Ireland is homophobic, say students

ALMOST 70% of gay students believe we live in a homophobic society, according to a new survey.

The Union of Students in Ireland study found one-in -10 students are gay, with one-in-five admitting to a sexual encounter with someone of the same sex.

It also found that half of gay women and three out of four gay men had been verbally abused.

Students believe religious teaching and poor education about homosexuality are to blame.

One-in-four said a lack of sex education in schools was to blame and 21% said it was a result of religious education which inferred homosexuality is wrong.

Meanwhile, a number of awareness posters around the campus of University College Dublin were torn down or graffitied with anti -homosexual language last week. The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Society has complained that staff members objected to parts of the Rainbow Week campaign.