, including in France where the beating of a gay couple in April hit the headlines after pictures of the bloodied face of one of the victims spread across social media.
“(I am) reluctant to report anything that might indicate that I am gay, as I know (the police) just dismiss everything,” a 42-year-old Frenchman said.
And a 32-year-old Czech lesbian said: “For me, the most alarming discrimination experienced is in health.
I feel strong enough to deal with street harassment now, but I feel upset about having to justify my lifestyle to every doctor.
Public
Two-thirds of respondents and three-quarters of gay men said they were afraid to show their sexuality in public.
The FRA report noted that discrimination often begins at school, where two-thirds of respondents hid their sexual orientation.
“Ten years later, I still consider being bullied at school the worst form of homophobic abuse I’ve ever been subjected to,” said a gay Maltese man, 25.
The constant insults for being effeminate (‘and therefore gay’) were unbearable at school, and not much action was taken by the teachers against the bullies! Bullying forced me to remain in the closet until I reached the age of 18.
“Member states must take care that LGBT students feel secure at school, given that that is where LGBT people’s negative experiences, social prejudice and exclusion often begins,” the FRA said.
The United Nations has launched its own education campaign, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reassuring the world’s LGBT community: “You are not alone.”
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About time MDH took a pay cut. €200,000 + expenses for a ceremonial part time handy number (with minimum power) and a big house to boot. Free entry to all the big sports events and a few speeches here and there. A bankrupt country with rich high earning politicians. A scandal.
Whether we like it or not Ian, the President is a part of our Oireachtas, one of the three organs of power in this country. That is his role: anything else is purely acting in a marketing and pastoral capacity.
fair enough by why does he nwed a huge salary for doing part time work?
For the love of God, his role is a constitutional fact! If you don’t like it, change the Constitution. If you want to pay peanuts get a monkey. Oh wait…. Ok, fair point, pay way too high.
Not getting into the salary issue, but you are amazingly undervaluing the work that’s done by the President. You might not like the salary, but that doesn’t take away from the work that he does.
What’s New Same Old Same O All The Time. Pity he does not fund his nice little number from his own Croc O Gold. King of The Fairies Wily Old Coot.
The Lot Of Them Are Acting 3 Parts too Many.
Rugby / Gaa / Soccer etc hard old Job all right.
bunga bunga
Sabrina’s not going to like the photos!
Sabina.
As long as it doesn’t end up like the Hangover movie with lots of end credits photo evidence and waking up naked, apart from a kiss me I’m Irish print tie, sprawled on a sheepskin rug in a ransacked 10 star hotel and a hungry tiger lying in the bathroom.
I meant “sabrina the hostess”…
The only time I ever hear about this man is when he is jetting off somewhere. He has no power, very little influence and is a waste of money. What benefits will we get out of a trip to Italy? The office of president is a waste of money. We always hear about the big salary he gets.. thats only the tip of the iceberg. There are all the staff that work in the Aras, the running of the place etc. The president and the seanad need to go.
So you want the Dail to be the only game in town? I bet you’d be the first to complain when that goes wrong too.
@Billie Hetfield . Are suggesting that the Dail has not gone wrong ie – that it is serving the Irish People – and not the Troika .??
No, not at all. What I’m saying is that by removing the offices of the President and the Seanad, the Dail has nobody to answer to. They’d have far too much power.
Reform is needed, not abolition.
The Sooner The Better We’er Always Being Told The Country Is Bankrupt So I Guess We’ll Have To Have Cut Backs. These Two Offices the Presidency and Senad Are A Complete Waste of Time Should Be First To Go. Then Look to Leinster House Cuts Here To Reduce The Number Of Tds to 75 is More That Adequate. Then look At The Perks Of The 75 In Office. Government Cars GONE, Garda Drivers Gone, All Expenses Other Than Travel And Accommadation And Direct Government Expenses Gone, Marketing Men Gone, Advisers For The Advisers Gone. Garda Bodyguards Gone, Massive Payouts Gone, Massive Pensions Gone, Then Look At The Public Service Management Structure a Clean Out Of This Top Heavy Organisation Is Long Overdue, There are lots of other Top Structured Departments that Can Be Cleaned Out. There Is Far To Much Duplication Of Departments And Money Wasted. We Are Told We Need CUTS So Let’s Start Cutting Where The Impact Is Not Felt On The Front Lines.
A lecture on ‘Irish studies and the Significance of Exile and the Migratory Experience’? Finger on the pulse of real Ireland as ever. Maybe he’ll write a lovely poem about us one day, when he finds out that we exist.
A true ” champagne socialist ”.
Seems Mr Higgins is doing a lot of travelling….
As he should be doing to promote this country
more money down the toilet having this ornamental goblin running round waffling about youth.
Didn’t realise we still had a President !!!
Gerard
Good man. Great depths to your awareness and intelligence. What a silly comment.
richard you troll
Waste of Tax Payers money!!! Unlike Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese you hardly hear of Michael D Higgins, hence my comment “Didn’t realise he was still the President.
Anyway, why I’m justifying myself to
an Egg, god knows!!
Goes to show the Waste Of Money This Office Is.
I want that job!
Sorry Keith It Should Not Exist Anymore Waste Of Money We Do Not Have.
It’s frightening how stupid a lot of Irish people are. I doubt you know anything about the job of President. Stop rabbling and read a book.
Can’t Afford One Anymore.
Change the record.
That man should never have got that job ! He has retired into the aras and getting paid for it !!!!
Bunga bunga party invites are in the post.
Wonder if he’ll drop his fainne in Mordor…I mean Vesuvius!
Poetry 1 bunga bunga 0
Milk it while you can Bilbo .
Im glad its him and not any of the others that ran for that office….his office has huge powers by the way….he can dissolve government….refuse to pass laws….controls the council of state to name but a few….
all Useless as Well.
have your say