Jim is 20 years old. When he moved into his new flat in Derry last year within two weeks he had his door kicked in and a brick thrown through his window. The police were called and things have since calmed down, but the incident still lingers in Jim’s mind.
This however was not a sectarian attack. Jim is a young homosexual man living in Derry. Despite some progress harassment still remains a constant problem for the young gay community in the city. Only last December an 18-year-old man was jailed for two months under anti-harassment legislation for attacking a young homosexual man after going to his home with an iron bar.
Jim’s experience is not an isolated one. 18-year-old Ronan grew up in Donegal before moving to Derry to escape from the homophobic bullying he received in his own area. “Since moving here I’ve had mixed reactions but I find people are coming round to the idea. It’s not nice to have to say this, but they are starting to face it and more and more people are becoming less homophobic, but there are still quite a number of people out there with very bad attitudes towards gay people.”
It is not only the young gay men who have to face discrimination however. The Derry lesbian community are also affected. Sinead, who is 19, lives on the Strand Road. She believes the majority of the abuse they receive tends to happen at night.
“If you’re in Pepe’s (Derry’s only gay bar) it’s easier just to come out and go straight home rather than go about the town where you can often get attacked and stuff like that. There was one night when I was coming home from Pepe’s and myself and my friend went and got something to eat. These lads just came up and knocked the food out of our hands and began to shout abuse at us.”
The constant abuse leads many young gay people in the city to hide their sexuality, but as Jim explains this problem also has a more disturbing aspect. “One night recently two different people called at my door because I went with both of them before and then there was a boy who called at my door and slept with my other friend who is gay. That is three people that are supposedly “straight”, yet they would stand and call you all the names under the sun, when they actually are doing it themselves.”
Jim, Ronan and Sinead have all managed to find support and help in the shape of the Rainbow Project. The Clarendon St based centre offers physical, mental and emotional help to gay and bisexual men under the age of 25. Members of the lesbian community have also begun to use the resource, which above all provides a safe environment for these people to be themselves.
Project worker Sean Morrin believes the young people of Derry have to be educated about the problem in order for things to get better. “I think there are a lot of myths out there amongst young people as to what being gay is about. Most people think if you’re gay you must mince down Shipquay Street with a pair of stilettos and we all run around in frocks and stuff. As you can see from your visit here, the gay community is quite diverse, there are many different types of people.”
The constant harassment his young members must put up with also has a number of knock on effects. “Homelessness is a big problem amongst young gay people in the city. Being homeless is not about having a roof over your head, it’s about living in a safe, secure environment, and most of them don’t because of the homophobia that exists around them, and that could even be within their own family unit.
“Unemployment is also a big problem. One of the cases I was dealing with this morning involves a young man who is extremely intelligent and doing really well at school but is refusing point blank to go back because he can’t handle the harassment any more. This has a knock on effect on your life if you have no education.”
However things are changing for the young gay community in Northern Ireland. A new European directive stating that you can now not be sacked because you are gay has been brought in, the age of consent has dropped to seventeen, which is what it is for heterosexual young people, and same sex partnership legislation is also on its way, meaning gay couples will be able to register their relationship and therefore benefit from things like pension and taxes. Little is being done in Derry however to tackle the continuing problem of homophobic harassment and bullying?
Councillor Annie Courtney was the first politician to ever launch the Gay Pride week here in Derry, a duty she took on as Mayor. She feels attitudes towards the gay community are changing, but progress is slow. “I don’t think it’s as bad as it was, I think a few years ago, certainly ten years ago anybody who was gay, was certainly regarded as some kind of ‘freak’, that is probably too strong a word, but they certainly were not regarded as normal.”
She also admits that the City Council is doing little to educate the young Derry generation about the problem. “I think if you spoke to individual councillors, most of them within the main parties would say they’re not opposed to it, but I’m not aware of anything that they’re really actively involved in.”
About the team
This story was produced by Chidrens Express Foyle reporters Michaela Fox and Dorothy Lawrence, 16, and Seamus McDermott, 14. It was published by Derry News.
