Richard Hogan: Pride and prejudice co-exist for LGBTQIA+ youth

If the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee taught us anything, it's that we still have a long way to go when it comes to fostering tolerance for LGBTQIA+ people

The recent resurgence of homophobic hatred has highlighted the absolute necessity of teaching our children tolerance and to celebrate the love and joy shown during Pride

When I think of my childhood school friends, they are always there in the periphery, slightly off to the left. Always to one side. And I can’t help but think if I move the locus of my head to the left, my early school days will come into full view. There I am, sitting in one of those uncomfortable chairs in my national school, the smell of chalk making me sneeze.

As I look around I can see all of my old friends; some faces are blank, I can’t recall them. Some are no longer living. Some are very familiar and smiling back at me. What connects all of us, is that none of us is gay.