'People were isolated during Covid. We were their safe outlet': LGBT+ groups on reconnecting post-pandemic
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As a sexual health support worker with Cork's Sexual Health Centre on Peter's Street behind the Mercy Hospital, Aaron O'Sullivan's job includes providing one-to-one support for people who may be struggling over their sexual orientation or their gender identity.
He also provides sexual health information and advice for LGBT+ people.
The Sexual Health Centre, established in 1987, provides a range of services such as crisis pregnancy counselling, post-abortion counselling as well as outreach work with different communities.
"We work with migrant communities and the Travelling community, we support former prisoners, people on probation and sex workers. As an overall organisation, we are making people aware of their sexual health and wellbeing and preparing them to be educated and comfortable in practising sex with their partners."
O'Sullivan says that broadly speaking, the centre promotes sexual health "across the spectrum. We do youth health promotion and our outreach work is done by our counsellors. We have a HIV counsellor, a crisis pregnancy counsellor and also counsellors that work in sex and love therapy (SALT). SALT isn't specific to the LGBT+ community. Its work can be with both men and women and it covers a range of problematic sexualised behaviour which could be porn addiction or cheating, so to speak."
The centre does rapid HIV testing for gay and bisexual men as well as migrants from countries that have a high incidence of HIV. It's also for sex workers, intravenous drug users and straight people who fall into one of the categories."
For Cork Pride, the Sexual Health Centre will have a presence at the family day in Fitzgerald's Park on Sunday (July 24th) where information will be on hand and rapid HIV testing will be available.
Community health worker with LINC (Lesbians in Cork), Ciara Mulcahy, says a lot of the work she and her colleagues do is around social need. "Women come into us and build a community with one another. For some, if they haven't had support and connection from family or other places, they can get it from our centre and service."
Covid posed challenges for LINC including accessibility to technological devices and wifi, particularly for people living in rural area. But the centre, located on White Street, saw a rise in women joining the service in recent times.
"For some women who come into us, that's their time to be 'out' and safe. They may not have that at home. They might be living with homophobic parents or are in a situation where people are not aware of their sexuality. There is definitely a mental health fall-out from that. We've been trying to get the momentum going again at our regular drop-in service... People were isolated during Covid. We would have been their safe outlet. If they were stuck at home with comments being made, or silence or invisibility, that was really challenging."
Mulcahy adds that there is "a real hunger" for community. Urban and rural isolation is a reality for many lesbian women. "We have had an outreach worker in Waterford for the last twelve months. We have someone working in Kerry trying to make sure that when we have events, enough notice is given so people can access them."
The rise in homophobic incidents, including vandalising an art installation created by this year's Cork Pride artist-in-residence, Stephen Doyle, could be down to "the rise in far right thinking during Covid," says Mulcahy.
"One of the other big challenges that has popped up in the last two years is dealing with the menopause. It's an area where there can be a misdiagnosis of anxiety or depression where it's actually the menopause. We offer peer support at a monthly menopause group."
As the resource officer dealing with suicide prevention through the HSE in Cork, under the National Office of Suicide Prevention, Martin Ryan says isolation in the LBGT+ cohort can be a big factor. He says that conversation around prevention of suicide is vital.
"Unfortunately, suicide doesn't come into anyone's vocabulary until something happens. Part of my role is about keeping the preventative conversation on everyone's lips all the time. That's why we tend to get involved in partnerships such as Pride this year. We were involved in Joy in the Park and we'll be involved in Electric Picnic and other events. We do this to broaden the conversation around mental health."
Ryan says that with the advent of gay marriage in this country, some people may feel all the battles have been won for the gay community. "But it doesn't mean that there are not still issues. Stigma exists."
He adds that it can still be socially unacceptable to reveal who you are and how you are, when you're from a minority group.
"Thankfully with events like Pride, you can express the fact that it's okay to not be okay and it's okay to say you need help," says Ryan.