by Andrew Carey
HENRY Street Garda station will be a bit more colourful this weekend when the Limerick divisional headquarters becomes one of the first Garda station’s in the country to fly the Rainbow flag in support of this year’s Gay Pride festival.
Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan said that the decision to fly the flag was a “significant show of support” for the LGBT community.
“It creates an extremely positive image for An Garda Síochána locally in supporting a minority group”, he added.
The Pride Parade will route through O’Connell Street and Mallow Street before it passes by the Garda station.
Chief Superintendent Sheahan said the flag will show Garda recognition and support for LGBT people as they pass by the station.
“In particular we are sending a message to report any homophobic, violent, threatening or abusive behaviour towards any member of the LGBT community. Homophobic acts cannot be addressed if we are not made aware of them and in flying the rainbow flag, we want to encourage any LGBT person to report an incident at either their nearest Garda station, to their local LGBT liaison officer or to contact the National LGBT Liaison Officer in Garda Racial Intercultural Diversity Office, Harcourt Square, Dublin”.
A report launched at the University of Limerick this June concluded that transgender people face elevated levels of violence and discrimination in Ireland. The report also documented 32 hate incidents of which 15 were designated as hate crimes.
88 per cent of respondents experienced verbal abuse or insults; 28 per cent experienced threats of violence; one in five experienced physical violence and six per cent experienced sexual harassment.
“There are no definite figures on such crimes as people can be reluctant to report for a variety of reasons, but one of the reasons for not reporting them should not be that Gardaí will not deal with complaints professionally and as soon as possible”, Chief Supt Sheahan added.
