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NXF UPDATE

by Adam Long, Board Director, National LGBT Federation (NXF)

The National LGBT Federation (NXF) is glad to report that the long-awaited Hate Offences Bill - which will finally bring Ireland in line with the rest of Europe in having specific Hate Crime legislation - was moved forward by Government in recent weeks. It will also update our laws against Incitement to Hatred.

For the LGBTQ+ community, who have witnessed a hugely disturbing spate of violent, hate-driven attacks in recent times, there is a clear demand for effective legislation as part of a wider whole-of-society response against the scourge of hate and extremism. It has certainly been a leading legislative demand for the NXF since our own Burning Issues research identified it as a key community concern as far back as 2016.

LGBTQ+ people know only too well that this is not an abstract or theoretical debate. Its why, for example, the NXF and LGBT+ Ireland, amongst others, support the addition of a ‘demonstration’ as well as ‘motivation’ test, to ensure that hate offences can be effectively prosecuted and do not suffer from the same widely recognised deficiencies that characterised the soon to be repealed and replaced 1989 Incitement to Hatred Act.

We also welcome the fact that the Bill explicitly covers online hate, the proliferation of which is having real world consequences. Allied with the Online Safety Bill, we hope that this signals a real determination to tackle the ‘wild west’ nature of the online world and a failed policy of ‘self-regulation’. There is also, of course, a hugely important EU dimension in holding Big Tech platforms to account, as bad actors seek to use them to spread hate and misinformation.

Crucially, the Bill is fully LGBTQ+ inclusive. In addition to sexual orientation, it also protects those targeted on account of their gender identity or expression. Sex characteristics have also been inserted to ensure that intersex people are covered under the new legal regime.

We do believe that key definitions in the Bill can be made more robust and agree with expert testimony presented at a recent Council of Europe Hate Crime event in Dublin that terms such as ‘hate’ and ‘hatred’ should be more clearly defined in the legislation. However, while wishing to avoid excessive vagueness and subjective interpretations, we also do not want an overly proscriptive approach.

Comprehensive training for those tasked with enforcing the provisions is another crucial element in ensuring that the new laws deliver for victims of criminal hate. Indeed, the importance of effective training and education for policing and law enforcement was one of the key takeaways from the Council of Europe Roundtable on combatting LGBTQ+-related Hate Crime. This is all the more important when, according to the Council of Europe, just 14 percent of LGBTQ+ victims of hate offences across the continent currently make a report.

With that in mind, the NXF was keen to re-enforce the point that state agencies are not ‘neutral’ or ‘impartial’ observers in such matters and need to be constantly looking at ways to be more proactive in visibly supporting LGBTQ+ people and boosting community confidence and engagement.

Some will attempt to obfuscate and muddy the waters by framing the Bill as part of a wider – and largely imported – ‘culture war’ agenda rather than the actual reality of ensuring that Hate Crime can be properly tackled.

Legislators in particular must not allow themselves to be sidetracked by such false narratives that have little to do with the substantive issues at stake.

For the LGBTQ+ community, passage of this Bill is a pressing priority.

Another important development this month has been the launch of a Public Consultation into how best the State can right the grave historical wrong that was the pre-1993 criminalisation of gay people.

We had the official State Apology to our community in 2018. We now need to ensure that anyone convicted of ‘crimes’ under these homophobic laws can have them fully disregarded.

Indeed, this Disregard Scheme should be seen as part of a wider process involving the Irish State ‘atoning’ for decades of repressive practices where church and state worked together in creating an Ireland that was a cold house for women and LGBTQ+ citizens in particular.

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FROM THE TEAM
Welcome, dear reader, to the December/January edition of GCN, an issue that serves the double purpose of closing out one year and welcoming in another.
NXF UPDATE
The National LGBT Federation (NXF) is glad to report that the long-awaited Hate Offences Bill was moved forward by Government in recent weeks.
HOMEWORKS
Fionn Kidney of the non-profit social enterprise Common Knowledge shares information on an essential new project which creates space for LGBTQ+ people to bring climate action home to Irish communities
A Pride of Prides
When Nicole Lee moved to Ireland in 2020, one of the things she was most excited about was Dublin Pride. When 2022 arrived, she decided to go all-out by attending not one, but five different Prides.
My Love Letter to the Punk Community
‘Punk is not dead.’ Al Fartukh heard this phrase far too many times before they even knew what punk was. They wrote it on bathroom walls, school books and even dreamed of having a tattoo of the phrase when they were a preteen, but they can now confidently say that it sure as hell is more alive than ever.
RED CARD
On December 2, 2010, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter revealed that Qatar would be the host nation for the men’s World Cup in 2022. Alice Linehan reports on how that decision has affected queer players and fans of football
Mind Matters
As the weather gets colder and the days shorter, those of us with seasonal depression, anxiety and other issues are bound to notice increased symptoms. But, as Ethan Moser explains, it would be remiss not to mention that LGBTQ+ folks are more likely to suffer from mental health issues than our cis-het counterparts.
Northern Star
Damian Kerlin takes a closer look at that jewel in the crown of Belfast’s queer nightlife, the much-loved Kremlin.
A SEAT AT THE TABLE
Whether you consider yourself young or old, ageing is something that affects us all. Han Tiernan talks about an essential roundtable discussion which happened as part of the Outburst Queer Arts Fest.
ELDERING
The god Thor was once beaten in an arm wrestle by a very aged crone, the tale illustrating that age will always defeat youth and vigour in the end. El’s suggestion of looking to our own folklore, such as the idea of Tír na nÓg, when thinking about time passing, was introduced during an online round table interview that Rita Wild hosted in November of behalf of GCN.
Outhouse
Antisocial Media
In October of this year, Elon Musk fulfilled the prophecy of his acquisition of Twitter, entering the company’s headquarters wielding a sink and a promise to become a “free speech absolutist”. Joe Drennan looks at the social media platform’s freefall since and its stark rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
A MESSAGE FROM THE STATE
After years of campaigning for appropriate legislation to protect marginalised groups, the Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences Bill 2022 is going through its second stage in the Dáil. The majority of EU countries already have existing legislation and in the current climate of increasing hate, Beatrice Fanucci echoes the voices who say it’s past time for Ireland to take action.
FINE ART
Living in a predominantly white country has made it easy to lose sight of the colours that different cultures have brought to Ireland from across the globe as queer People of Colour express their identities in beautiful ways, including performance, music and art. Al Fartukh spoke to a handful of queer Asian artists whose voices are becoming louder and more recognised with each of their artistic endeavours. They shared their influences, expressions and what it means for them to identify as queer and Asian.
A HIDDEN MINORITY
As of November 2022, the number of people registered as homeless in Ireland reached the highest on record - 11,397 without a home. Adding to the causes for concern about this issue is the immense cohort that remains statistically underrepresented - the LGBTQ+ community. Joe Drennan reports
QUEER–TOPIA –
2022 saw some massive shifts in Irish queer culture. From dealing with a spike in hate-fuelled attacks and persisting transphobia in Irish media to more hopeful displays of progress, the queer people
GCN Group Manager Michael Brett
And breathe…we made it to the end of the year. 2022, you were a rollercoaster of emotions! We emerged from the shadow of Covid-19 and finally celebrated Pride and queer events in-person across the country. Our light shone again, as we protested, partied, and paraded through the cities, towns, and villages of the country
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