Read our April 2021 Newsletter

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Survey Results Are In

Survey shows urgent need for supports for Clare’s LGBTQ+ community 

80% of respondents to an online survey aimed at members of the LGBTQ+ community in Clare said they would like to have more connection with other LGBTQ+ people. Over half of all respondents did not feel sufficiently connected and supported in their community. 

The survey, which was conducted during March as part of a short-term project called LGBTQ+ Clare, highlights an urgent need for supports and services for the LGBTQ+ community in the county. 

More than 70% of respondents had faced discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. Many respondents felt there was a lack of LGBTQ+ focused mental health supports in the county and that they would benefit from improved mental health services. More than 30% of respondents did not feel their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are understood when they engage with services in Clare. 

Some also called for community specific sexual health clinics and better access to gender-affirming hormones. 

Many respondents said they would benefit from an LGBTQ+ cafe, pub or community space in order to meet others who identify in a similar way. Others felt that businesses in Clare could openly show their support for the community by placing flags, stickers, etc. on their premises. 

The survey results point to several key issues that need to be addressed:
• Education concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and other spaces.
• Improved visibility and support from the wider community.
• Access to healthcare, particularly sexual orientation and gender identity focused mental health supports.
• The formation of an LGBTQ+ social/peer group in Clare.
• The creation of a confidential helpline that those struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity can reach out to. 

Overall, there is evidently a strong desire to form a social group, preferably a meet-and-greet to improve inclusivity and visibility in the Clare area. There is a lack of gender-neutral spaces for trans and non-binary individuals such as locker rooms and bathrooms. 

The survey results point to a lack of education both in schools and other spaces on issues pertaining both to sexual orientation and gender identity. 

To conclude, the LGBTQ+ community in Clare would greatly benefit from better access to healthcare and mental health supports. Many members of this community report a lack of connection within their community and many are still facing some form of discrimination here in Clare. There are steps which can be taken in order to improve the experience of this community, as outlined above. 

More than 50 people from across Clare took part in the survey. 

LGBTQ+ Clare is a short-term project run jointly by Clare PPN, Clare Women’s Network, Clare Local Development Company and Rape Crisis Midwest, and supported by The Department of Rural and Community Development and Clare County Council. 

LGBTQ+ Clare is currently planning its next steps. If you would like to be part of the organising group or you would like some more information, please get in touch by emailing: lgbtq.clare@gmail.com 

Survey aims to bring out the rainbow for Clare’s LGBTQ+ community

What would bring out the rainbow for LGBTQ+ people in Clare? What services and supports could make this community more visible, more connected and improve their quality of life? These are among the questions asked in an online survey launched today by LGBTQ+ Clare, a new project to establish the needs of this community in the Banner County.

LGBTQ+ Clare would like to hear from LGBTQ+ people about how connected they are to other LGBTQ+ people in Clare, whether they feel their identity and/or gender are understood and respected, or whether they experience discrimination.

The county-wide survey is being launched by LGBTQ+ Clare, a short-term project run jointly by Clare Local Development Company, Clare Public Participation Network, Clare Women’s Network and Rape Crisis Midwest, and funded through Clare County Council.

The survey will be available until the closing date of March 31st, 2021 and can be found here  

The survey results will help to assess what services and supports would improve local engagement and community spirit within the LGBTQ+ community in the Clare area. The organisations involved also hope to use the survey results to organise activities and opportunities including social meet-ups, political participation, campaigns and possibly a Pride event in Clare.

“The aim is to make the supports and services that are available for LGBTQ+ people in other parts of the country available to you in Clare, whether you’re in Killaloe, Kilfenora or Carrigaholt,” said Meabh Sexton of LGBTQ+ Clare.

“Considering the pandemic, now more than ever it is important to have these local services. We don’t want members of the community traveling to other counties to avail of services that could be provided here in Clare and we need people to engage and reach out within the LGTBQ+ community.”

Njabulo of LGBTQ+ Clare added: “This is Clare reborn, we are ensuring our visibility and taking up space in society with pride. For so long, we have been invisible. We really encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community in Clare to take this survey. This is a great opportunity to have your voice heard.”

“We know there are LGBTQ+ people in Clare of all ages, we know disability activists who are LGBTQ+ and we know too that there are LGBTQ people of migrant, Traveller and Roma backgrounds in Clare and we want to make sure that we hear every voice and view possible. Hopefully this survey can help us set up ways to communicate and build a supportive LGBTQ+ community across these differences.”

The survey is anonymous and confidential, although the findings may be published and used to inform the work of the organisations involved. No one will be identifiable from any report or publication arising from the survey.

Living and Learning Communities Project

The Living and Learning Community Training Project is a unique opportunity for all community groups to receive professional training in media literacy and production.  There is a further exciting chance for groups to receive further intensive training through which they produce audio and/or film pieces conveying a message of their choosing. 

Through a series of workshops delivered via blended learning (online and in-person), participants will learn how to do the following: 

• Tell your own story: Ensuring your perspectives are seen & heard as you want them to be 
• Gain Media Skills: helping groups in doing future media projects (from Oral History to YouTube videos) 

• Reflect & Distil: reflect on what you do as a community, and why you do it. 
• Build skills for the future: 
  • Getting people on the same page 
  • Rebuilding Momentum 
  • Reframing your story 
  • Communicating what you do and why – a vital skill for completing funding applications, mobilising volunteers, and fundraising 

How to get involved? 

Proposals to participate in this project are now invited from community groups for support through this Notice of Interest Form. Download the form here 

For this notice of interest, groups will identify one potential story they want to tell – it could be the story of the group or of an initiative or a one-off event. Picking which story or which aspect of your bigger story to tell can be a real challenge. Groups can often be involved in many different initiatives – Here are some questions to get your group thinking when weighing up different possible stories before you complete this simple form: 

• Catalyst: Was there a “Eureka” moment/“This can’t go on”? 
• Impact: Is there any consequences of this happening? 
• Risk: Is there any consequences of it not happening? 
• Transformation: Are we in a very different place than we were once? Where was that place? 
• Hope: Are we going to a very different place than we are now? Where will that be? 
• Time: Is there something that must be done by a particular time? 
• Context: What’s the Backdrop? Where does all this come together?

And remember it doesn’t have to be hugely dramatic. A simple competition about flower boxes can be about pride of place, and reputation, and building community. 

Closing date for Expression of interest Tuesday 9th of March  If you would like to learn more about this project please contact Monica McKenna at mmckenna@cldc.ie or at 0871121396.