Sir, – Derek Byrne’s take on a State apology to gay men was a difficult read (Opinion, December 22nd). Having been born into a post-decriminalisation Ireland, I escaped much of the trauma and distress he endured as a gay man.
And yet, his anger is still mine. His sadness is still mine. The LGBT+ communities in Ireland would be better served by the actions of their State, not its words.
The provision of life-saving medications such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is already a huge boon. The Gay Men’s Sexual Health clinic is another great resource supplied by the HSE, but its services are only available from certain locations around Dublin.
Widening access to information about HIV and STI prevention is something the State can work towards. There is also more support needed for transgender people, because they and their families still struggle for political and legislative recognition in Ireland. My take is that the State should seek approval on the merit of what it does for the people and not what it says in a press release. – Yours, etc,
DAVID JOHNSTON,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.