Homosexuality in Trinity

MedJelly

I will most likely be studying in Trinity this year. I would be grateful for any information on the "scene" - for the lack of a better word - and on how homosexuality is regarded in TCD.

Thank you.

Dave3x

I'm not part of the 'scene' myself, but there seems to be a perfectly healthy contingent in Trinity from my point of view. There's definitely a lack of extreme homophobia (at least from a neutral viewpoint, though perhaps those who may have suffered discrimination can elaborate). The LGBT are all nice people, too.

In the past year there was a big ruckus when the college paper, Trinity News, revelaed that parts of the college were being used for 'cruising'- i.e., homosexual men meeting up for casual sex in public places. This would suggest that there's enough of a gay community in the college! The college authorities clamped down hard on this, but then again, they'd do so if it was heterosexual sex going on in the college toilets too.

DaXiS

Gays are treated no different to others by vast majority of people.
Simple.

ApeXaviour

DaXiS wrote:

Gays are treated no different to others by vast majority of people.
Simple.

I wouldn't have put it so... succinctly. But yeah that's how it is. I'd go as far as saying this would be more true of trinity than most other places in the country.

Trinity News, revelaed that parts of the college were being used for 'cruising'- i.e., homosexual men meeting up for casual sex in public places. This would suggest that there's enough of a gay community in the college!

You misunderstood. It was very much implied that the students were not the perpetrators of this... scandal I suppose you'd call it. Those toilets were accessible from outside college and as such became a meeting point for a certain element of dublin underground (squirt.org) culture. I recall quite well the oh-so obviously not students, business attired men continually washing/drying their hands and making eye contact.

Yeah basically OP, there's an LGBT society, I believe they have tea and biscuits as well as a wii in their soc room. There's a rainbow week etc. The fact that these things exist though should not however preclude you from joining or partaking in other societies, clubs, scenes etc.

PHB

It's very common, it's very open, and nobody really cares that you're gay. It's all good.

Dave3x

Maybe I wasn't that clear- I was more trying to say "oh yeah, minor scandal happened" rather than "students sex up in toilets". Just in case the OP's heard anything about it. Don't know why I threw in that it suggests there's a strong gay community in college, other than the fact that I expect there was at least some minor student involvement.

Boston

What course?

Homosexuality in general seems like pretty much a non-issue. But it will largely be down to you how much it will effect your study.

I've been out for 3 Years in the Engineering and System sciences faculty. All my lecturers where aware as where all my class mates and probably most of the people doing labs/tutorials. I've never had any hassle what so ever, and I'd go as far as the say I'm one very good terms with most of the lectures I've had (judging by the number of congratulation emails/phone calls I received after my results came out). I never made it into a "thing" so neither did anyone else. When you think about it, its pretty irrelevant to from an education point of view.

Students: Some people will have a problem with it, the vast majority won't. Thats like everything though, there will be some people that won't want to know you because of where you're from or background, basically there's always some pricks.

LGBT: Join if you you feel you'll get something out of it. You'll have to use your own judgement on how good or bad it is. I've met some genuinely decent and sound people through that society and I've meet some absolute tools.

Nothing else really: If you're doing engineering and want someone to show you around/give you the low down, drop me a PM at some stage close to freshers week.

MedJelly

Thanks guys. This has been loads of help and has put my mind at ease.

Attractive Nun

Slightly OT, but out of curiosity would the OP or any other gay people (or straight people either) regard Ireland as being in any way homophobic anymore? Maybe it's just my own ignorance on the topic, but I have quite a few gay friends and I have never heard of any of them being discriminated against or abused in any way because of their sexuality. Granted, I live in Dublin and go to college in Trinity, so maybe these would be regarded as more 'liberal' parts of the country. But notwithstanding, I can honestly say that I don't know one person - adults included - that I would classify as in any way 'homophobic'. At most, when some of my friends came out there was a few people saying "that's weird".

As far as I can tell, homosexuality is a non-issue these days - and certainly so in Trinity.

MedJelly

I can't really answer that question because I haven't told anyone yet! But I suppose the fact that I haven't come out yet is evidence enough that I feel I might be treated differently, no?

snappieT

Attractive Nun wrote:

Slightly OT, but out of curiosity would the OP or any other gay people (or straight people either) regard Ireland as being in any way homophobic anymore?

Go score a guy on the boardwalk, or in Redz, or anywhere that isn't Dublin 2 for that matter.
I'll give you a tenner if you haven't been abused in some way or another after doing this.

OP: http://www.trinitylgb.org is the place to look. We'll have a stand during freshers week, you can sign up, and you'll get weekly emails for our events.
Trinity is a very gay-friendly place, I've only ever had one run-in in the 2 years I've been there, and that's just because the guys were drunken idiots.

Boston

Attractive Nun wrote:

Slightly OT, but out of curiosity would the OP or any other gay people (or straight people either) regard Ireland as being in any way homophobic anymore? Maybe it's just my own ignorance on the topic, but I have quite a few gay friends and I have never heard of any of them being discriminated against or abused in any way because of their sexuality. Granted, I live in Dublin and go to college in Trinity, so maybe these would be regarded as more 'liberal' parts of the country. But notwithstanding, I can honestly say that I don't know one person - adults included - that I would classify as in any way 'homophobic'. At most, when some of my friends came out there was a few people saying "that's weird".

As far as I can tell, homosexuality is a non-issue these days - and certainly so in Trinity.

Thats a fairly skewed view. I think people are becoming more able to separate there own personal morality from there jobs/social activity. For instance I know lecturers that are extremely religious and from knowledge of their faith I can infer what their view points of homosexuality is, but I never be able to tell other wise, and tbh, that's fine. Don't be fooled into thinking that everyone, or even everyone educated is ok with it.

MedJelly: You won't know what will happen until you do it.

snappieT: So like can I get that tenner off you? I've scored on the bordwalk and O'Connell street

Attractive Nun

Go score a guy on the boardwalk, or in Redz, or anywhere that isn't Dublin 2 for that matter.
I'll give you a tenner if you haven't been abused in some way or another after doing this.

Fair point.

CelloPoint

Lunch in the RC chaplaincy on Tuesdays is your best bet...

Tricity Bendix

CelloPoint wrote:

Lunch in the RC chaplaincy on Tuesdays is your best bet...

What a terribly insulting and horrendously inaccurate post.

godtabh

Boston wrote:

I've been out for 3 Years in the Engineering and System sciences faculty. All my lecturers where aware as where all my class mates and probably most of the people doing labs/tutorials. I've never had any hassle what so ever, and I'd go as far as the say I'm one very good terms with most of the lectures I've had (judging by the number of congratulation emails/phone calls I received after my results came out). I never made it into a "thing" so neither did anyone else. When you think about it, its pretty irrelevant to from an education point of view.

Can I ask how all your lecturers and class were aware you are gay?

When I was doing eningeering there were a few gay lads in the class and only due to the fact that these lads were in my group of friends I would never have known and I would have thought the same would have gone for the lecturers unless you told them.

kearnsr

kearnsr wrote:

Can I ask how all your lecturers and class were aware you are gay?

When I was doing eningeering there were a few gay lads in the class and only due to the fact that these lads were in my group of friends I would never have known and I would have thought the same would have gone for the lecturers unless you told them.

Heh, one of my best friends came out in Engineering and it spread around the class quite quickly.

godtabh

Myth wrote:

Heh, one of my best friends came out in Engineering and it spread around the class quite quickly.

Eningeers are the worst gossips!

Boston

Because I was going out with another guy in my year. We did all the things couples in the same course do together. Not only did it spread around the faculty, but apparently the whole college, as there where a serious number of people over in the arts block that thought all engineers where straight, and the world was ending or something. I never really understood that since as far as I could see there where loads of gay and bi-sexual people in the faculty. At the same time though it would have been quiet easy to limit knowledge to a select group.

shay_562

LGBT: Join if you you feel you'll get something out of it. You'll have to use your own judgement on how good or bad it is. I've met some genuinely decent and sound people through that society and I've meet some absolute tools.

I'd be of the opinion that the sound people outweight the absolute tools by a decent amount, but it's all opinions etc. So yeah, OP, definitely join it and try it out - it's really not for everyone, but at the very least you can bag a few free wine receptions. As for TCD in general, it'd be lying to say that no one will have an issue with it, but the vast majority of people are grand.

CelloPoint

b.ie polar wrote:

What a terribly insulting and horrendously inaccurate post.

At least nobody's under any illusions re: the Catholic church's position on sexual acts involving anuses. With all respect to the OP, not everybody wants to socialise/be associated with people who openly associate themselves in such activities.

Thelikefaneire

Meh i dont know anything about it but it seems like a very open acpect of life in trinity. I find it anoying though since im a straight guy in nursing so most people expect me to be gay, when the truth is there is very few of the few guys on our course that are actully gay.

CelloPoint

Thelikefaneire wrote:

Meh i dont know anything about it but it seems like a very open acpect of life in trinity. I find it anoying though since im a straight guy in nursing so most people expect me to be gay, when the truth is there is very few of the few guys on our course that are actully gay.

How a man (particularly one surrounded by beautiful young women) could end up with anal inclinations is beyond me

Stargal

CelloPoint wrote:

How a man (particularly one surrounded by beautiful young women) could end up with anal inclinations is beyond me

/yawns

Is it just me or are the trolls getting less imaginative?

Thelikefaneire

CelloPoint wrote:

How a man (particularly one surrounded by beautiful young women) could end up with anal inclinations is beyond me

Lol, you'd be surprised. Mainly its just one guy whos extreemly camp, other than that theres a really old guy who apparently lives with a guy half his age.

ApeXaviour

CelloPoint banned for trolling. Lets refrain from judging lifestyles shall we?

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Trolling? Seemed like an innocent joke, playing on the supposed fact that Nursing is full of hot girls...people need to not take things so seriously.

ApeXaviour

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote:

Trolling? Seemed like an innocent joke, playing on the supposed fact that Nursing is full of hot girls...

I disagree

Boston

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote:

Trolling? Seemed like an innocent joke, playing on the supposed fact that Nursing is full of hot girls...people need to not take things so seriously.

No one cares what you think

Sangre

Well the SU President for 2007/2008 is gay.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Boston wrote:

No one cares what you think

What the **** is your problem? I didn't realise I wasn't allowed express my opinion here. Also didn't realise you speak for everyone.

Time Magazine

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote:

What the **** is your problem?

He's an engineer.

I didn't realise I wasn't allowed express my opinion here.

On-thread's not the place to do it, it's thread-spoiling. Pissing in the thread's cornflakes. Also, no offence, I don't think people will listen to you when you tell them to calm down: weren't you banned for about six months for going berserk?

Also didn't realise you speak for everyone.

He doesn't. I find Boards much easier since I put him on ignore a few months ago.

Pet

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote:

What the **** is your problem? I didn't realise I wasn't allowed express my opinion here. Also didn't realise you speak for everyone.

He doesn't.

Also, apparently God hates Ireland these days, at least according to Fred Phelps. Hi-larious.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Pet wrote:

Also, apparently God hates Ireland these days, at least according to Fred Phelps. Hi-larious.

Oh that Fred What Will He Get Up To Next?

Anyone remember him appearing on the Adrian Kennedy Phoneshow on fm104 a few years back?

ApeXaviour

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI wrote:

Oh that Fred What Will He Get Up To Next?

Anyone remember him appearing on the Adrian Kennedy Phoneshow on fm104 a few years back?

I do, when I used to listen to that show (can't bear it now, must have turned into a bit of a snob I suppose). I remember he hung up when adrian posed an argument to him. He seemed to be of the opinion the host was meant to stay impartial. Adrian kept checking whether he really did hang up. Also remember when they had a PR/lawyer guy of theirs come on a year or two later. He was useless, just kept saying "well, that's what these people believe" etc.

tbh I'm really really glad to see there's a godhatesireland site. Shows we're really progressing. Okay me tired, me unable to write well. night

Boston

hmm Ibid has me on ignore which is odd, can't remember ever interacting with him. strokes chin in meaningful manner...

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI: I was only having a laugh like, you take things too seriously.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Boston: OK fair enough, I apologise Sorry, I've had enough of closed-minded people getting all self-righteous, I jumped the gun there.

ApeXaviour: Me too, haven't listened to it in years I seem to remember him getting thoroughly perplexed when some biddy rang up and said "of course God hates fags, they're terrible for your health" cackled and hung up Classic!

Bubs101

I thought everyone in Trinity was gay?

Time Magazine

Hohoho, oh the wit slays me ¬_¬.

And we're all upstanding Protestant Members of Parliament, too.

Rule Britannia!

Time Magazine

Oh, come here you!

Pet

I the Queen.

Boston

Pet wrote:

I the Queen.

I was going to say the same thing, even had it typed up, but then i was like "what if they think I'm gay, disaster".

godtabh

Ibid wrote:

He's an engineer.

Them's fighting words!

Boston

kearnsr wrote:

Them's fighting words!

Thats ok, we may be engineers, but he's unemployable.

Time Magazine

kearnsr wrote:

Them's fighting words!

Me, you, Oaklawn Green opposite your gaf, 3pm.

godtabh

Ibid wrote:

Me, you, Oaklawn Green opposite your gaf, 3pm.

Where is Oaklawn Green and 3pm on what day? I just need to make sure I'm not washing my hair

Time Magazine

kearnsr wrote:

Where is Oaklawn Green

Pfft it's the green behind the trees that line the road opposite (what I believe to be) the place where you live. Get with the community, dude.

and 3pm on what day?

Caturday.

I just need to make sure I'm not washing my hair

Homosexuality, engineers and Trinity just made a new connection.

Sangre

What about our rights?

Just saw two guys scoring at the cricket pitch. They started getting huffy when I started burning an effigy of David Norris and chanting 'death to fágs'.

Fúcking intolerant gays.

ApeXaviour

I'd love to see what an effigy of Sen. Norris would look like... Maybe it could be made in that with that frisbee catching pose
A big Jordan logo would do then, just paint it white and dress it in a suit. Sure doesn't have to be too accurate. I'm sure everyone would know who it is