2015 was the busiest year ever for the LGBT Helpline, the national support service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Almost 77,000 people accessed information and support through the organisation’s telephone helpline and online services last year, with demand highest during the week leading up to the marriage equality referendum last May.
These findings are included in the 2015 annual report of the LGBT Helpline, which was launched today (01.02.16) by the Minister for Equality, New Communities and Culture and Drugs Strategy, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD.
Commenting at the launch, Paula Fagan, National Coordinator for the LGBT Helpline, said: “2015 was an incredible year for LGBT people and LGBT rights. Key pieces of legislation were enacted – on same sex parenting rights, gender recognition and the removal of discriminatory clauses from the Employment Equality Acts. However, it was the momentous and emotive marriage equality campaign that was felt most deeply.
“While the outcome of the referendum was incredibly positive, the time leading up to the vote was very stressful for LGBT people and their families and friends. As the nation debated the referendum, many LGBT people sought support from our services to cope with the intensity of having their lives debated in public, or to deal with negative attitudes expressed by family members or friends.
“In the week leading up to and including the referendum, we saw traffic to our website increase by 65 per cent on the same time period the previous year. We also received hundreds of calls to our helpline as we became the go-to space for people who wanted to talk about something negative they had heard expressed about ‘gay people’ on radio, TV, on the bus or while out canvassing.”
Key Statistics from the Annual Report
In total, the LGBT Helpline received 3,609 calls last year, a 13 per cent increase on 2014. The organisation had 73,000 visitors to its website, www.lgbt.ie, and supported 162 people through its online instant messaging service. A further 37 people participated in peer support groups.
Over half (54 per cent) of those contacting the LGBT Helpline last year were aged between 36 and 55, with 14 per cent of callers aged over 56. According to Paula Fagan: “Over two thirds of our callers were over the age of 36, highlighting the fact that many people struggle with sexuality and gender issues well beyond their teenage years. Older adults can face significant additional barriers to coming out; many callers in the older age brackets were married or in long-term heterosexual relationships and had children.”
The LGBT Helpline categorises the calls it receives under two categories: support and information. Five main issues arose during support calls last year:
- Sexuality / coming out (37 per cent of all support calls).
- Family and relationship problems (36 per cent of support calls).
- Gender identity issues (16 per cent of support calls).
- Health concerns (6 per cent of support calls).
- Violence, including homophobic and transphobic bullying and abuse (4 per cent of support calls).
During information calls, the most frequently sought information was in relation to LGBT-friendly counsellors and psychotherapists. Other common requests included information on parent support groups, LGBT youth groups, sexual health services and support groups for married people in heterosexual relationships who were questioning their sexual identity.
According to the LGBT Helpline, mental health issues arose in the majority of calls to its services last year. Key service developments during the year included:
- The establishment of an online instant messaging support service.
- The recruitment and training of 44 new volunteers.
- The establishment of new regional helplines in Galway and Kerry; and the commencement of planning for a helpline in Kilkenny.
- The first full year of operations for three peer support groups, which had been established at the end of 2014. Two of these provide for straight people in a relationship with a partner / spouse who is questioning their sexual identity or who has revealed that they are LGBT. The third group provides support for women who are married or in a long-term heterosexual relationship and who are exploring their own sexuality or gender identity.
- The provision of LGBT awareness training to 370 representatives of third-party organisations, including Samaritans and Parentline.
Official Launch by Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Officially launching the LGBT Helpline annual report today, Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said: “Although 2015 was a hugely celebratory year for supporters of LGBT rights, this report shows that it was also a highly stressful time.
“LGBT people had their lives dissected and debated in public, and the LGBT Helpline must be commended for providing a range of services responding to the pressures faced by the LGBT community.”
