When the Taoiseach today opens a new Outhouse gay community centre its manager, Louise Tierney, hopes he will see the barriers that still remain for gays
Confidence is high in our vibrant and dynamic community. Punitive laws have been deleted from our statute books. Societal intolerance and discrimination have dissipated. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered people can now live more 'open' lives.
Today, the Taoiseach will perform the official opening of our community centre, Outhouse. It's a milestone occasion because it allows us to reflect on how far we - as a society - have come in accepting diversity. It also presents an opportunity to discuss the issues now facing our community, and the responses required to deal with them into the future.
Outhouse grew out of a small advertisement that appeared in this newspaper almost 15 years ago. Homosexuality had just been decriminalised and the AIDS crisis was reaching a peak. While commercial gay bars and venues were springing up, the community centres and informal meeting spaces that existed in the 1980s were disappearing.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gendered (LGBT) community had no home. Going to a parish hall looking for space to accommodate a gay group was simply not an option.
We needed a resource centre where the LGBT community could meet freely and access services and support.
In 1997, Outhouse opened its doors and quickly became home to support groups dealing with issues like addiction, isolation and returning emigrants. Clubs and societies also flourished, like "Gay Star Trek" and "Soccer Supporters". A drop-in café offered people an opportunity to socialise outside of a bar setting.
Following two arson attempts and growing demand for services, Outhouse relocated to Capel Street five years ago. In that time, refurbishment work has allowed us to grow and offer increased services to our community. Up to 100 people come through the centre every day seeking support, friendship and services.
A new cohort of service users is older people who have been "out" for most of their adult lives. They are more likely to live alone than their heterosexual counterparts, without someone to take care of them if they fall ill. Sadly, many have taken leading roles as carers to their own parents only to find that similar supports are not available to them now.
There are new challenges facing the community in planning for old age. Many day care services presume heterosexuality and the LGBT community is concerned about encountering hostility if they access these services. Isolation within sheltered accommodation and in the wider community is also a genuine fear.
Evidence from the US suggests that older gay people postpone engaging with health services until they desperately need to. This means that when they eventually present, their quality of health is often poor.
Supports need to be developed within the LGBT community to include specialised day care services and independent housing options for gay seniors. Outhouse wants to be able to fill this void as we move into a new decade of service provision. This will require resources and the backing of our public health bodies. For the moment, the centre will continue to act as a critical contact point for many in our ageing community. Our café and evening meeting groups are a lifeline to many at risk of isolation.
Another new phenomena in our community is the arrival of immigrants who have come here with the expectation of greater freedom to express their orientation.
Their decision to leave their native country mirrors the exodus of Irish people to cities like New York and London just decades ago. Community centres were often their first port of call. These centres gave them a safe place to "come out" and experience contact with the wider gay community for the first time.
On an almost daily basis, Outhouse sees new immigrants. They can feel marginalised in close-knit structures like national support groups and bars, where "coming out" can be perceived as betrayal. Housing asylum seekers - without any consideration of sexual orientation - can result in unforeseen consequences, including victimisation.
But victimisation and hate crimes are not exclusive to new communities. Johnny - a peer group for gay men which is based at Outhouse - conducted a survey last year which concluded that 41 per cent of respondents had experienced "crimes". While incidents ranged from verbal abuse to physical assault, this is still significantly higher than a random sample of the population would experience. The same research showed that 81 per cent of those surveyed did not report the crimes. For Outhouse, Government and other authorities charged with promoting tolerance in our society, there are still obvious challenges to be overcome, both at national and EU levels.
One area where leadership could be demonstrated by the Government is in recognising gay relationships and family diversity.
People in our community are becoming more confident about family life and feel it is their right to form families. Many couples have children from previous relationships and there is increasing confidence among homosexual couples in starting families.
Legislative frameworks for non-biological parenting as well as recognition of civil partnerships - irrespective of gender and sexuality - must be priority areas of reform for the 30th Dáil.
It has taken a decade for Outhouse to develop our services, renovate our building and gain acceptance and respect in the wider community. Our official launch today is a celebration of what's been achieved, as well as laying a marker for what's ahead.
The Taoiseach, during his visit today, will see what can be achieved through genuine community spirit and volunteerism. He will also be made aware of the barriers we still face. His leadership on taking legislation to a new level will be vital in giving our community the rights and status that we deserve.
Outhouse Community Resource Centre is based at 105 Capel Street, Dublin 1 ( www.outhouse.ie or tel: 01-8734932)