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Una Mullally appointed Independent Chair of first LGBT National Youth Strategy

  • Consultations with young people to commence in New Year 
  • Statement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone

Author, Journalist and Activist Una Mullally has been appointed as Independent Chair of the group to oversee the first ever National LGBT Youth Strategy by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone.

The group will consult and work with young people across the country to develop a strategy which will address the challenges faced by young members of the LGBT community.

Making the announcement Minister Zappone said:

“The next year promises to be an exciting one as we develop a ground-breaking strategy to address the challenges faced by young LGBT people.

I am delighted that we have an exciting, inspiring and passionate Independent Chair in Una not only to guide the development of the strategy but to encourage all young people to take part.

We all remember when images of a sea of rainbow flags in the courtyard of Dublin Castle were beamed across the globe setting Ireland as a beacon for equality – it was a proud moment.

However for many in our community isolation, discrimination and bullying remain realities.

No doubt as Una and her colleagues, who we will be appointed in the New Year, begin their consultations young people will identify other challenges – and possibly bring us to conclusions which cannot be predicted.

As Minister I want this to be a very public, exciting and challenging process.”

The new Independent Chair, Una Mullally added:

“Ireland made great strides in 2015 with the positive outcome of the marriage referendum, and the Gender Recognition Act.

Although these two events were seismic, they are not panaceas when it comes to LGBT issues.

LGBT young people face a unique set of challenges when striving to fulfil their potential, particularly when it comes to mental health, facing bullying in schools, combatting negative stereotypes, and dealing with the anxiety of environments hostile to their sexuality or gender identity.

I’m looking forward to chairing the development of the first national LGBT strategy for young people, listening to the voices and concerns of LGBT young people, and working with the groups, organisations and individuals across Ireland who have done great work in this area, to come up with more solutions and actions to ensure that one’s sexuality or gender identity does not impede in any way a young person’s potential to live a life as fulfilling as their heterosexual peers.

As someone who grew up gay in Ireland, I understand the struggles and complexities of existing in a society that is sometimes hostile to your identity. I hope to bring that experience, as well as my work as an LGBT rights activist and advocate to this endeavour, and will also be guided by the experts in this field, and most importantly LGBT young people themselves.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

Una Mullally is a journalist, broadcaster, producer, author, activist and spoken word artist from Dublin.

She writes a twice-weekly column, features and interviews for The Irish Times and contributes opinion pieces to The Guardian. Her first book, In The Name Of Love, an oral history of the
marriage equality movement in Ireland, was published in December 2014.

Una was active in the marriage equality referendum in Ireland in 2015, advocating for a ‘Yes’ vote, appearing on television and radio debates, and co-founding Straight Up For Equality, an online platform for straight people to share their support for marriage equality.

A proud gay woman and feminist, she frequently appears on broadcast media in Ireland, Britain
and elsewhere advocating for LGBT rights and women’s reproductive rights. In 2015, she was named Journalist of the Year at the GALAS LGBT Awards.

In 2016, she received the Praeses Elit Award from the Dublin University Law Society, Trinity College. She helped establish The Women’s Podcast for the Irish Times and is a frequent contributor and producer. She has presented and produced television series and documentaries including Ceol ar an Imeall (TG4) and I Am Irish (RTE2). She co-founded Come Rhyme With Me, a queer spoken word event which acts as a fundraising mechanism for the LGBT resource centre Outhouse.