Towards a more tolerant society - We have still a lot to do on gay rights

Irish attitudes to towards our lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, friends, uncles or aunts and other relatives and neighbours have changed dramatically, and very much for the better, since homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993, the year those celebrating their 21st birthday this year were born.

Despite that relatively recent acknowledgement of the core of so many lives, and despite this weekend’s gay pride festival in Cork, nearly everyone of us can name a colleague, a teammate, a passing acquaintance, a neighbour’s child or somebody we barely know whose life is a cycle of heartbreak and loneliness, of anger and isolation because they still feel they cannot be honest or open about one of the defining characteristics of their existence — their sexuality.

Despite everything, despite all of our newfound warmth, far too many gay people still feel the need to bury the essence of their being with alcohol or drugs and in far, far too many cases, the ultimate in self-loathing and self-imposed sanction — suicide.