President Mary McAleese today urged young people to stand up against those who bully their peers on the grounds of their sexual orientation.
Mrs McAleese addressed a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth forum in Galway.
"Celebrating and respecting diversity among young people is at the heart of this important forum. Homophobic bullying continues to be a society-wide issue, including in our schools and the link between it and suicide sends a clear message that this trend must be reversed," she said.
"By working together, by standing up for the democratic values that we share, by refusing to go along with loudly-voiced prejudices, we can overcome the bias and hostility experienced by many young gay people throughout the country. No-one should have to suffer on account of their sexual orientation."
The conference is organised by BeLonG To, a social and support group for young people between the ages of 14 and 23.