Varadkar: 'I feel privileged to be gay in Ireland'

This week Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community marks Pride 2022 – and it promises to be a brilliant celebration.

I will be thinking about the thousands of Irish people who haven’t come out yet – whether to themselves, their families, or their friends. It’s sad, but in some ways not surprising, given what seems to be a rise in homophobic violence and the persistence of homophobic bullying and stereotyping. I was lucky in that my experience of coming out was a very positive one. I know this is not the case for everyone. The most important thing is to come out to yourself first. Your family will almost certainly support you and so will your friends. I don’t know anyone who regrets coming out just that they didn’t sooner.

This weekend I will be thinking particularly about the plight of Ukrainian people – who have enjoyed 30 years of democracy and freedom. A freedom which the iron hand of Vladimir Putin is trying to strip away with his murderous invasion. We have a long way to go, and in Ireland there are still many issues we need to overcome, ranging from homophobic bullying in schools to the availability of sexual health services.

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