When I start playing a new game, there’s usually a stage where you’re asked what difficulty you’d like to play on. Typically, I pick in the middle somewhere. In real life, I didn’t have to make that choice. I’m a straight, white, male. My life has been set to easy. On a daily basis I come across some challenges, but in the big scheme of things they’re not that tough. Some other people have their lives set to medium, but I truly believe that members of the LGBTI+ are living in a world where the difficulty is set to that level you can only unlock after you’ve completed the game. It’s incredibly difficult.
June is Pride Month. As part of Pride Month, I wanted to show that Goosed.ie takes a position that supports people to live life whatever way makes them comfortable. Changing our logo to a pride flag is grand, but I wanted to do something more. That’s why we’re raising money for BeLonG To.
LGBTI+ Life Is Easier: The Bar Was Very Low
I’m proud when I think of Ireland legalising gay marriage among some other great referendums in recent years. It’s easy to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses as a result of all these changes, but the LGBTI+ community certainly doesn’t have it easy yet. Just this week in London, a couple were attacked on a London bus. The two women were attacked by a group of young men who taunted them and asked them to kiss.
I was recently in a pub where a group on a birthday bash passed me with printed shirts covered in marker. One had written, “fuck LGBTQ”. To be honest, I’m embarrassed right now to say I didn’t stop the guy and call him out. My silence, I fear, is typical the support that the LGBTI+ gets. I’m totally supportive, but I don’t go that extra mile to stamp out bigotry.
Simply put, members of the LGBTI+ community still face challenges on a daily basis that I can’t even imagine. When I think of that and then think about how difficult being a teenager can be in general. That’s why we’re supporting BeLong To this Pride Month.
Supporting LGBTI+ This Pride Month
As I was updating the Goosed.ie logo, I felt it was a bit superficial and wanted to do something just a little bit bigger. A few Google searched later and I found BeLonG To who had actually written about the young people within the LGBTI+ community need more than “token gestures” of support. BeLonG To is a national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland since 2003.
With 90% of Irish LGBTI+ youths struggling with their mental health and 76% of LGBTI+ youths finding school bullying as a source of anxiety, it becomes clear how difficult life can be for young people in a world that’s not always accepting.
So in short, that’s it. I feel it’s a great cause for us to throw our support behind. I do ask that if you can at all please support BeLonG To. By donating you will be supporting an organisation that makes a massive positive impact on young people’s lives.
Also, we’re offering advice and support to anyone from the LGBTI+ community who would like experience in writing, reviewing, managing social media, email marketing or SEO. Get in touch with us if it’s something you’d like to try out.
Donate to BeLonG To
We’ve pinned a post on our Facebook page where you can donate to BeLonG To. It’s also available below. If you have any hassle or questions about donating, drop me a mail.