COVID 19 - LGBTQ Information and resources

Annasopra

Irish LGBT services/spaces

Irish LGBT Community services

Irish guidelines for trans people using hormones at present

Restricted Sexual health clinic details here

Sexual Health Advice from MPOWER - a Dublin group

Covid Chest Binding Reccomendations from GCN

Cork Sexual Health Centre sexusl health advice

New Older and Bolder group set up by LGBT Ireland to assist older people during current downtime




International news pieces or resources regarding Covid 19 and our Vulnerabilities as LGBTQIA+ people


American article on how it has the potential to affect LGBTQ people

American article on how our sex lives might be changed

Australian info podcast on sex, intimacy and safeness

American article on why Covid 19 poses higher risks for LGBTQ people

UN AIDS article on HIV/Covid 19

Stonewall UK resources

Also

In this thread you are advised to avoid casual hook ups. Please heed that advice.

GCN Facebook event on April 16th https://m.facebook.com/events/2515954578621218

AllForIt

I never read such garbage in all my life.

A virus does not affect any minority any more or less than anyone else.

To say that LGBT+ smoke more than anyone else is one cheap argument to 'specialize' those who are LGBT. Smoking rates in Glasgow are much higher than say Leeds so why not make an issue of that as well.

All the left does is separate people, not bring them together and that is one of the greatest ironies of the current daft left.

I as a gay person will act in complete solidarity with everyone in my community, and not suggest I have special needs besides anyone else in this crisis because of my sexuality.

US2

It will effect the LGBT community the same as everyone else fcuking hell . Posts like this dont help the cause at all

nthclare

Covid 19 doesn't discriminate, whether you're a loner, socialite, gay, bi, straight, swinging, or whatever else in your life life if you're congregating closer than close then you're more than likely to get a better chance of corona.

Wandering around with a towel wrapped around you in a sweaty sauna might be some people's idea of fun if that's their thing more power to them im not judgmental
. My friend Pat who frequently goes across the country to the boiler house would be absolute madness.

Are those places closed now, the saunas etc?

JCX BXC

What utter drivel. It's this commentary that does more damage to the gay rights movement than most other things.

Such a pity, you can only play the victim where you are being victimised, otherwise it's regressive.

nthclare

JCX BXC wrote: »

What utter drivel. It's this commentary that does more damage to the gay rights movement than most other things.

Such a pity, you can only play the victim where you are being victimised, otherwise it's regressive.

Some people are fighting to be equal in society, all it takes is the usual bell ends to ruin a lot of hard work and cohesion.

As a bi man who's out, I cannot understand why people would use their sexuality for the purpose of being special or any different from others.

Lgbt are vulnerable to the corona virus, so are every one else.

Why have a thread about one sexuality being more prone to the virus than say others ?

What makes lgbtq people any different, straight people have fun too, they mingle, they are sexualy active, they swing sometimes, have multiple partners...

A thread like this creates division rather than inclusiveness.

Aren't we all in this together

Runaways

AllForIt wrote: »

I have been intending for a long time to start a thread on the current Left's disastrous influence on Gay rights. Note 'Gay' rights, not LGBT right's. I'll leave it for now but will save it for a better time.

Can you identify these ‘lefts’ you keep mentioning in every single post? They sound dangerous and we’re a small country I want to be able to identify them when I can.
Thanks in advance.

Barna77

"Change sex lives"
Log into any app and you'll see that nothing has changed

Peregrinus

Obviously, if you’re an LGBTQI individual who smokes, goes clubbing a lot and has lots of casual sex with a variety of partners, the CV19 risk factors for you are that you smoke, go clubbing a lot and have lots of casual sex with a variety of partners. That you’re LGBTQI? Not so much a risk factor.

But, two things:

First, if - and, I cannot stress this enough, I really mean if - it’s true that the LGBTQI community has an above-average proportion of people in it who smoke, go clubbing, etc, then it’s going to be more adversely impacted as a community by CV19. If a large part of your social/personal connections are with/through this community, then it’s likely that a higher proportion of your friends and connections are going to be adversely affected by CV19. You’re going to notice this both in terms of the number of people you know who are adversely affected, and in terms of the general disruption to your social life and friendship circle, the scaling down or cancellation of common social activities, etc. This is going to happen for everybody, but it’s likely to happen to a somewhat greater degree for people whose social connections are oriented to the LGBTQI community.

Secondly, if (and, again, note the “if”) you’re a non-smoker who likes the quiet life and the occasional cup of tea curled up with a good book, but many of the people you regularly meet smoke, go clubbing, etc, then yeah, you are at increased risk of catching CV19 from your friendship group. Because of the highly contagious nature of this disease, someone who engages in higher-risk behaviours increases the risk not only for himself but also for his family, neighbourhood, social and work connections. We cannot say that this is a matter of personal choice that affects no-one else; it has significant implications for others. You can protect yourself against this, to a large extent, by self-isolating, but few of us are in a position to completely self-isolate for very long and, to the extent that we do have contact with others, we are reliant on them to have taken the steps they can to minimise the chance of infection.

This goes not mean that LGBTQI people are “dangerous” or “high-risk”. There is no reason to think that LGBTQI people are less likely than others to take proper steps to minimise the danger to themselves and others of CV19 infection. It may mean that taking those steps will be more disruptive, more unsettling for them but, frankly, it is going to be pretty disruptive and unsettling for everyone.

Quantum Erasure

Barna77 wrote: »

"Change sex lives"
Log into any app and you'll see that nothing has changed

that's the problem

AllForIt

Peregrinus wrote: »

Obviously, if you’re an LGBTQI individual who smokes, goes clubbing a lot and has lots of casual sex with a variety of partners, the CV19 risk factors for you are that you smoke, go clubbing a lot and have lots of casual sex with a variety of partners. That you’re LGBTQI? Not so much a risk factor.

In my experience gay men (and I know that's just a section of lgbt+ but a significant proportion) are healthier than the average hetro proportionality i.e. go to the gym, work out, especially older gays who are not married and tied down with kids who have the time and money to look after themselves as they get older, and wish to preserve their looks : )

The demographic that is most unhealthily are the lower working classes. We all know that to true, where obesity levels and smoking % is at it's highest in the populace. Therefore it might be a valid argument to say that the lower working classes are disproportionately more at risk and not the LGBT+ community and thus LGBT don't deserve to be singled out as some especially vulnerable group.

I'm not sure about how promiscuity plays into this so I'll leave that out, but the OP didn't say it was a reason for special status of 'vulnerability'.

Looking at what has been going on in London with instructions being ignored in respect of social gatherings, I can't think that 'gay' clubbing poses any more of a threat than it does for hetros, so again that's another special status claim I think is invalid.

But to get back to the virus itself, I feel that the ppl who are most vulnerable are ppl who are not just suffering from some underlying conditions but who are physically weak in general. Whether that's a result of come condition or years of physical inactivity where one's body doesn't have the stamina to handle something new where there is no vaccine. That could be anybody, no matter how rich or poor, what one's sexuality is, or any other social characteristic.

hotmail.com

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Please find some news pieces regarding Covid 19 and our Vulnerabilities as LGBTQIA+ people

American article on how it has the potential to disproportionately affect LGBTQ people

American article on how our sex lives might be changed

Australian info podcast on sex, intimacy and safeness

American article on why Covid 19 poses higher risks for LGBTQ people

Also

In this thread you are advised to avoid casuall hook ups. Please heed that advice.

UN AIDS article on HIV/Covid 19


Covid Chest Binding Reccomendations

Restricted Sexual health clinic details here
https://www.hivireland.ie/hiv/testing/free-hiv-sti-testing-centre-locator/

So a thread on how it will affect American lgbt members?

Ten of Swords

Mod

As per the forum charter we expect civil discussion in all threads. A number of posts in this thread have been deleted for falling far short of this requirement.

Read the charter and put your points forward in a mature and constructive way. Do not respond to this notice on thread, PM if you wish.

Barna77

https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/03/22/8-men-arrested-for-hosting-drug-fuelled-orgy-during-coronavirus-lockdown-in-spain/

Nothing to see here....

AllForIt

3. LGBTQ+ people continue to experience discrimination, unwelcoming attitudes, and lack of understanding from providers and staff in many health care settings, and as a result, many are reluctant to seek medical care except in situations that feel urgent – and perhaps not even then.

The thing that most annoys me about this is the above which is parroted verbatim in many of the links in the OP.

The idea that LGBT would not turn up to be tested for fears of discrimination in Western counties is not only completely unbelievable but an utter insult to the medical staff who have gone out of their way, round the clock, putting themselves at threat, some coming out of retirement to help in this time of solitary and increased need.

This is civil discussion and I would like any person in the LGBT community to tell me why there is a need for any thread discussing how a global pandemic would affect anyone differently or particularly because of their sexual preference.

I as a straight white man, would be deeply offended if someone started a thread about how this affects straight people or how this affects white people. I am glad to see that many people in the LGBT community feel that such a thread is an insult to their identity.

Goodshape

Deleted User wrote: »

This is civil discussion and I would like any person in the LGBT community to tell me why there is a need for any thread discussing how a global pandemic would affect anyone differently or particularly because of their sexual preference.

Because we are a community and we do have particular and distinct needs and resources, and as a community we try to support each other.

I don't see why this needs to be an us vs them situation. I've seen support and resources threads for covid-19 in many regional forums. I'd expect if I went looking I would find them in other community or social-group forums too. If they're relevent to you, you may find them useful. If they're not, then why are you even here?

Smegging hell

Goodshape wrote: »

Because we are a community and we do have particular and distinct needs and resources, and as a community we try to support each other.

I don't see why this needs to be an us vs them situation. I've seen support and resources threads for covid-19 in many regional forums. I'd expect if I went looking I would find them in other community or social-group forums too. If they're relevent to you, you may find them useful. If they're not, then why are you even here?

+1 Completely OTT response to the opening post.

Runaways

There’s so much wrong with that opening post where to even begin

JCX BXC

Goodshape wrote: »

Because we are a community and we do have particular and distinct needs and resources, and as a community we try to support each other.

I don't see why this needs to be an us vs them situation. I've seen support and resources threads for covid-19 in many regional forums. I'd expect if I went looking I would find them in other community or social-group forums too. If they're relevent to you, you may find them useful. If they're not, then why are you even here?

Because plenty of LGBTQI+ people are here and find it completely abhorrent. Creating divisions is what the OP does, an Us Vs Them situation is what the OP even vaguely suggests, it's like having a thread on how COVID-19 could/can affect coeliacs!

I always find it so ironic and infact mentally defeating, that often those who shout loudest about equality in society are most intent on creating these divisions.

We need a unified approach, not more of this how can it effect me more than a member of 'xxx' group.

We are not different, we are the same here, so why create divisions where there is no need for such?

Goodshape

JCX BXC wrote: »

Because plenty of LGBTQI+ people are here and find it completely abhorrent. Creating divisions is what the OP does, an Us Vs Them situation is what the OP even vaguely suggests, it's like having a thread on how COVID-19 could/can affect coeliacs!

I always find it so ironic and infact mentally defeating, that often those who shout loudest about equality in society are most intent on creating these divisions.

We need a unified approach, not more of this how can it effect me more than a member of 'xxx' group.

We are not different, we are the same here, so why create divisions where there is no need for such?

What divisions? The OP is a list of links and resources which this community might find useful. I’m absolutely failing to see the problem.

There are Covid-19 threads for parents, athletes, people from Donegal, there’s one on the Chess forum for crying out loud.

Why don’t you go and shout at the chess community for creating division?

JCX BXC

Goodshape wrote: »

What divisions? The OP is a list of links and resources which this community might find useful. I’m absolutely failing to see the problem.

There are Covid-19 threads for parents, athletes, people from Donegal, there’s one on the Chess forum for crying out loud.

Why don’t you go and shout at the chess community for creating division?

The difference is these are all how to cope, discussing the coronavirus issues themselves in smaller threads, businesses closing etc, it's fairly obivous the difference.

Did you at least read the title of the links in the OP?

Annasopra

Smegging hell wrote: »

+1 Completely OTT response to the opening post.

The opening post was a list of some information links. Some of the information in them is disputable. Some is not. Others are useful information. The demand in the boards.ie help desk to delete this entire thread is completely absurd.

Goodshape

JCX BXC wrote: »

The difference is these are all how to cope, discussing the coronavirus issues themselves in smaller threads, businesses closing etc, it's fairly obivous the difference.

Did you at least read the title of the links in the OP?

I read the titles and skimmed the articles. Baffled by the response here. This could have been a thread on how to cope and the issues which affect us, but instead it's a bitch and moan and accusations that LGBT+ people are "playing the victim card" or some nonsense.

Ridiculous.

JCX BXC

Goodshape wrote: »

but instead it's a bitch and moan and accusations that LGBT+ people are "playing the victim card" or some nonsense.

You realise that a fair whack of the replies are likely from LGBT+ people?

If you're referring to my comment, I never said LGBT+ people were playing the victim card, I alluded to the fact that threads like this come across as so.

Annasopra

Again. It's just some links and information. Nothing else.

Girly Gal

I fail to see how Covid-19 is going to affect the LGBT+ community any differently than the rest of society. Covid-19 does not distinguish between different people regardless of colour, creed or sexuality. We are all susceptible to it if exposed to it. it will affect everyone and every group in society. Some people will be at a higher risk due to their jobs or may have inadvertently come into contact with someone who already had the virus before the current restrictions were put in place. Unfortunately it will continue to affect all our lives for the foreseeable future.

AllForIt

Goodshape wrote: »

What divisions? The OP is a list of links and resources which this community might find useful. I’m absolutely failing to see the problem.

There are Covid-19 threads for parents, athletes, people from Donegal, there’s one on the Chess forum for crying out loud.

Why don’t you go and shout at the chess community for creating division?

Did the chess community state they are disproportionately affected?
Due to increased levels of ill health due to being a chess player or discrimination for being a chess player?

The reason your're baffled is because you don't get the point of the complaint. Which baffles me cuz I though I made myself clear if you read my previous posts and the posts of others that echo the same point.

Irish Praetorian

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Again. It's just some links and information. Nothing else.

+1 to this.

Lets just hold our horses people, we have a bit of information going around, which isn't a bad thing, and particularly not when our community has taken a long to build up good traditions of keeping informed and educated about health issues. And shock horror - I saw some of the same information at my workplace - my reaction was 'huh OK interesting' not 'do they not realize this infection hits everyone and not just us widget jockeys'.

RWCNT

Completely agree with Irish Praetorian and Goodshape, hysterical overreaction to the OP here.

For anyone not understanding how it could impact the LGBT community differently than any other group, OP has handily included some links in the first post of the thread that should go some way to explaining.

Some people seem to be in far too much of a rush to release their anger at identity politics, of which I'm no great fan, into a discussion that really doesn't warrant it.

RWCNT

RWCNT wrote: »

Completely agree with Irish Praetorian and Goodshape, hysterical overreaction to the OP here.

For anyone not understanding how it could impact the LGBT community differently than any other group, OP has handily included some links in the first post of the thread that should go some way to explaining.

Some people seem to be in far too much of a rush to release their anger at identity politics, of which I'm no great fan, into a discussion that really doesn't warrant it.

It's far from hysterical. It is absolutely apparent that many people within your "community" as well as people outside your "community" find that separate guidelines based on your sexuality are an insult to people who have fought for their sexuality to be normalised and not separate to what is considered typical.

In the midst of a pandemic, when people should be united together, it was a tone deaf thread to start.

Smegging hell

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

The demand in the boards.ie help desk to delete this entire thread is completely absurd.

Seriously? Sadcases.

Annasopra

Smegging hell wrote: »

Seriously? Sadcases.

As I said its just information and resources so I will keep updating the opening post if there is relevent stuff to go in.

gmisk

It will affect LGBT people the same as anyone else.
No need for any distinction.

I will say the comments below a story on the journal about pride being postponed....makes me realise how much homophobia still exists in Ireland.

RWCNT

Deleted User wrote: »

It's far from hysterical. It is absolutely apparent that many people within your "community" as well as people outside your "community" find that separate guidelines based on your sexuality are an insult to people who have fought for their sexuality to be normalised and not separate to what is considered typical.

In the midst of a pandemic, when people should be united together, it was a tone deaf thread to start.

Any particular reason why you've twice chosen to put quotation marks around the word community?

I disagree, I do find it quite hysterical.

People are entitled to their opinions, I just havn't seen a compelling argument for those opinions presented by anyone in this thread. Mainly platitudes about "us vs them" and "dividing people".

I see no reason why statistically backed information on a potential increased risk to a group of people, posted mostly in media focused towards that very group of people, is somehow going to inspire a hostile attitude towards said group of people or take away from the pulling together of the general population during this difficult time.

Annasopra

The purpose of the thread is for information and resources. That's all. Nothing else.

We won't be deleting it as per the absurd request to do so.

On that basis I will close this and update the original post from time to time with other relevant items.

Annasopra

GCN has a Facebook live discussion of interest tomorrow on the GCN Facebook page at 7pm

As part of GCN's In And Out Digital Festival of LGBT+ Creativity, we present the unmissable talk - LGBT+ Sex in the COVID Era

All of the amazing events during the Festival will be live-streamed from Facebook directly into your homes, so keep an eye on GCN’s FB page.

Sarah Gilligan, psychotherapist and counsellor, and Adam Shanley, the manager of the MPOWER Programme at HIV Ireland, will share an essential discussion on LGBT+ sex during the COVID-19 pandemic. How can we stay safe, how can we express ourselves, and what impact will it have on our emotional, mental and physical health - all these topics and more will be covered.

Gael23

Just seen this now. It’s recorded in their FB page so I’ll definately watch back on it