Gay Travellers Support Group

G.T.Support

Hi Guys n Gals

Just to let you know there's a new LGBT group for Gay Travellers starting up, and although in it's very early stages we are hoping that it will provide a platform for growth, expression and support to the many Gay and Lesbian Travellers out there.

When bearing in mind the cultural and social dynamics within the Irish Travelling community and it broader diaspora, being numbered among it's LGBTQ members is not only seen as a misplacement of norms and morals but is more or less an act of social suicide, as well as one with a high probability of isolation and violence.

Due to the tradition in which Travellers come from there is an especially high emphasis on expected gender roles, the nuclear family, procreation and very conservative religious values. Which leads most gay and lesbian Travellers to feel a strong sense of alienation from the community and develop an ambivalent or conflicted relationship about their own Traveller identity, and natural orientation.

In addition to the difficulty of homophobia in the Travelling community, Gay and Lesbian Travellers cannot always presume full acceptance from the broader queer community, which results with being on the cusp of both communities, often leading to depression, loneliness, desperation, forced marriages and even suicide.

If you are a member of the Travelling community, or know anyone who is and could benefit from the support a site and group brings, or would like to see Gay Travellers being acknowledged and respected within the LGBTQ community then it would be genuinely appreciated if you could pass on the below *website address.

www.gaypavee.yolasite.com

Much thanks,
G.T. Support

*Site address is subject to an upcoming change to a .com address

Peggypeg

Hello, I'm not gay or a member of the travelling community but I just wanted to say the best of luck with that, it sounds like a very useful and needed service.

KTRIC

Me neither but well done on this. I'd say its probably a lot harder to be LGBT in the travelling community than it is in the settled community.

Iwasfrozen

G.T.Support wrote:

When bearing in mind the cultural and social dynamics within the Irish Travelling community and it broader diaspora, being numbered among it's LGBTQ members is not only seen as a misplacement of norms and morals but is more or less an act of social suicide, as well as one with a high probability of isolation and violence.

This is the part I have a problem with, could you elaborate on it ?

Aard

Well done; I hope it works out.

satori

Iwasfrozen: It's kind of covered on the site.

From what I gather being an LGBT members of an already marganalised community must being with it many stresses, anxieties and genuine issues. As far as I am aware many Travellers even deny the existence of it's LGBT members, forcing them to move, sever bonds within the community or get married.

Out members run a specifically high risk of isolation and dual rejection by the travelling community itself and the larger one– on both grounds of being Gay as well as a Traveller, as well as the many recorded and unrecorded acts of violence and abuse, all too often resulting in a deeply unhappy life or even suicide.

The deep religious trends and observance with the Roman Catholic faith can also bring out a cultural abyss in which an individual is in conflict between their sexual orientation and heritage/sense of identity.

Well done guys, and if the GALA nominations weren't already set the group would definitely of gotten a vote from me!

L1011

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

This is the part I have a problem with, could you elaborate on it ?

Could you explain how/why you have a "problem" with it first, maybe?

HerbSimpson

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

This is the part I have a problem with, could you elaborate on it ?

Iwasfrozen you seem to pop up on every gay discussion thread to start an arguement on the pretence that you are just putting accross your opinion.

On reading through your past posts I'm very glad your opinions are now outdated. Is this where your username comes from ? You were frozen 100 years ago when your opinions were still relevant.

Many of your post are also very nasty, for example putting down an immigrant because his English isn't as good as you think it should be. Maybe you should request a Bitter Old Man thread.

Iwasfrozen

satori wrote: »

Iwasfrozen: It's kind of covered on the site.

From what I gather being an LGBT members of an already marganalised community must being with it many stresses, anxieties and genuine issues. As far as I am aware many Travellers even deny the existence of it's LGBT members, forcing them to move, sever bonds within the community or get married.

Well done guys, and if the GALA nominations weren't already set the group would definitely of gotten a vote from me!

But your painting all travellers with the one brush and calling them Anti - Homosexual. That is a very unfair generalization.

MYOB wrote:

Could you explain how/why you have a "problem" with it first, maybe?

Done so above.

HerbSimpson wrote:

Iwasfrozen you seem to pop up on every gay discussion thread to start an arguement on the pretence that you are just putting accross your opinion.

What Pretence ?

HerbSimpson wrote:

Many of your post are also very nasty, for example putting down an immigrant because his English isn't as good as you think it should be. Maybe you should request a Bitter Old Man thread.

I simply said her English wasn't very good, it wasn't.
And bitter old man ? I'm 17.

HerbSimpson

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

And bitter old man ? I'm 17.

Your only as old as you feel :pac:

rainbow kirby

HerbSimpson wrote: »

Your only as old who you're feeling :pac:

FYP :pac:

shay_562

Iwasfrozen wrote:

But your painting all travellers with the one brush and calling them Anti - Homosexual. That is a very unfair generalization.

It's a generalisation, true, but why is it unfair? I'll admit to not having any knowledge of the Travelling community's general attitude towards homosexuality, but they pride themselves on their difference from most of society - different culture, different values, different ways of treating and dealing with things than other groups in Ireland. It doesn't strike me as unreasonable to say that LGBT travellers may have a harder time than those in the settled community because of the vastly different social values that their community holds. It's not saying that every traveller is anti-gay; just that an anti-gay mentality may be more prevalent in their community.

Annasopra

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

But your painting all travellers with the one brush and calling them Anti - Homosexual. That is a very unfair generalization.

.

While the language used is a bit strong - they seem to be trying to give some context and explain that it is very difficult in the travelling community to be openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered

Iwasfrozen

shay_562 wrote: »

It's a generalisation, true, but why is it unfair? I'll admit to not having any knowledge of the Travelling community's general attitude towards homosexuality, but they pride themselves on their difference from most of society - different culture, different values, different ways of treating and dealing with things than other groups in Ireland. It doesn't strike me as unreasonable to say that LGBT travellers may have a harder time than those in the settled community because of the vastly different social values that their community holds. It's not saying that every traveller is anti-gay; just that an anti-gay mentality may be more prevalent in their community.

But your saying that Travellars are more likely to be Anti-Homosexual, that is totally unfair as I'm sure there are many tolerant Travellars.

Stark

I'm sure there are many tolerant Iranians as well. Doesn't change the fact that gay people face major issues though.

brandodub

I just want to wish this new support group the very best of luck. Help offered where needed is always appreciated.

Well Done

shay_562

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

But your saying that Travellars are more likely to be Anti-Homosexual, that is totally unfair as I'm sure there are many tolerant Travellars.

The two halves of your sentence don't connect. Saying that travellers are more likely, on aggregate, to be anti-homosexual doesn't preclude the idea that there are tolerant travellers, just like saying that fundamentalist Christians are more likely to be anti-homosexual doesn't mean that all of them are. You're reading inferences and suggestions into people's posts that simply aren't there, and I'm not sure if it's because you're bad at basic logical reasoning (you're 17 and your posts are poorly written, so this is entirely possible) or if you're just being deliberately obtuse in an attempt to spark controversy and fighting, essentially trolling (you're 17 and your posts are poorly written, so this is entirely possible), but either way this is the second thread you've popped up on doing this kind of thing and it's getting old.

Iwasfrozen

Stark wrote: »

I'm sure there are many tolerant Iranians as well. Doesn't change the fact that gay people face major issues though.

And if someone where to suggest that Iranians were more likely to be Anti-Homosexual then I would also have a problem with that.

shay_562 wrote:

The two halves of your sentence don't connect. Saying that travellers are more likely, on aggregate, to be anti-homosexual doesn't preclude the idea that there are tolerant travellers, just like saying that fundamentalist Christians are more likely to be anti-homosexual doesn't mean that all of them are. You're reading inferences and suggestions into people's posts that simply aren't there, and I'm not sure if it's because you're bad at basic logical reasoning (you're 17 and your posts are poorly written, so this is entirely possible) or if you're just being deliberately obtuse in an attempt to spark controversy and fighting, essentially trolling (you're 17 and your posts are poorly written, so this is entirely possible), but either way this is the second thread you've popped up on doing this kind of thing and it's getting old.

I never said that the OP was calling all travellers Anti-Homosexual, just that it is an insult to those that are tolerant to paint them all with the same brush. Perhaps you should brush up on your comprehension skills before you attack my reasoning skills.
But you're right this thread is just going to descend into another flame-fest.

Annasopra

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

I never said that the OP was calling all travellers Anti-Homosexual, just that it is an insult to those that are tolerant to paint them all with the same brush.

No-one is painting them all with the same brush

jaffa20

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

And if someone where to suggest that Iranians were more likely to be Anti-Homosexual then I would also have a problem with that.

I never said that the OP was calling all travellers Anti-Homosexual, just that it is an insult to those that are tolerant to paint them all with the same brush. Perhaps you should brush up on your comprehension skills before you attack my reasoning skills.
But you're right this thread is just going to descend into another flame-fest.

And you didn't generalise or paint all gay people with the same brush in the gay marriage thread?

CaptainSkidmark

never taught about gay travelers before if im honest!
Fair play to ye though!