Midlands LGBT Project Lots Of Conversations Still Need To Happen

The organisation provides a range of services across Laois, Offaly and Westmeath.

A Community Development Worker with Midlands LGBT Project says there is a need to create greater connection and visibility for LGBTQ+ people across the region.

The organisation provides a range of services across Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Kildare, with a focus on providing safe and welcoming spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community and helping to combat social isolation. Lucas says creating visibility and building connections within both the LGBTQ+ community and the wider community are an important part of tackling that isolation:

“Creating visibility and creating connections within the community. If you are not having the conversation with the wider community, the isolation does not get solved.”

Midlands LGBT Project developed in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which exposed a lack of dedicated resources and supports across the Midlands. The organisation now works to bridge that gap by providing spaces where people can meet others, build connections and access support closer to home.

Lucas says younger LGBTQ+ people can find it particularly difficult to access both LGBT-specific services and wider personal supports in their local communities. However, the challenges surrounding isolation and connection are not limited to younger generations.

Midlands LGBT Project also runs a dedicated over-50s group, providing an opportunity for older LGBTQ+ people to meet and connect with others in the community. Lucas says the experiences of older members can be very different to those of younger generations, particularly for people who grow up at a time when LGBTQ+ identities are less visible and dedicated community spaces are far less accessible. For some members of the group, it provides an opportunity they have never previously had

Speaking on Shine A Light, Lucas says “They are a cohort of people who never had that space.”

Through its work across the Midlands, the project continues to create spaces for LGBTQ+ people of different ages to connect with others, access support and build a stronger sense of community from an organisational perspective, Lucas says there are still a number of challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, with particular concerns around the experiences of trans people.

Public bathroom legislation recently brought into the UK is a worry and an area he highlights, saying fear and misunderstanding surrounding the trans community can have a significant impact

“The fear the trans community has now is very valid.”  Lucas says open conversations around these issues are important in helping people to better understand the experiences of the trans community and challenge misconceptions.

Midlands LGBT Project is working to address this through its dedicated trans group, which is currently its largest across the organisation.

The organisation also provides a number of other social groups and activities, including a sports group, creating further opportunities for LGBTQ+ people across the region to meet and build connections, discussed in full on Shine A Light.

Shine a Light is Funded by the News reporting Scheme.