T here are many ways in which the internet and online spaces can help queer people find community. The ease of access, lack of cost and the privacy of online environments allow young people who are not yet out publicly to access information.
However, the internet is not always the best place to find community or information. In fact, social media can be rife with misinformation and is often prone to polarisation and fragmentation. For all of these reasons, I believe that curating LGBTQ+ clubs and other physical areas is vitally important.
My personal experience with physical queer spaces also shows me how important they are. I attended a youth group in Leixlip with other young queer people, and it was the first time that I felt a sense of community and safety from judgment about my identity. That group provided the safety I needed to explore my identity – including using different pronouns – long before I was ready to bring those conversations into my wider social circle.
On the surface, we were just playing games and doing crafts, but the impact was much deeper. I looked forward to it every month because it wasn’t just a group; it was a community where I finally felt I belonged.
I believe the importance of a physical LGBTQ+ space lies in the freedom it provides from the fixed roles we often play at home, school or work. It offers a neutral ground where we aren’t defined by others’ long-standing perceptions, allowing us to explore our authentic selves at our own pace before bringing that confidence back into our daily lives.
I believe that connecting with LGBTQ+ youth workers and mentors provides reassurance; seeing people at a different stage of life helps young people envision their own futures. Having these alternative spaces allows people to explore gender presentation and identity with the benefit of shared experience and advice. By making connections, we create a community where younger people feel anchored by the resilience of those who went before them, and other generations can celebrate how much Ireland has progressed.
It should be noted that while physical spaces offer vital connection, they also present privacy challenges that digital spaces may not. For young people who are not yet ‘out’, the visibility of attending a physical location can carry risks. We can address this by creating suitable safe environments and choosing local venues that are easily accessible independently. By prioritising confidentiality and offering a range of settings – some for those who are out and some for those who aren’t – we ensure that every young person can engage with a community of other LGBTQ+ young people at a level of visibility that feels safe and comfortable for them.
Another problem with the current state of physical queer spaces is how they are centred in urban areas, especially Dublin. This causes issues for people in rural areas with less reliable public transport, and can lead them to being isolated.
The best way for this to be resolved is through setting up different kinds of local spaces to allow queer young people to build a strong community where they live. A wider, more robust and reliable public transport system would also help, though that’s a big ask that requires collective action and government investment.
There are currently several events and spaces for queer people that we could model more local efforts around, such as Belong To’s weekly events for young people and Outhouse’s identity-specific weekly and monthly meetups. There could also be spaces like the queer library in Outhouse that could allow people to simply come and go at their own pace. By running more events like workshops, these physical spaces could also serve as a way to support local queer creatives, like musicians or artists.
By drawing inspiration from these established models, we can create hubs where every young person feels seen, supported and empowered to contribute to a vibrant, local queer culture.
Belong To – LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland is the national organisation for LGBTQ+ young people in Ireland. Belong To offers weekly youth groups in Dublin for all LGBTQ+ young people, as well as advice, information and crisis counselling for LGBTQ+ youth, and supports LGBTQ+ youth groups across Ireland. Find information on all of Belong To’s work at: www.belongto.org.