Bashing the bashed
I saw this article when it was first published and wondered what planet Casey was living on – but then it’s the Talbot Street planet – of the Sindo variety where they think they are hip and trendy with their column by an out gay writer on all things camp and pink and happening in Ireland. Generally this weekly column tries to make out that everything is rosy in the garden and if you think things are not rosy being gay then you are the one with the problem and not the homophobes.Dermod addresses Donal Casey’s lack of understanding of the nature of homophobic violence here. I would like to see those groups working on the issues address the rubbish propagated in the Sindo piece and also the medias lack of awareness and interest in homophobic violence which Dermod highlights.
Donal thinks he knows everything because he is gay and he writes for a newspaper – a paper that does not have a great track record on reporting on lesbian and gay issues – I suggest he goes out and meet some real gay people rather than the cocktail set he hangs out with. As someone who has been attacked physically on two occasions due to my sexual orientation I know the difference between thuggery and getting the crap beaten out of you because you are queer.
posted by Maman Poulet @ 5/22/2006 08:28:00 p.m.
4 Comments:
Donal made a lot of assumptions about the report without even reading it - he assumed that all the attacks take place directly outside gay venues, he assumed that because nothing had ever happened him that the problem is non-existant, anyway the report will be available online in the next week or two
Hi Suzy,
Thanks for the mention. It is difficult when you've experienced something like a queerbashing not to let it affect your judgment. We may perceive that Dublin is very violent, because we've both been attacked there, but it may not be generally true. It's tough being a victim, but it's also important not to give into victim mentality. Which is why independent research is so important, it puts things into perspective.
But when THAT is dismissed by the press, then the challenge to get something done about the problem is even tougher.
Hi there
The report is now available online - there was a delay due to technical difficulties
http://www.gayhealthnetwork.ie/folder/web/pdf/hatecrimereport.pdf
see www.johnny.ie for the report
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