Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is a victory. In that vein, I warmly welcome this debate and the opportunity for Senators to express their opposition to homophobic bullying in all forms, to propose some positive ideas on how to tackle the issue and to ensure the issue is high on the political agenda in order that tough anti-homophobic bullying measures and guidelines are put in place in workplaces and schools, where they are most sorely needed. As other Members have noted, homophobic bullying can occur anywhere to people of any age and in any profession or walk of life. It is not simply a matter for schools or businesses to deal with but rather is a matter for society as a whole and this important point must be remembered.

In common with other Members, I wish to focus in particular on homophobic bullying and its effect on young people. In common with my colleagues, I acknowledge the excellent work being carried out by the Gay + Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, and the BeLonGTo youth group which, as has been noted previously, has been running successfully the Stand Up! campaign, which has won praise from the United Nations for its quality. I also commend and acknowledge the work of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, which has played a progressive role on this issue.

It is not often we acknowledge the work being done in this area. It is crucial this work continues and that we listen to the experiences and ideas of people, including parents, who work with young people. Through my engagement with the youth organisation SpunOut, I have heard from young people who have experienced homophobic bullying at school that while there have been some improvements, it remains an extremely common issue in schools, which is worrying in this day and age. While the positive moves of recent years must be commended, we may need to open up our thinking and to look at related issues in terms of how they impact on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, LGBT, people in education.

I take the opportunity to thank two people from SpunOut, Patrick and Christine, for sharing their experiences with me. We can talk all day long in this House about issues but unless what we say is rooted in fact and real life experience, it will be irrelevant and will not help bring about progressive change. Christine spoke to me about how sex education in school dealt solely with heterosexual sex. The marginalising effect of this on young LGBT people needs to be considered. Christine also spoke of her experience of emotional blackmail by another school girl who became aware of her sexuality. While we have moved on, if the sexuality of a young school-going person is something that continues to stigmatised, we have a long way to go. This must be recognised.

Another young person, Patrick, raised with me a number of important issues which he believes need to be acted upon, including that homophobic bullying must be stopped immediately it occurs. The Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, stated that bullying can be insidious and that the dividing line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour is often a fine one. While we do not tolerate a festering of racist behaviour or abuse, some teachers and adults are uncomfortable or lack the knowledge to engage with homophobic bullying in a direct manner. This sense of discomfort needs to be addressed through education and positive peer pressure. A school's ethos should have no bearing on its approach to homophobic bullying. That is critical. Homophobia should be considered as unacceptable as racism or sexism. There should be no excuses for tolerating it. Any teacher or adult in a position of authority who does not immediately intervene when homophobic bullying occurs is failing young people and should be told so.

We are all aware of the prevalence of mental ill health in this country, in particular among young people in recent years. Bullying and being open about and dealing with one's sexuality can be a factor in this regard. Homophobic bullying is, therefore, a specific issue that must be dealt with sensitively but unflinchingly. I again commend the groups working to challenge homophobia, in particular those working with young people. I appeal to the Government and others to continue working with these groups. As I stated, we must be vigilant of homophobic bullying, ensure it remains on our agenda and is, where it occurs, constantly challenged. Like Senator van Turnhout and others I look forward to discussing the recommendations of the working group. I hope this is not just a once off debate cast into the chronicles in terms of what we have done. Young LGBT people need to be at the centre of our thinking. It is our voices rather than those of other interests that should provide guidance on this issue. This issue must remain on our agenda.