Sep 01, 2007Quickie Link: Irish President Adresses Suicide Issue Among Young Gays
By vanrozenheim
(Ireland) - Irish President Mary McAleese today called for a change in attitudes to end the bullying of Gay people. Addressing the International Association of Suicide Prevention Conference in Killarney, Irish President said the link between sexual identity and suicide had to be addressed. "Ireland is making considerable progress in developing a culture of genuine equality, recognition and acceptance of Gay men and women," she said. "But there is still an undercurrent of both bias and hostility which young Gay people must find deeply hurtful and inhibiting." Ireland's suicide toll is around 500 every year. Young men make up 40 per cent of these, and elderly men comprise the second-highest at risk group.
